Best Apple Cider Sauce Recipes

APPLE CIDER BREAD PUDDING WITH CARAMEL BOURBON-PECAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Combine bread cubes, apples, and raisins in a very large bowl.
• Whisk eggs, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt together in another large bowl until well combined. Whisk in milk and apple cider. Pour mixture over bread mixture, and toss gently using a spatula until evenly coated. Let bread pudding mixture stand for 15 minutes.
• Pour bread pudding mixture into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.
• Bake in the preheated oven until puffed and lightly browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Let bread pudding cool for at least 15 minutes; pudding will sink slightly.
• Meanwhile, spread pecans on a baking sheet. Bake in the hot oven until lightly browned, about 5 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning. Remove from the oven and set aside.
• Combine brown sugar, corn syrup, heavy cream, and butter in a large, heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring constantly to prevent burning, until mixture is reduced to 3 cups, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove sauce from heat. Stir in pecans, bourbon, and vanilla extract.
• Serve sauce with bread pudding.

APPLE CIDER CRANBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the apple cider, sugar, cinnamon sticks, orange zest, and cloves in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn heat to low; simmer until sugar is dissolved and the flavors are blended, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Stir cranberries into the saucepan, turn heat to high, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until cranberries begin to pop, 5 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and cook until sauce begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks and cloves. Pour into shallow dish to cool and serve.

CRISPY BLACK CHICKEN WITH APPLE CIDER VINEGAR SAUCE AND ROASTED GARLIC, DIRTY RICE AND HEIRLOOM GLAZED CARROTS

Steps:

• For the chicken: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the garlic cloves onto a sheet tray and roast, 20 minutes.
• Set up a deep fryer with canola oil and heat to 350 degrees F. Fry the brussels sprouts until crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Season with salt.
• Lower the temperature on the fryer to 275 degrees F.
• Combine the cornstarch, baking powder and salt to taste in a wide shallow dish. Dredge the chicken halves in the cornstarch mixture and shake off any excess. Deep-fry the chicken for 10 minutes, then remove from the oil onto a paper towel-lined tray.
• Increase the temperature on the fryer to 400 degrees F. Place the chicken back into the fryer to crisp for 5 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
• Add 1/4 cup each of the apple cider and apple cider vinegar to a large saute pan placed over medium-high heat. Allow to reduce by half, about 5 minutes. Add half the chicken stock and salt to taste. Reduce by half, about 5 minutes, then add the remaining chicken stock. Add the roasted garlic and allow the sauce to reduce, 5 to 7 minutes. Finish the sauce with the remaining 2 tablespoons each apple cider and apple cider vinegar and the butter.
• For the dirty rice: Add the onion, salt to taste and 2 tablespoons of the extra-virgin olive oil to a medium saucepan and turn the heat to medium high. Sweat the onion until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat. Toast for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock, bay leaves and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to a simmer and cook until the rice is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
• Heat a large saute pan with the remaining 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and salt to taste. Saute until translucent, 5 minutes. Add the chicken livers and blood sausage and brown until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cooked rice to the pan and stir to combine, tossing to thoroughly coat the rice in the chicken livers and blood sausage. Remove the pan from the heat, add the brandy and ignite with a click lighter. Put the pan back on the heat and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the alcohol has cooked off. Turn off the heat and stir in the scallions.
• For the glazed carrots: Season a pot of boiling water generously with salt. It should be as salty as the sea. Prepare an ice bath and season generously with salt. Add the carrots to the boiling water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until tender but still slightly crisp. Remove the carrots and immediately plunge into the ice bath. Set aside.
• Melt the butter, brown sugar and cayenne together in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken stock and the blanched carrots. Toss to coat the carrots, then allow the liquid to reduce until the glaze has thickened, 5 minutes. If the mixture needs to be thinned out, you can add a bit more chicken stock.
• To plate: Place a scoop of dirty rice onto the plate. Top with the glazed carrots, followed by the chicken. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, making sure to include the roasted garlic cloves. Garnish with the crispy Brussels sprouts and micro radish.

