Apple & Cider Fritters
Tired of pumpkin everything in the fall? What about apples? Are not apples a fruit of fall?
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 we see too often. After several attempts to make the ideal apple fritter at home, I was able to get what I wanted by merging my three favorite recipes.
The success of these apple fritters is due to three factors: cooking the apples first, adding cider and then Calvados, and utilizing the right spice. 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.
- 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 in a colander 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 you see that the flour has been incorporated.
In a heavy pot, add a couple of inches of vegetable oil and heat on medium-high. 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 a few times until the fritters 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 certainly not cold), drizzle over your glaze made with the powdered sugar and Calvados. If you don’t have Calvados (I can’t imagine why not), use cider.
This should make about 15 fritters. Try not to eat them all in one sitting, but we won’t judge. Enjoy.