1. Reduce the cider

1. Reduce the 1 1/2 cups cherry-apple cider to 1/2 cup and allow it to cool.

2. Prepare the oven and pan

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Lightly grease a standard donut pan.

3. Mix the dry ingredients

1. Whisk together: flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon., Apple Pie Spice, salt
2. Set aside.

4. Mix the wet ingredients

1. In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, egg, brown sugar, granulated sugar, milk, vanilla, and 1/8 tsp almond extract.
2. The almond should be subtle. Its job is to reinforce the cherry character—not turn these into almond donuts.

5. Make the batter

1. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients.
2. Pour in the 1/2 cup cooled cherry-apple cider reduction.
3. Whisk just until everything is smooth and combined. The batter should be fairly thick.
4. Avoid excessive mixing once the flour is incorporated.

6. Fill the pan

1. Transfer the batter to a piping bag or zip-top bag with one corner snipped off.
2. Pipe into the donut cavities, filling each approximately 1/2 full.

7. Bake

1. Bake at 350°F for 10–11 minutes.
2. The donuts are ready when the tops spring back when lightly pressed.
3. Allow them to sit in the pan for about 2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
4. Repeat with any remaining batter.

Cinnamon-Cherry Orchard Coating:

1. Mix together: 1 cup sugar, 3/4 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp Apple Pie Spice
2. Place the melted butter in a separate shallow bowl.
3. When the donuts are cool enough to handle, lightly coat each donut with melted butter and then toss or roll it in the spiced sugar.
4. For a slightly less-sweet donut, brush the donuts with butter rather than completely dunking them, then coat with the sugar mixture.