Apple Fritters

Apple Fritters
Dorcas Annette Walker

Autumn is the time when leaves change color as the temperature drops and brisk winds begin to blow. It is also the end of the season for harvesting garden produce and fruits. Maybe I’m part squirrel, but as nature commences to fold up her last days of warm weather in preparation for the winter months my blood begins to stir and I find myself scurrying around to put up last minute produce to fill up my pantry and stuff my freezer. I can remember yearly pilgrimages to my grandmother’s basement where she proudly showed off her display of canned goods. As a child it was the colors of the variegated mason jars sitting in tall stately rows rather than the hours of labor that impressed me. Today I have a room next to my kitchen that is my pantry where I arranged rows of canned bounty each year. I love to contrast different colors rather than keeping vegetables separated from fruits. Quarts of pickled red beats sit underneath white pears topped by jars of green beans; orange sweet potatoes are shelved above my green pickles; and canned white potatoes sit next to shelves of ruby tomatoes. I enjoy showing my full pantry to visitors. This is also the season for harvesting apples that range in many hues, sizes, and choices. So for the month of October I’m going to focus on recipes with apples.

A fritter is any kind of food coated in batter and fried. Fritters can be a dessert, side dish, or a main course. There is some debate on how to classify fritters as some consider them to be doughnuts, while others think they belong to the pastry family. Fritters originated from the Middle East and then were introduced to Europe in the 11th and 13th century. There are potato fritters, pineapple fritters, corn fritters, apple fritters, and pea fritters, while in Malaysia sweet potatoes and bananas are fried and sold as snacks. I remember my mother draining leftover corn and adding it to pancake batter to make corn fritters as a special treat. Some Apple Fritter recipes use sliced apples rings that are dipped in batter and deep fried. Fritters can be eaten plain, with syrup, honey, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, ice cream, or you can mix and match toppings.

My Apple Fritter recipe originally came from an old Mennonite cookbook and is easy to make. These fluffy fried Apple Fritters are filling, oozing with a crunchy apple texture and subtle cinnamon flavor. We eat our Apple Fritters hot with melted butter and drizzling syrup. I used Golden Delicious apples, but any apple may be substituted. My Apple Fritter recipe makes six large fritters and takes around thirty minutes all total.

Apple Fritters

2 c self-rising flour
¼ c sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 c milk
2 c peeled and dices apples
In a medium size bowl put flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Add egg, vanilla, and milk. Mix together thoroughly. Batter will be thin. Fold in diced apples. Pour batter onto a hot greased griddle or iron skillet and fry until golden brown on both side. Serve hot or cold!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a freelance writer, author, columnist, and photographer from Jamestown, TN. If you have any cooking tips or favorite recipes you are welcome to contact me by mail at: Dorcas Walker, 929 Wildwood Lane, Jamestown, TN 38556 or email me at: dorcaswalker@yahoo.com. For more information about the Walker family and Dorcas’ books check out her website at: www.dorcasannettewalker.com or htpp://dorcasannettewalker.blogspot.com for other Creative Mountain Cookin recipes.