I don’t consider myself much of a collector, but if there was one thing I could easily amass it would be cookbooks. For me, getting a new cookbook is a process. First I browse the pages, admiring the design, layout and beautiful photography. Next I read it, cover to cover, before finally diving in to try out my first recipe.
I received several cookbooks for Christmas (yay!). My first experiment was with Karen DeMasco’s The Craft of Baking. It’s a beautiful book that’s chock full of helpful base recipes, creative variations and fun background stories about her tastings and travels throughout the craft world. There are a lot of recipes that I want to try out here, but I started with Apple Fritters.
I was looking for an easy dessert for an ordinary weeknight and that’s exactly what this recipe is. We all know that anything fried is best eaten that same day, well, pretty much right away, like while it’s still hot – yum! This recipe makes just enough for 4-6 people and requires ingredients that you probably have in your pantry right now.
Pair it with your favorite ice cream and its fancy enough for a dinner party. Bon appétit!
Apple Fritters
Adapted from The Craft of Baking
Makes 8-10 doughnuts
Ingredients
¾ cup, plus 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
¼ cup, plus 7 tablespoons of sugar
1 ½ teaspoons of ground cinnamon
Kosher salt
2 large eggs, separated
1 ½ teaspoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup beer (pilsner or lager preferably)
1 large firm baking apple, such as granny smith, mutsu or crispin
Oil for frying (peanut oil is great but canola oil works just fine)
To make the fritters
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ¼ cup of sugar, ¾ teaspoon of the cinnamon and 1 teaspoon salt.
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, butter and vanilla. Whisk in 1/3 of the flour mixture, then one third of the beer, alternating until combined in three additions. Whisk well to combine, then set the batter aside for 30 minutes to rest.
Peel core and slice the apple into 10, 1/8-inch thick rings. Spread out the rings on a plate. Combine 1 tablespoon of sugar with ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle over the apple slices. Let the slices sit for 20 minutes as they absorb the sugar.
In a wide, shallow bowl, mix together the remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
Fill a high-sided pot with 2 inches of oil and begin heating to 375 degrees F. Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks and gently, but thoroughly, fold them into the batter.
Once the oil is ready, in batches dip the apple rings into the batter to coat both sides and fry, turning once, until the fritters are golden and crisp, about 3 minutes total. Drain them on a paper towel before immediately tossing them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Serve warm.
Wow, they look fantastic! Ohh, there are so many good things to make and eat!
Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2013 14:46:16 +0000 To: virginiabt28@hotmail.com
I love how you devour your cookbooks Marlie……it defintely allows you then to build your experience through reading! Your ability to recall must be amazing! Fritters are so good and I’ll bet yours are just delicious!