ad hoc apple fritters

photo via adhocrestaurant.com

photo by deborah jones

Just went to this restaurant last night and it was extremely yummy, of course.  The dessert was my favorite.  Here is one I am dying to try, since my grandmother used to make these all the time.  Apple Fritters.  This recipe is from Thomas Keller's ad hoc at home cookbook.

Apple Fritters

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 11/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole milk
• 3 large Fuji, Gala, or Golden Delicious apples
• Canola oil for deep-frying
• Powdered sugar for dusting

I love the casualness and ease of this great finger food dessert— a plate of hot apple fritters, dusted with powdered sugar, passed around the table is a satisfying end to a meal. While these fritters are a wonderful dessert to make when seasonal apples are abundant, you can also vary the fruit, using pears instead of apples, for example. If you like, serve them with Vanilla Ice Cream (page 319) and a drizzle of honey. They’re best immediately after they are fried, so serve them hot. 

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Lightly beat the egg and milk in a small bowl. Whisk into the dry ingredients until combined. The batter can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 hours. Peel the apples and slice the fruit from the core. Cut the apples into 2-inch-long, G-inch-thick matchsticks. Fold into the batter. Heat about 1H inches of oil to 325°F in a wide deep pot.

Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet and line with paper towels. Using two forks, lift up about 5 to 6 of the apple matchsticks from the batter, allowing the excess batter to drip back into the bowl—the fritter should be irregular in shape, with just a very light coating of batter—and add to the hot oil. Add a few more fritters to the pot, without crowding, and fry for about 5 minutes, turning the fritters from time to time, until crisp and golden brown. Use a skimmer or slotted spoon to transfer them to the paper towels, and fry the remaining fritters in batches. Stack the fritters on a serving platter, sprinkle generously with powdered sugar, and serve immediately.

Serves 6 (or 1 hungry foodie)