Wish you were here...

Old country store met barn in the store at Meadow Ledge Farm in Loudon, New Hampshire. Apple picking was at it's peak, and the store was packed with groups of families and friends and of course every apple picking, maple syrup slurping, New Hampshire foodie delight known to man. Somehow all of the clutter created more of a feeling of a crowded petting zoo at the town fair than a Hallmark store that was invaded by an after school program. It was homey.

The scent of apple cider donuts enveloped the air. A line of people on the far right side of the store seemed to have formed from the magnetic pull of the aroma. I knew of the phenomenon of the apple cider donuts. Matt had no clue. He started drifting towards the fryer the second we stepped into the store.

A worker stood over a doughnut machine stuffing some sort of shortening/white fat into the top of the contraption. Doughnut machines are such beautiful pieces of machinery. The fat is heated to the perfect temperature and the batter is placed in a funnel like contraption that pushes out the perfect sized and shaped "pre-donut" and plops it right into the oil. The soon-to-be-donut floats down the river of fat right onto a water wheel (well of course it's not a water wheel, but picture that and try to follow me) that flips the doughnut so the other side fries as perfectly as the first side. It floats along right onto an edge that brings the perfect doughnut out of the oil.

Some doughnuts make the coolness of the doughnut machine completely unnecessary, but for the line of people out of the door at Meadow Ledge Farm the doughnut machine was creating a masterpiece, a family tradition, an apple picking treat. Meadow Ledge's website warned about the line for their doughnuts. It actually said people could wait for 45 minutes. I would guess that I waited for about 35 minutes on the day Matt and I went apple picking.

In a store full of apple pies, caramel apples, and New Hampshire made soda, why would I wait 35 minutes for fried dough? While Matt was enthralled with the scent of the doughnuts, he did look at me a little shocked when I was set on waiting as long as I had to, to get my hands on one of these treats.

Dunkin Donuts has nothing on these fried delights. Apple cider doughnuts from Meadow Ledge farm have a soft sort of crumb cake texture, with mildly mulled flavors. The outside is a little crispy with a hint of oily; but it is clear the people at Meadow Ledge have a little practice with this doughnuts thing, because the dough isn't soaked in oil (this would happen if the oil wasn't hot enough when the doughnuts were being fried). One bite creates a believer.

Visiting Meadow Ledge farm is not the time to consider your diet. Because of the high demand for the doughnuts the most one person can buy is one dozen. My advice, bring a few friends and give them the money to buy a dozen each. These doughnuts blow my mind, and I grew up in an area of this country that devotes a whole day to the eating of doughnuts (Fasnacht day - don't worry more about that one come February).

Not everyone will have the opportunity to travel to Loudon, New Hampshire to try these seasonal creations. Rent a car, walk, hitchhike, take a train, book a flight, do anything you can so you won't miss my newest fall favorite. I promise you will not be disappointed.

Happy Eating!!!

Emily