Apple Cinnamon Fritters

Yield: 16 to 20 fritters

Note: Lard used to be as ubiquitous as olive oil is to Italians and butter is to the French, it is currently enjoying a North American renaissance as an all-natural product that adds incomparable flavour to treats like the fritters

Ingredients

  • For the Fritters:
    • 1 cup of buttermilk
    • 2 eggs
    • 2 cups of flour
    • 2 tsp of baking powder
    • 1 Tbsp of cinnamon
    • ½ cup of brown sugar
    • ½ tsp of salt
    • 2 green apples, unpeeled, finely diced
    • 1 lb of lard for frying
  • For the Cinnamon Sugar:
    • ½ cup of sugar
    • 2 Tbsp of cinnamon
  • For the Cinnamon Sugar:
    • Whisk the cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl and set aside.

Method

For the Fritters:

  1. Pour the butter milk into your blender and crack in the eggs. Pulse once or twice, just enough to combine thoroughly without needlessly aerating the works. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, sugar and salt and blend until a smooth batter forms, scraping the sides once or twice with a rubber spatula. Rest the batter for 15 minutes giving the gluten strands formed with the flour a chance to relax and tenderise.
  2. Transfer the batter into a large bowl and add the diced apples, mixing well.
  3. Melt a one-inch deep puddle of lard in a large skillet or deeper pot and heat over medium high heat until it is 375°F. Carefully drop a heaping tablespoon of the batter into the skillet, repeating, turning and frying until the fritters are golden brown and delicious, 2 to 3 minutes. All the while, keep an eye on the oil temperature striving to keep it between 365°F and 375°F. Toss the fritters in the cinnamon sugar as they emerge from the hot oil. Serve and share as is, hot and delicious or if you like with cinnamon applesauce.