Grandma's Apple Fritters

Fall is really, truly here. At least, around here anyway. It's cold and gray and often damp, and there are more leaves the ground than on the trees. But you know what fall is like, so I won't bore you with descriptions of it. Instead, I'm going to jump right into this blog like it's a pile of freshly raked autumn leaves -- except this scrumptious dish won't leave you smelling slightly mildewy and damp. If it does, I recommend you see your doctor right away. Today I bring you a recipe straight from my sweet little grandma: her specialty Apple Fritters.

Don't they look awesome? Rolled in cinnamon sugar, these little babies are a perfect way to start a cool autumn morning, and they're super easy to whip up in no time at all.  And who doesn't love fried dough?? They're best when they're fresh from the kitchen, like happy little doughnut babies, but they reheat in a warm oven reasonably well, too. 

Anyone who knows me will know that autumn is not my favorite season. Wait, wait, don't start throwing stones yet! I just mean that I like spring and summer better because green is the best color of them all, and replacing green with inferior colors makes me sad BUT autumn has some great redeeming qualities as well, and my favorite of these is the apples. I love a good, crisp, sweet and tart apple.  Also, cinnamon everywhere! These apple fritters take advantage of juicy apples and spicy cinnamon in a fun little bite-sized morsel.  So let's make some, shall we? In honor of my grandma's birthday last week (she's in her 90's, isn't that awesome??).

Gather your ingredients.  You'll notice that I have an orange sitting in the picture instead of just "orange zest" and "orange juice" separately, as listed in the ingredients.  A good sized orange will usually give more than enough juice for this recipe, so you don't need to use bottled juice.  Also, if you don't like orange, or can't find any, other citrus works well too.  I've made these with lime before and with grapefruit and they both turned out great, but orange is my favorite.  And look! I got pretty new canisters with labels on them so you can tell what's in the picture!

Okay, I said this was easy right?  And I wouldn't lie to you.  Get your oil heating up while you do the rest of this.  If you have a thermometer or one of those fancy fryers that lets you set the temperature, go to about 350 degrees.  Too hot and they'll be burnt on the outside and raw on the inside.  Too cool and they'll soak up too much oil while they're cooking and be greasy.  

While the oil is heating, mix up everything except the flour and baking powder.  I use fuji apples for this because they're my favorite, and they're what I usually have on hand.  Any kind work pretty well though.  Also, I leave the peel on. You can take it off if it really bothers you, but once the fritters are cooked, the peel adds some nice chewy texture, so I really recommend keeping it. 

In a separate bowl, combine the flour and the baking powder so they don't feel excluded, and then fold them into the everything-else-mixture, but don't over mix them. It's okay if it's a little lumpy. 

When your oil is hot, drop in a few little spoonfuls of batter. I go roughly for teaspoon size, because they'll expand a bit and they cook faster at this size.  This is my favorite part. Are you ready? The fritters turn themselves over!  Isn't that funny? But not like, put them in and forget about them.  You should still keep an eye on them, obviously, because frying things is a little dangerous. If your oil is deep enough, though, and your fritters basically round enough, they just roll right over when they're ready! Others might need just a little push, but you really won't need to pick them up and flip them with tongs or anything. So once they're done all the way around, take them out and let some of the oil soak into a paper towel.  

While the fritters are still warm, but cool enough to not burn off your fingerprints, roll them in some powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar.  I think the cinnamon sugar is a little prettier and adds more depth of flavor, but the powdered sugar is just as delicious. You could also whip up a little glaze to drizzle over them if you're feeling like an over-achiever, but I think that kind of takes away from the quick and easy aspect of these little dumpling darlings. 

Enjoy with a cup of your favorite tea, coffee, hot cider, or even a glass of milk, and think about how nice autumn is. 

Grandma's Apple Fritters

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

1 cup chopped apple (with peel)

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon orange zest

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons orange juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

vegetable oil for frying

In a mixing bowl, combine the egg, milk, apple, sugar, orange zest, salt, orange juice, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture and stir just until all the flour is moistened. Drop batter by spoonfuls into heated oil (about 350 degrees) until golden brown, about three minutes. Remove to a paper towel to drain excess oil and roll in powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar.  Serve immediately.