On a recent trip to Oklahoma City, we found ourselves in the midst of a deep frying frenzy. While visiting my in-laws, we intended to deep fry the numerous catfish caught by this adorable offspring of mine:
The act of deep frying is a smelly, messy one to say the least. If one is going to initiate the trouble of frying a little, then why not fry a lot? Right? Beyond the catfish and french fries we needed a fried dessert as well. I whipped up these apple fritters to fill the need...and filling is exactly what they were!
Apple Fritters
2 granny smith apples*
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 Tbs. Sugar
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 Tbs. melted butter
1 Tbs. lemon juice
Vegetable or peanut oil
Powdered Sugar
Peel and core the granny smith apples. Place the apples in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. The apple chunks must be very fine in order to fully cook in the 2-3 minutes that the fritters will be in the hot oil. If you leave your apple chunks too big, they will be raw and crunchy in your otherwise cooked fritter. In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In another bowl, mix wet ingredients: eggs, melted butter, lemon juice and buttermilk. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients, mixing to combine. Add diced apples and stir just till combined. Drop by the spoonful into 2 inches of hot oil, heated to 350 degrees. Cook in small batches approximately 1 minute on each side, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and immediately toss in powdered sugar while still warm.
*Live-It-Up Variation: Substitute fresh pears or peaches for apples
