Apple Fritters with a Maple Glaze
Fall in Northeast Pennsylvania is usually reserved for Apple Cider Donuts but people usually forget about another fried gem, Apple Fritters.
Apple Fritters are one of my favorite fall treats and I feel like it’s rare to even spot these delicious morsels, especially a good apple fritter. There’s nothing more devastating than to order an apple fritter from your favorite donut spot and for it not to have any apples in it. I don’t know how many times I’ve gotten an apple fritter and it either has no apples in it or it has the tiniest apple morsel. Either way it’s very disappointing. That’s why I decided to turn towards my grandmother’s recipe and make my own. I made sure my rendition has plenty of apples as well as cinnamon and don’t forget about a sweet glaze, specifically a maple glaze. All these little components really make my fritters scream Fall and I simply couldn’t be happier with how they turned out. I definitely would recommend giving these babies a try before Autumn and apple season ends.
Apple Fritters
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 TBSP light brown sugar
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp grated nutmeg
¼ tsp kosher salt
1 large egg
⅓ cup buttermilk
2 Mcintosh apples; peeled, cored and cubed
Maple Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ cup real maple syrup
2 TBSP heavy cream
¼ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp kosher salt
For the apple fritters; combine the flour, brown sugar, cream of tartar, baking powder and salt. Whisk in the egg and buttermilk until a thick batter forms. Fold in your cubed and peeled apples, let the batter sit for at least 10 minutes while you prepare your oil for frying.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat a quart of vegetable oil on the stove at high heat. You want the oil to be 350°F before frying the fritters. While the oil is coming up to temperature, set up a draining station by lining clean kitchen towels or paper towels on a baking sheet.
Once your oil is hot enough, fry your fritters by dolloping a ¼ cup of the fritter batter into the hot oil. Fry the fritters until they are a deep golden brown on both sides. Remove your fritters with a slotted spoon and let drain the excess oil on your drainage station. Let cool slightly before glazing your crispy fritters.
While you wait for your fritters to cool, make the glaze. For the maple glaze, whisk together all the glaze ingredients until everything is fully incorporated.
Set up a glazing station by placing a cooling rack on top of some clean kitchen towels or paper towels.
To glaze your fritters, dip each one into the glaze and place the glazed fritters on the glazing station.
Let the glaze drip down and harden before enjoying them with a nice hot cup of coffee.
*Notes:
It’s very important to make sure that the oil temperature is hot enough before frying the fritters. If it’s too cold the fritters will be very dense and greasy.
My preferred apples to use are McIntosh but you could also use Granny Smiths or Cortland apples as well.