Windy Ridge Cellars
Recipes
Cider Sage Compound Butter
Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 10-12
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced
- 3 ounces hard cider
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
- Kosher salt
Method
- Melt 3 tablespoons butter in nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and sage and cook until tender, 3-5 minutes. Stir in hard cider and cook until reduced, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
- Transfer contents of skillet to mixing bowl with remaining butter and maple syrup. Add salt to taste and whisk together until combined and creamy. Transfer to serving bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Serve at room temperature.
Hard Cider Braised Chicken
Tender chicken thighs and apples pair beautifully with hard cider, bacon, mustard, and herbs in this comforting autumn dish.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: creamy chicken thighs, hard cider chicken
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 982kcal
Author: Amanda Biddle
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 to 3-½ pounds), trimmed of excess skin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (approximate)
- 8 ounces thick cut bacon , cut into lardons
- 3 medium Fuji apples , peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges each
- 3/4 cup chopped shallots
- 2 large garlic cloves , minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 12 ounces hard cider (dry or medium-dry)
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons smooth Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon grainy or “Old Style” mustard (I use Maille)
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons Applejack (apple brandy) (optional, but highly recommended)
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Dry chicken thighs with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. Rub a pinch of smoked paprika onto the skin side.
- In a large frying pan, sauté pan, or wide Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium high heat until crisp. Remove the bacon from pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.
- Drain all but 2 tablespoons of drippings from the pan. Brown the chicken over medium-high heat, starting with the skin side down, for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden. Depending on the size of your pan, you might have to do this in 2 batches. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan. Add apple wedges and shallots, and sauté over medium-high heat until apples are just beginning to brown around the edges, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
- Stir in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour in hard cider and chicken broth, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in Dijon and grainy mustards, all but 2 tablespoons of the reserved bacon, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- Add the chicken and any accumulated chicken juices back to the pan, skin side up. Nestle the chicken thighs into the apples and sauce, but don’t fully submerge them. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the chicken registers 170-175 degrees F away from the bone.
- Remove chicken and apples from the pan to a platter and loosely tent with foil. Return the pan to the stove to finish the sauce.
Hard Apple Cider Mac and Cheese (with Bacon!)
Description
This easy mac and cheese recipe gets a boost of fall flavor from hard cider and crispy bacon!
Ingredients
SCALE 1x 2x 3x
1 pound pasta (we used large shells)
1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, diced into
1/2 -inch pieces
3 Tablespoons flour
2/3 cup hard apple cider
1 1/3 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
2 1/2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
(we love this aged cheddar from Kerrygold!)
Instructions
- Cook pasta in very salty water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat (we use the same pot we just cooked the pasta in!) Add the diced bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 7 minutes until crispy.
- Remove crispy bacon from pot with a slotted spoon and set aside. Leave the bacon fat in the pot – you want about 3 Tablespoons!
- Reduce heat to medium. Add flour and whisk together with bacon fat to form a roux. Cook for about a minute until the roux is sizzling.
- Add hard apple cider to pot a little at a time, whisking constantly to work out any lumps. Add milk and whisk to combine. Cook, whisking frequently, until sauce has thickened andreached a low simmer, about 8 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove pot from heat and stir in shredded cheese. Mix until cheese is melted and you have a smooth sauce.
- Stir half of the crispy bacon pieces into the sauce (save the rest for topping later!)
- Add cooked pasta to sauce and stir to combine. Top with remaining crispy bacon and serve immediately.
Notes
What apple cider should I use?
We recommend a hard cider on the drier side for best results. The cider you use will definitely affect how your sauce tastes, so use a cider you like to drink! If you use a sweet cider, you’ll end up with a sweeter sauce. Be sure to read the post above for a full list of our favorite cider brands for this recipe. If you prefer not to use alcohol, use a dry apple juice or nonalcoholic dry apple cider.
Additions and Substitutions.
Use brie or smoked gouda cheese in place of or in addition to the white cheddar here. Add some veggies for color (broccoli, spinach, and kale are our favorites), a few teaspoons of diced jalapeño for some spice, or some grilled chicken or sausage for extra protein.
For a lighter sauce
use our Magic Cauliflower Cream Sauce in place of the flour and milk!
For a baked mac and cheese, follow the “how to bake” directions in our Mac and Cheese 101 post.
