The Quest

So the first year, Maggie and I happened to run into each other right in front of the Entenmann's display at our local grocery store. I was holding a box of apple cider doughnuts, something I'd never seen before. Maggie hadn't either. So we agreed to buy a box and split them, four for her and Frank, four for me and Joe. Later on, we agreed that while they were nice, they really weren't anything particularly special.

An August or so later, she showed up with a different brand of the same thing: Apple Cider Doughnuts. Except these were Donuts rather than Doughnuts. They looked a lot like the Entenmann's from the previous year, a lot like this picture.

Again, they made a cuppa coffee a little more special, but in and of themselves, not so much. We decided that in the future, we'd save our calories for something else.

But that third year rolled around, and one of us found yet another source, and for some reason believed they would be more authentic, whatever that might mean.

Nope.

This year's version came from a local farm stand. That would have to make a difference, I thought, and snuck a box in with the sweet corn and peaches that Himself was carrying.

Same story.

So, here's the thing: All of the ACDs that we've tried over the years look like the photo at the start of this post. And all tasted pretty much the same. Good, but not phenomenal. We give up.

This morning I decided to write about the Quest for the Definitive Apple Cider Doughnut (or Donut if you insist) and how this year is really the last year. And I Googled for images of the same, and found the ones on the square white plate (a lot like my square white plate, as it happens).

I also found this image, which is of a completely different specimen. Doesn't it look fabulous? It's gotta be different, mouth-watering, truly delicious, doesn't it?

The Quest continues.