APPLE DUMPLINGS WITH MAPLE-CIDER SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. In medium bowl, mix flour and salt. With pastry blender or two knives used scissors fashion, cut in butter and shortening until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add the cider, 1 Tbsp at a time, tossing with fork after each addition, unti pastry holds together to form a dough. Shape dough into two 1/2 in. thick squares; wrap separately in plastic wrap. Chill. 2.Preheat oven to 375. With melon-ball scoop, core apples, leaving 1/2 in. of core intact at bottom of each apple. Peel 2/3 of each apple leaving peel on bottom 1/3. In bowl, mix brown sugar, currants, walnuts and butter; pack mixture into cored portion of each apple. 3. On lightly floured surface, with lightly floured rolling pin, roll out 1 dough square to 21 1/2 x 7 1/2" rectangle.; trim to 21 x 7" saving scraps. Cut into (3) 7" squares; place an apple, filling side up, on each square. Brush some egg mixture over edges of dough. Lift opposite corners of dough squares over apples; pinch to seal, making 4 seems. Press seams flat onto pasty to conform to apple shape; brush dumpling with egg mixture. Reroll dough scraps; cut out leaves. With knife, make vein marks on leaves. While egg mixture is still wet, attach leaves to dumpling. Repeat with remaining apples, dough and egg mixture. Insert cinnamon stick "stem in top of each dumpling. Place dumplings in 13 x 9 x2" pan. Bake 40 minutes 4. Meanwhile, make Maple-Cider Sauce: In small saucepan, mix cornstarch and cider until smooth. Add remaining ingredients; mix. Heat to boiling over medium heat; boil 1 minute. 5. After apples bake 40 minutes. pour sauce over them; bake 15 minutes longer or until apples are tender when tested with wooden skewer inserted through lower third of dumplings. 6. Make Maple Whipped cream: In bowl, beat ingredients until stiff. Serve with dumplings.

CHICKEN WITH APPLE, ONION AND CIDER SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour, shaking off the excess. Add 2 tablespoons oil to the pan. Place the chicken in the skillet smooth-side down and cook until golden, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking dish and bake until cooked through, about 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the onion and apple to the skillet, along with 1 tablespoon oil, if the pan is dry, and increase the heat to high. Cook, tossing, until the onion has wilted slightly and the apple is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the vinegar and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the pan. Let the mixture boil until the vinegar becomes syrupy, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and return to a boil. Cook until the broth reduces by half.
• Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and whisk in the butter. Remove the chicken from the oven; add any collected juices to the sauce. Divide the chicken among four plates and spoon the apple, onion and pan sauce over each piece. Sprinkle with the parsley.

CRANBERRY SAUCE WITH APPLE CIDER

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.
• Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
• Reduce heat and simmer on medium low heat for 20 minutes or until cranberries pop, stirring occasionally.

ROAST PORK TENDERLOIN WITH APPLE CIDER CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Salt and pepper the pork. Spray a baking pan with nonstick spray and place the pork in it. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 155 to 160 degrees. Remove from oven and place pork on a cutting board.
• Pour the apple cider in the baking pan and scrape any brown bits from the bottom. Put the pan on the stove over medium-high heat (or pour the pan drippings and cider into a skillet). Stirring occasionally, let the cider boil until it is reduced to 1/4 cup. It will be quite dark.
• Add cream & brown sugar and boil 5 minutes, or until very thick. Remove from heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter and beat vigorously as it melts. Add the second tablespoon and beat until it melts. To serve the pork, slice thinly and drizzle with sauce. Pass extra sauce in a gravy boat, if desired.

APPLE SUNDAES WITH CIDER CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Stir together both sugars, butter, and vinegar until well combined. Spread mixture evenly in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• Peel and core apples, then slice into 3/4-inch-thick rounds. Toss with cinnamon, ginger, and salt in a bowl. Place on top of sugar mixture in a single layer, overlapping slightly if needed. Cover with parchment-lined foil and bake until just beginning to soften and bubble, 20 to 25 minutes. Spoon sauce over apples, and increase heat to 450 degrees. Continue to bake, uncovered, until sauce thickens and apples are soft and brown, about 15 minutes more.
• Divide apples evenly among 4 bowls. Whisk cream into liquid in baking dish to make a caramel sauce. Transfer to a bowl; let cool until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Top apples with ice cream, caramel sauce, and cookies; serve.

CRANBERRY-APPLE CIDER SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring cider to a boil and cook over a medium-high heat until reduced to 1 cup, about 40 minutes.
• Combine reduced cider and all the other ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved.
• Simmer sauce until thickened and cranberries have popped, stirring occasionally, 10-12 minutes. Sauce will thicken more when cooled.

