Apple Fritters

As Carl Sagan (almost) said, "If you want to make an apple fritter from scratch, you must first create the universe."

What the heck's a fritter anyway? Basically a fritter is any kind of food coated in batter and deep-fried. Kind of like a doughnut. Except a fritter is not a doughnut, because there is a main ingredient that the dough is holding together.

And fritters can be different things to different folks.

Here in the United States, fritters refer primarily to small "cakes" made with a main ingredient (such as apples) coated in a batter and either pan-fried or deep fried. Apple fritters are pretty common. As are corn fritters. Some fritters are hiding in plain sight; crab cakes are fritters, they are just a little more pretentious.

Across the Pond, fish and chips can be accompanied by fritters. Like a pineapple fritter, which is a pineapple ring dipped in batter and deep-fried. They go nicely with the deep-fried fish and deep-fried potatoes.

Throughout Asia you can find fritters using exotic sobriquets such as cucur (Malaysia), a-kyaw (Burma), gorengan (Indonesia), and tempura (Japan), just to name a few.

I have even heard rumours that they eat some kind of corn fritters in Australia, but I've been too afraid to ask the few Aussies I know for details.

The making of an American apple fritter is fairly easy and quick.

Apple Fritters

1-1/4 cups flour, sifted

1 Tbs sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup milk
1 Tbs oil (I use the olive variety)
1/4 cup finely grated cheddar cheese
3 to 4 firm apples

Powdered sugar, for dusting

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a bowl.  

In another, large bowl, blend the eggs, milk and oil.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients all at once. 

Mix in the cheese. 

Mix it all together until just moistened.

Pare (fancy-pants speak for peel), core and cut the apples into matchsticks (about 3 cups).

Stir the apples into the batter.

Drop the apple mixture from a tablespoon into a pan of deep fat heated to 375º F. Fry each batch 3 to 4 minutes, or until puffy and golden, turning once.

Drain well. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm. 

This makes about 8 to 10 fritters.