There’s no escaping the oil. But if the celebration of Hanukkah conjures up memories of soggy foods drizzled, drenched, and fried (as Gil Marks points out, the word latke means “little oily”), keep the following in mind: the use of oil doesn’t automatically translate to greasy.
Hanukkah Apple Donut Fritters
June 02, 2021
Ingredients
For the Hanukkah Apple Donut Fritters
- 1cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓cup milk
- 1large egg
- zest of half of a lemon
- 1tablespoon lemon juice
- 1teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1large Granny Smith apple, cored, peeled, and diced
- Canola oil for frying
For Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
- ½cup granulated sugar
- 1teaspoon cinnamon
For the Cinnamon Apple Glaze
- 1cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2tablespoons apple juice
Yield: 24 fritters
Preparation
To make the Hanukkah Apple Donut Fritters
- Step 1
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- Step 2
In a medium bowl, combine the milk, egg, zest, lemon juice, and vanilla.
- Step 3
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the mixed wet ingredients and stir together well. Add the diced apple and stir to combine.
- Step 4
In a deep fryer or large saucepan, pour the canola oil to a depth of 2 inches and heat over medium heat until a thermometer reads 360 degrees. Test a bit of dough to ensure it is the correct temperature. When the oil is the correct temperature the dough will bubble immediately and rise to the top. If the oil is too cold, the dough will sink to the bottom; if it’s too hot, the dough will immediately turn brown.
- Step 5
Using a 1-inch cookie scooper, drop about 4 to 5 scoops of the batter into the hot oil. Be sure not to overcrowd the oil. The fritters should float to the top and puff to about double their size. Deep-fry until dark golden brown on the first side, about 2 minutes, and then using a slotted spoon or tongs, flip over and cook for an additional minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towel to drain.
- Step 6
Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Step 7
Let cool if you are going to glaze and use a wire rack to let excess glaze drip. If you are going to make a cinnamon sugar mixture, then dip fairly soon after removing from the oil so the sugar mixture sticks.
- Step 8
For the cinnamon sugar, mix together and roll warm donuts in the sugar to ensure it sticks all over.
- Step 9
For cinnamon apple glaze, add sugar and cinnamon together and stir. Then add the apple juice and whisk together until smooth.