Let’s face it. Fritters are not the most healthy snacks you can find or prepare. It’s a sweet dough deep-fried in oil. It has simple carbohydrates, lots of sugar and tons of oil. But health be damned, fritters are extremely delicious and the perfect thing to serve with your favorite breakfast beverage. It’s also a great match with a steaming mug of coffee.
Fritters are the kind of snacks that revels in its being unhealthy. Fix these fritters by limiting the sugar or finding ways to bake it instead of deep frying it and you destroy the very essence that makes it delicious. Fritters are an indulgence, plain and simple. You commit to it fully or you don’t eat it at all.
Apple fritters are arguably the most popular type of fritters in the world. The reason is that the tangy, tart sweetness of the apple compliments the soft, almost chewy fried dough perfectly. The contrast in textures between the bite of the apple and the softness of the dough is also a great combination. It just doesn’t get better than this.
But before you start making apple fritters there are a few things you should remember.
First, make sure that you use a good kind of oil – one that is perfect for frying dough. Canola oil is a great choice since it has a higher smoke point. This means that the oil will reach higher temperatures before it starts to smoke. If you use oil with a low smoke point, what you’ll have is a very smoky frying process that will leave an odor in your home. Some do like the smell of fritters so it’s entirely up to you if you want to prevent this or not. I myself don’t like that oily, fried smell.
Second, if you’re not going to use a fryer, make sure that you put enough oil in the pan you’re going to use. The dough should be able to get submerged in the oil. A shallow oil will result in the bottom crisping up and burning way before the whole fritter gets cooked.
Finally, cook a small first batch to find out how long the fritters will cook through.