Tired of pumpkin everything in the fall? What about apples? Are not apples a fruit of fall? There are nearly 10,000 varieties of apples from sweet and extremely tart, big to small, and juicy to dry.
Let’s celebrate apples in an easy-to-make dessert/snack that also incorporates two other apple products we love: cider and Calvados.
I love a good, fresh apple fritter, but I don’t like the huge, goopy fritters that are available in outlets from the local grocery to the state fair. After several attempts to make the ideal apple fritter at home, I was able to achieve my goal by merging my three favorite recipes. This recipe yeids apple fritters that are light, filled with apple googness, and ideally fried with a golden-brown exterior.
The success of these apple fritters is due in large part to pre-cooking the apples that leads to a more intense apple flavor as well as allowing the apples to integrate with the fritter. The inclusion of the cider further intensifies the apple flavors while the effervesce aids in keeping these fritters light and fluffy. Top it off with a glaze that features Calvados and you have a real winner.
This is an easy recipe – it just takes a little time to assemble the parts. It’s a perfect activity for a cold and wet fall day.
Our Apple Fritter Recipe
- 2 large cooking/baking apples (I used Cortlands), peeled, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons butter (one to cook apples, one melted and used in batter)
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons five-spice powder
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (plus 1 tablespoon for cooking apples)
- 4 oz. apple cider (semisweet – of course , cider with alcohol)
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 oz. (roughly) Calvados
First, peel the apples and cut them into quarter-inch pieces, being sure to remove the core. In a sauté pan over medium heat, sauté the apples with a tablespoon of butter. When the apples begin to soften, add a tablespoon of sugar, a teaspoon of five-spice, and a pinch of salt. Cook until soft and lightly browned. Remove from the pan and place on a wire rack to drain and cool.
Mix the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, and two teaspoons of five spice. Mix well. In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients: sugar (I know it’s not wet), egg, one tablespoon of melted butter, and the cider. Add the cooled apples to the wet ingredients, and then add your dry ingredients. Fold the batter slowly just until the flour is incorporated.
In a heavy pot, add a couple of inches of vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat. You want the oil to reach and hold a temperature of roughly 325 degrees F. Add heaping tablespoons of the batter to the oil, being sure not to overcrowd the pot. Turn the fritters a few times until they are puffy and golden brown. When they are done (you’ll know when), remove them to a plate with a paper towel to wick away any remaining oil.
When the fritters have cooled a bit (but not completely), drizzle over the glaze made with powdered sugar and Calvados. If you don’t have Calvados (I can’t imagine why not), use cider. What’s Calvados? We are glad you asked, learn more about Calvados here.
This should make about 15 fritters. These are a perfect weekend afternoon snack, a post lunch dessert, or an addition to brunch. Try not to eat them all in one sitting, but we won’t judge. Enjoy.