Apple fritters..not so guilt free :0)

Ingredients:

2/3 cup ale or beer

2 large eggs, separated

1 1/2 tsps butter, melted (or you can use vegetable oil)

3 tbsps sugar

3/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground allspice

3/8 tsp salt

1 cup flour (all-purpose)

4 cups sliced apples or any fruit (I used 3 large Jonagold apples)


Cinnamon powdered sugar:

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup powdered sugar

Preparation method:

Whisk the beer, egg yolks, melted butter, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt together in a medium bowl. Whisk the flour in until just blended. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the batter sit for 30 minutes. 

Peel and core the apples, or if you don’t have a proper corer, just peel the apples. Slice the apples along latitudinal lines into 1/2-inch thick slices. If you don’t have a corer, now is when you can use a round cutter (I used a cannoli dough ring) to punch out the core of each slice. Set the slices on paper towels to drain excess moisture. Flip them over after a few minutes. Heat an inch of vegetable oil in a deep and wide pan or a deep-fat fryer to 365°F (a candy thermometer is really really handy here). 

Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks (but not dry — dry is when it looks clumpy) and fold the whites into the batter. You can preheat your oven to 250°F for keeping the fritters warm as you will have to fry them in batches. Ready your workstation near the hot oil — have the fruit and batter nearby as well as a baking sheet lined with paper towels OR a baking sheet with a cooling rack on it (I prefer the cooling rack to avoid sogginess). 

Dip each apple ring into the batter to coat, then let any excess drip off before carefully placing it in the hot oil. Don’t crowd the fritters in the oil! When the bottoms turn a deep golden color, use tongs or chopsticks to flip the fritters over. Let the other side turn deep golden and remove from the oil to the cooling rack or paper towels. 

Repeat until done (store the cooked fritters in the oven if you like). Sift the cinnamon and powdered sugar together and dust the fritters with the cinnamon powdered sugar. Serve hot and serve immediately. Makes 12 (approximately). 

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