Baked Hard Apple Cider Donuts
Coated in cinnamon sugar and filled with warm spices, these cake-style hard apple cider donuts are easy to bake for your next brunch!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 12 donuts
Ingredients
- 2 cups hard apple cider
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 ¾ teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup milk
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two donut trays with non-stick spray.
- In a small sauce pan, reduce the hard cider over medium heat by about half a cup (for about 20 minutes). Meanwhile, melt the butter and set aside to cool.
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, spices, and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon in a large bowl. In a separate measuring cup, whisk together the reduced hard cider, brown sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and single egg until combined. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, and stir together with a wooden spoon.
- Transfer the dough to the baking trays, and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes. The donuts are done when you press into the cake and the sponge bounces back immediately. Remove from the oven, let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack.
- When the donuts are finished and cool enough to handle, whisk together the granulated sugar with the remaining ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon. Roll the donuts in the mixture until fully coated. Store the donuts in an airtight container at room temperature, and enjoy within 3-4 days. To make ahead, allow the donuts to cool completely, and then freeze. Thaw in the fridge the evening before you wish to eat the frozen donuts so that they have a chance to thaw.
Apple Cider Bellini Cocktail with Rosemary
A simple and beautiful cocktail for Fall celebrations combining Apple Cider, Orange Liqueur, Maple Syrup and Prosecco.
Course Champagne, Prosecco and Cava
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6 Cocktails
Calories: 149kcal
Author: Barb
Ingredients
6 oz apple cider
2 Tbsp orange liqueur
2 Tbsp maple syrup
Bottle of Prosecco chilled
Rosemary Sprigs for Garnish
Instructions
Combine apple cider, orange liqueur and maple syrup in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
Shake until container is thoroughly cold.
Pour mixture into champagne flutes and top with the chilled Prosecco.
Garnish each glass with a sprig of rosemary.
Notes
For a group, mix all ingredients except the Prosecco and chill until ready to serve.
Want a Mocktail? Easy. just substitute the Prosecco with some sparkling water.
Nutrition
Serving: 18 | Calories: 149kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Sodium: 8mg | Sugar: 9g
Bourbon and Apple Cider Cocktail
The perfect fall cocktail with the flavors of apple, bourbon and ginger.
Course: Bourbon
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Calories: 483kcal
Author: Barb
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Apple Cider chilled
- 1 ounce Bourbon
- 1/2 to one tsp maple syrup optional
- 2 ounces Ginger Beer chilled
- Apple wedges for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the cider, bourbon, and maple syrup in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake
until very cold (if serving a crowd, combine these two ingredients in a pitcher and refrigerate
for at least an hour. - Strain mixture into an ice filled glass and top with the chilled ginger beer. Stir gently.
- Garnish with an apple wedge and serve.
Notes
About that apple slice.
I love the cute star shape in the center of an apple as much as the next guy but for practicality
sake, well, you have to get to the center of the apple and only get maybe two good slices. I don’t
advise wasting most of the apple for that effect. Simply use apple wedges instead of slices!
I’ve made this cocktail several times since this post and have taken to putting a rim on it with sugar
and cinnamon.
Mix a combination of 2 Tablespoons of sugar with a teaspoon and a half of cinnamon on a flat
plate. Rub the edge of the glass with maple syrup or cider, and dip it in the cinnamon/sugar
mixture. Proceed according to above directions.
Nutrition
Serving: 1grams | Calories: 483kcal
Whiskey Apple Cider Cocktail
If you love hard cider, or imbibing in the occasional bourbon, this Whiskey Apple Cider
Cocktail will be your new favorite drink! Made with hard cider, apple cider, bitters and
a shot of good whiskey or bourbon, this cocktail has all the amazing flavors of fall!
PREP TIME: 5 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Apple Cider (spiced or regular), chilled
- 2 oz. Hard Cider Beer, chilled
- 1 oz. Honey Whiskey or Bourbon
- Splash of Angostura Bitters
- Apple slices, optional
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add the apple cider, hard cider beer, whiskey
and bitters. Fit with lid, making sure it’s tight, shake vigorously. In rocks glass
filled with ice, pour cocktail over ice. Top off drink with additional hard cider beer.
Add an apple slice for garnish, if desired. Enjoy right away while cold.
Notes
I used Jack Daniels Honey Whiskey, however, feel free to use your favorite whiskey or bourbon.
Nutrition Information: SERVING SIZE: 1
Amount Per Serving: CALORIES: 130 SODIUM: 225mg CARBOHYDRATES: 32g SUGAR: 29g PROTEIN: 1g