APPLE GINGER PIE WITH CIDER-BOURBON SAUCE

Steps:

• For Crust :
• Mix flour, sugar, salt and apple pie spice in processor. Add butter and shortening and cut in until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add sour cream and blend in using on/off turns just until dough forms. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Divide in half. Form each half into a ball; flatten into disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
• For Filling:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss first 6 ingredients together in bowl.
• Roll out 1 dough disk between sheets of plastic wrap to 13-inch round. Peel off top sheet; invert dough into 9 1/2-inch deep-dish glass pie dish. Peel off plastic. Roll out remaining dough disk between sheets of plastic wrap to 13-inch round. Peel off top sheet of plastic. Mound filling in pie dish. Invert dough over filling. Peel off plastic. Pinch edges of dough to seal. Trim excess crust. Crimp edges decoratively. Cut 5 slashes in top of dough to allow steam to escape. Brush top with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden brown, covering with foil if browning too quickly, about 1 hour.
• Let pie stand until just slightly warm, about 1 hour. Serve pie with ice cream and Cider-Bourbon Sauce.
• For the cider-bourbon sauce:
• Boil apple cider in heavy medium saucepan until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 45 minutes. Add butter and sugar and whisk until butter melts. Boil 3 minutes, whisking occasionally. Remove from heat. Whisk in bourbon. Cool sauce completely before serving.

GINGERSNAP PORK LOIN ROAST WITH APPLES, CURRANTS, AND AN APPLE CIDER PAN REDUCTION SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Season pork roast with kosher salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper.
• Process gingersnap cookies in a food processor to fine crumbs. Transfer crumbs to a plate or shallow bowl. Roll roast in crumbs to coat.
• Heat olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Cook roast in hot oil until all sides are browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer skillet with roast to the center rack of the oven.
• Roast pork in the preheated oven until it is slightly pink in the center, 15 to 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Remove roast to a serving platter and cover with foil.
• Pour apple cider and chicken stock into the same skillet used to cook the pork roast and bring liquid to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add apple slices and currants; simmer until sauce reduces to 1/2 cup, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir butter into apple mixture until butter is completely melted and incorporated, about 1 minute more. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
• Slice pork roast into 1/2-inch thick slices and pour apple currant sauce over the top.

APPLE AND CARAWAY TARTLETS WITH CINNAMON-CLOVE ICE CREAM AND CIDER-CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• For crust:
• Blend flour, sugar, caraway and salt in processor. Add butter and process, using on/off turns, until butter is cut into pea-size pieces. Add 5 teaspoons ice water. Blend until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Cut into 6 equal pieces. Press each piece of dough into 4 1/2-inch-diameter tartlet pan with 3/4-inch-high sides and removable bottom. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover each crust; chill.)
• For filling:
• Place 3/4 cup Cider-Caramel Sauce in heavy large skillet. Add apples and cinnamon. Cook over high heat until apples are crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Cool filling completely.
• Place rack at lowest position in oven; preheat to 375°F Divide filling among crusts, overlapping apples, if desired. Place tartlets on oven rack; bake until apples are tender and crust is brown at edges, about 40 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool 30 minutes. Push up pan bottoms, releasing tartlets. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
• Rewarm remaining sauce in small saucepan. Place tartlets on plates. Top with ice cream and some warm sauce. Garnish with grapes and mint, if desired.

APPLE CIDER SAUCE

Steps:

• Reduce the apple cider in a saucepan over medium-high heat until it's thick and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the cream and salt and cook until it reaches the desired consistency, an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING WITH APPLE CIDER BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, milk, heavy cream, whole eggs, egg yolks, brown sugar, spices and salt. Set aside.
• Toss the cubed bread with the melted butter in a large mixing bowl. Add in the apples. Pour egg mixture over and gently stir to coat.
• Pour into a 9" x 13" baking dish or 10" - 12" round baking dish that has been lightly greased. Allow to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes (or up to 3 hours). Bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until everything is set and lightly beginning to brown. I loosely cover mine with foil for the first 15 minute of baking.
• To make the sauce, melt 1 stick of butter in a medium sauce pan set to medium-low heat. Add in the confectioner's sugar and apple cider. Heat - stirring continuously - until sauce is smooth and the sugar is completely dissolved. Once smooth, additional confectioner's sugar or apple cider can be added, as needed, if your sauce is too thin or thick for your preference.
• While bread pudding is still warm (about 15 minutes after removing from oven), drizzle half of the sauce over the top. Reserve the remaining sauce for serving.
• NOTE: I've found that the leftovers are best if used up by the following day. After that, the bread pudding can get quite soggy. I have reheated individual pieces on a foil-lined baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for about 10 - 15 minutes. This will crisp the pieces up a bit. Also, if you have sauce leftover, it can be stored in the fridge. It will harden, but can be reheated until it returns to a pourable consistency.

