Apple Cider Knots !

With Christmas around the corner, I really should be posting something with cranberries, but I just LOVE these cider knots. I've used the recipe so many times already this fall/winter that I thought perhaps it would be something fun, easy, lovely and delicious for others to make, too!

Today, we're off to Youngstown State University, where a marketing class has taken on EZ DOH as a project. We'll see presentations by the students on their ideas on how to market our product. I know they've put a lot of hard work into these presentations, so I thought I'd better take a little reward for them! If you have someone YOU would like to reward, I highly suggest baking a batch of these little tasties!

Apple Cider Knots

Dough:

1 ½ Cup apple cider

1 Tbsp/pkg Red Star Platinum yeast 

2 Tbsp. canola oil

3 ½ Cups all-purpose unbleached flour

1 ½ tsp. salt

Topping:

½ Cup melted butter

½ Cup sugar

1 ½ tsp. cinnamon

Brown Paper Bag

Warm cider in the microwave approximately 20-30 seconds, until warm to the touch. Pour into the EZ DOH bucket, add yeast and stir until yeast dissolves. Let sit 1 minute to activate yeast. Add remaining ingredients to the bucket and “EZ DOH-it” for 2-3 minutes, until dough is smooth , adding additional flour (up to ½ cup)  if the dough is too sticky. Remove dough from bucket. Spray the interior of the bucket lightly with cooking spray and return dough to bucket to rise until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 400. When dough is doubled, punch it down and remove it from the bucket. Divide into 2 equal pieces. Divide each piece into 12-16 equal pieces, depending on the size of knots you’d like to make. Take each piece and roll it to an approximate 6-8” length. “Knot” the length of dough loosely. Place the knot  on a large, grease baking sheet. Continue until all pieces are formed. Bake for 10 minutes. While the rolls are baking, melt the butter in a large bowl. Also, place the sugar and cinnamon in the brown paper bag and shake to mix.  After removing the knots from the oven, place them in the bowl and toss with the butter. (I suggest transferring the butter to a large covered mixing bowl, placing the knots in the bowl, replacing the lid and SHAKE!) . Remove the knots with a slotted spoon and place them in the bag. Shake until they are covered with the cinnamon sugar mixture.

These rolls are especially good while warm!!

Apple Cider Knots !