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You might want to call these apple donuts fritters, but whatever you call them they’re delicious!
Calling All Apple Lovers
Do you love apples? If the answer is yes, then you’re going to love these donuts because they are literally loaded with apples!
Each “fritter” contains about one whole apple. There’s just enough batter to hold the apples together so the great apple flavor really shines through.
Any good eating apple will do for these apple donuts. Of course, the flavor is dependent on the type of apple you use. My favorite is Granny Smith because they hold up well when cooked and they also have a slight tartness that is very refreshing.
If you have a favorite apple, that’s what you’d use.
Use Good Oil
The oil you use to deep fry these beauties is pretty important.
The very best oil to use is peanut oil. It has a high smoke point so there’s essentially minimal breakdown of the oil. That breakdown is responsible for that lingering odor you get after doing anything deep fried. Not saying there isn’t some odor associated with peanut oil, but it’s far less than what you’d get with oils with a lower smoke point. Peanut oil is pricier than other oils, but if you do an amount of frying, it’s worth the cost. You can strain it and use it again for something similar, but of course, you can’t use it indefinitely. I use mine about 4 times then discard it.
Your next best choice is plain old vegetable oil. It’s way cheaper but you can’t get as many re-uses out of it.
As for the frying vessel, if you have an electric deep fryer, that’s the best. If not, use a dutch oven or chicken fryer (the skillet with high sides) to make these. Fill with at least 2-inches/5cm of oil. That’s about a quart or a litre of oil.
Let Them Really Brown
The secret to a good apple donut is letting them brown–and I mean deeply brown.
Don’t worry, they’re not going to be overcooked. The batter is rather dense so to ensure that they’re fully cooked, let ’em fry until they’re a deep brown on each side.
One trick I learned when I baked commercially is using chopsticks–yes, chopsticks–to turn anything I’m deep frying. You would need to get what they call “cooking chopsticks” to do this since they’re long and the chances of getting yourself splattered with hot oil is minimal. However, if you’re careful, you can use the regular size.
The Recipe
Chunky Apple Donuts
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 2 tbs sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 2/3 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbs melted butter
- 3 medium apples
- oil for frying
Cinnamon Sugar:
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Peel, core and chop the apples. Sprinkle with about 1 tbs lemon juice, if desired, to stop them browning.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into a large bowl. Whisk in the sugar. Whisk in the eggs, milk and vanilla. Stir in the melted butter and the apples
- Add enough oil in a dutch oven so that it’s about 1 1/2-2-inches/3-5 cm up the sides.
- Heat over medium heat until oil temperature reaches 350F/180C
- Drop the batter by tablespoonsful into the hot oil; flattening slightly in the center. Fry only about 3 at a time. Fry until the donut is dark brown, turn and fry until the other side is dark brown—about 4 minutes per side.
- Place cooked donuts on a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with remaining batter.
- Mix the cinnamon and sugar. Roll warm donuts in the cinnamon sugar until well coated.