BROWN BUTTER APPLE CROSTATA WITH APPLE CIDER CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• For the crust: Combine the flour, butter and salt in a food processor, and pulse until the mixture looks like Parmesan. Drizzle in half the ice water and pulse until the mixture forms a rough ball, adding the remaining water if needed. Remove and form the dough into a disk, and then wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• For the filling: Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the vanilla bean. Cook until the butter starts to brown and begins to smell like hazelnuts, and then remove the vanilla bean pod and transfer the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with a paddle. Add the sugar and beat on medium speed. Gradually add the flour. Once the flour has been incorporated, add the eggs one at a time.
• For the apples: Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook the raisins, sugar and apples until the apples begin to soften, 6 to7 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour in the brandy, then return to the fire and flambe, letting the alcohol burn off.
• For assembly: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the dough from the fridge 15 minutes before using, allowing it to soften and come to room temperature. Dust a clean work surface with flour. Roll the dough 1/8-inch-thick and lay it into the tart molds with lots of overhang on the sides. Schmear half the filling into the bottom of the tart pans and top with the apples. Fold the extra dough over the top of the apples, and then brush the dough with the egg wash. Bake until the tops are golden brown and slightly crispy, about 25 minutes. Cool.
• Loosen the edges of the tart from the mold using a sharp paring knife. Gently remove the tart mold before plating. Serve with the Cinnamon Mascarpone and Apple Cider Caramel Sauce.
• Mix the mascarpone, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl until well incorporated. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Cook the apple cider and lemon juice in a large heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium heat until reduced to a syrupy consistency, about 10 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the butter, 2 pats at a time, allowing the butter to melt before adding more. Serve warm.

APPLE CIDER CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cider to a boil and let boil until it's reduced down to 1/2 cup.
• Now whisk in the mustard and cream; season with cayenne, salt, and pepper.
• Continue boiling until this mixture reduces down to 1/2 cup.
• Remove from heat and keep warm until ready to serve.
• You could prepare this in advance and reheat gently when it's needed.
• I have made this sauce only once--I don't know why I haven't made it since--and I was impatient and did not let it reduce the second time all the way down to 1/2 cup; it was still rich, luscious and very, very yummy.

APPLE CIDER BEIGNETS WITH BUTTER-RUM CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Make sauce:
• Heat sugar in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring with a fork to heat sugar evenly, until it starts to melt, then stop stirring and cook, swirling skillet occasionally so sugar melts evenly, until it is dark amber. Stir in butter, water, rum, vinegar, and a pinch of salt (caramel will harden and steam vigorously) and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until caramel has dissolved. Add cream and bring to a boil, stirring, then remove from heat. Cool to warm.
• Make beignets:
• Preheat oven to 250°F with rack in middle. Set a cooling rack in a large shallow baking pan.
• Heat 2 inches oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat to 375°F.
• Meanwhile, peel apples and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut out core with cutter, then pat apple rings dry.
• Put 1 1/4 cups flour in a large shallow bowl and make a well in center. Beat egg in a small bowl with a fork, then stir in cider and 1 tablespoon oil and pour into well. Stir with fork until a lumpy batter forms.
• Working in batches of 3 or 4, dredge apple rings in remaining 1/2 cup flour, shaking off excess, then dip in batter to coat, letting excess drip off, and fry, gently turning over once with a slotted spoon, until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes total per batch. Transfer to rack and keep warm in oven. Return oil to 375°F between batches.
• Just before serving, dust warm beignets with confectioners sugar. Stir sauce, then serve on the side.

CHICKEN WITH APPLE CIDER AND BACON SAUCE

Steps:

• Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; set aside.
• Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon slices on paper towels. Crumble bacon when cool enough to handle.
• Add chicken to the bacon drippings in the skillet. Cook chicken over medium-high heat, flipping halfway, until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 12 to 14 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove to a plate.
• Add onion to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes. Pour apple cider and chicken broth into the pan and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cook until mixture is reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes. Stir crumbled bacon into sauce and serve over chicken.

TRIPLE-CRUST APPLE PIE WITH CINNAMON-CIDER SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Remove 1 rack from the oven & place the other oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat to 475º F. Sprinkle the bottom of a 9-inch glass pie pan with the flour. Gently pat one of the prepared crusts in the pie pan. Set aside. 2. For the crumb crust, in the bowl of a foods processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup light brown sugar, & 3/4 cup flour. Pulse several times to combine. Add the 1/3 cup butter cut into tablespoon-sized pieces & process with on-off turns until the mixture forms crumbs the size of small peas. Remove from the processor bowl & set aside. 3. For the apple filling, replace the processor bowl on the base & add the slicing blade. Peel & core the apples. Slice them in the food processor. Measure out 5 1/2 cups sliced apples (do not use more than this amount or the pie will not thicken). Place the apples in a large mixing bowl & toss them with the sugars, lemons juice, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, & flour. 4. Pile the apples into the pie pan & press down lightly. Cover with the crumb topping (the pie will look very tall, but that's OK). Cover the crumb crust with the remaining preprepared piecrust. Trim & crimp the edges. Make four 1-inch slips in the top crust to allow steam to escape. 5. Bake for 10 minutes on the bottom rack of the pre-heated over. After 10 minutes, carefully remove the pie from the oven & place the second rack in the middle of the oven. Reduce the temperature to 375º F & place the pie back in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for an additional 40 minutes, until the juices bubble & the crust is nicely browned. Remove to a rack to cool. 6. Meanwhile, prepare the cinnamon-cider sauce. Combine the cornstarch, sugar, cinnamon, & nutmeg in a 4-cup glass measure. Whisk in the apple juice or cider & lemon juice. Microwave on high until it starts to boil, about 2 1/2 minutes. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave & whisk in butter bits. Serve warm over the pie.

APPLE CIDER BEIGNETS WITH BUTTER-BOURBON DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• For the dipping sauce: Because the caramel takes a little while to cook, start by placing the sugar in a large, heavy skillet. Heat the sugar over medium heat, stirring with a fork until it begins to melt. Once it is melted, stop stirring. Cook the sauce, giving the skillet a swirl every now and again, so the sugar melts evenly. Cook until it is dark amber in color, and then remove from the heat. Keep an eye on the sugar because it can go from dark amber to burnt in a blink. Put an oven mitt on the hand you will be using to stir in the ingredients and stand back to avoid splattering.
• Using a wooden spoon, stir in the butter, 2 tablespoons water, the bourbon, vinegar and salt and cook over low heat, stirring to incorporate all the ingredients and scraping up all the caramel from the bottom of the pan. Add the cream, bring to a boil and allow to cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, and then remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly.
• For the beignets: Set the oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Heat the oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat to 375 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork, stir in the sparkling cider and 1 tablespoon oil until nice and foamy. Cook's Note: Make sure you use a sparkling cider-it makes the batter lighter and fluffier.
• In a large, shallow bowl, stir together the 1 1/4 cups flour and cinnamon if using. Make a well in the center of the flour (similar to the way you would if you were making pasta). Pour the cider mixture into the center of the well. Stir in a circular motion, with the fork slowly dragging in and incorporating the flour. Stir until a lumpy batter forms.
• Put the remaining 1/2 cup flour in a plate or pan. Working in batches of 3, dredge the apple rings in the flour, shaking off the excess, and then dip in the batter to coat, letting the excess drip off. Carefully slip the rings into the hot oil and fry, gently turning over once with a slotted spoon, until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes total per batch.
• Lay the beignets on a paper towel-lined plate to drain the excess oil. Transfer to a cookie sheet and keep warm in the oven. Return the oil to 375 degrees F between batches.
• Just before serving, dust the warm beignets with confectioners' sugar. Make sure the butter bourbon dipping sauce is warm, then drizzle over the top and serve more on the side.