Make friends with the ultimate apple fritters

The ultimate apple fritters are literally glutted with apples, hard cider, and whiskey and apple pie spice then fried until shatteringly crispy and rolled in sugar.

My family has been gathering around fritters my entire life. My great-grandma Bee on the German side of my family used to being the fritter fryer. At some point, my Mom took up the mantle. Since then it’s been a common occurrence for our very large extended family to get together for a huge breakfast over fritters. It was well known that my slender 5’6″ late Grandpa would eat about 8 fritters and take a plate home. 6 years ago, I started doing the same for our family and pretty much we know.

This event is known as the Farr Family Fabulous Fall Fritter Fest. We’re always adding Fs in promoting this party, and at this point, everyone knows that the inherent cheesiness is part of the charm.

Cheesiness aside, my version of the fritters are about the best things that you can possibly eat. Are they healthy–questionable; but like the fritters of my family gatherings of yore–health is not the point. Sitting around a plate full of fritters is where you build memories, tell WILD stories, and generally just enjoy one another’s company. It’s worth every second of work.

Pull out your peeler; I’m going to teach you how to make the best apple fritters you’ve ever had, though be warned that donut shop equivalents will never be the same.

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The Ultimate Apple Fritters

What even are apple fritters?

Apple fritters are a donut-like fried pastry made of a batter similar to pancake batter (with some special additions) and loaded with thin apple slices. Fritters are then deep fried and rolled in sugar. Some people glaze them or simply dust them with powdered sugar.

My family’s fritter origins

Version 1.0: Once upon a time, my Great-Grandma made fritters in the more traditional Bavarian way. There you dip apple rings into batter and fry them. These are awesome, but less donut like.

Version 2.0: My Mom developed her own recipe when I was a kid which is more like a loose pancake batter filled with ultra thin slivers of apples. My own version is more like my Mom’s, but with science and extra flavor.

Version 2.5: I combine Mom’s idea of thin apple slivers mixed into a batter with added alcohol in two forms. Hard cider and whiskey. I add these for the flavor they bring but also for their super powers. The cider aerates the batter, making for a lighter fritter (think beer batter on fish). The whiskey’s high alcohol content dehydrates the batter as the alcohol evaporates almost instantly when the batter hits the oil. This dehydration makes for CRISP outsides. If you’ve ever had tempura, sake serves the same purpose. The alcohol also stops gluten from forming. This means you’ll have light crisp fritters and your batter won’t turn into a dough sponge for bread by the end of the bowl.

Why these apple fritters are 100% worth the effort

1. So many apples: There’s as many apples in this batter as there is matrix to hold them together. As such, there is apple in every single bite. Just like I want chocolate in every bite of proper oatmeal cookies, there best be apples in my fritters!
2. Fellowship: every part about making fritters is about spending time with people. Like making tamales, Christmas cookies and so many other foods, the party starts when you’re making them, and it keeps on going while you’re eating them. I won’t say that the fritters are secondary to this experience, but fritters are a truly joyful experience to share with others. We’d all have fewer enemies if we shared more fritters.
3. Tiny crispies: Tiny crispies are the little small bits of batter that splinter off into the oil while you’re dropping a full fritter in. Like burnt ends on brisket, tiny crispies might be even better than the whole fritters. We set out a bowl of them, and people come back to them over and over after they’re “done” eating fritters.

Essential equipment for frying apple fritters

My pro tips for making the best fritters

1. Manage the temperature: the lightest fritters are the ones fried in hotter oil. Keep checking your thermometer, making sure it is in the 350-375 degree range before you drop another batch of fritters. Initially, the temp will drop, but as long as you don’t crowd the pan, the fritters will be okay. Lower or raise the heat to keep frying as close to this range as possible. Always be mindful of the heat for your safety and others. Keep babies and fur friends out of the area.
2. Work ahead: Prep your apples and dry ingredients ahead of time. When you’re ready to fry, all you’ll need to do is get your wet ingredients going while the oil heats. Trust me, you do NOT want to be peeling apples when it’s time to fry.
3. Blend the eggs: A blender does the best job of liquifying the eggs for the smoothest batter.
4. Use lard: Lard makes better fritters, period. They will be crispier and they’re more satisfying than ones fried in oil. The absolute best is if you can render your own lard.
5. Set up your zones: Set your bowl of batter near the frying pot. On the other side of the pot, set a sheet tray filled with a thick layer of paper towels for drying. Set your mesh spider on this tray, so it’s ready to skim out tiny crispies and turn the fritters. To the side of the draining tray, set a bowl of sugar for rolling the finished fritters in. You’ll also need a platter for serving. Having everything in elbow reach makes it easier.
6. Assemble a team: While you can fritter alone, it’s more fun to do this with your family. Peel and cut the apples together. Have someone assemble the batter while someone fries. Have another person sugar and set out fritters for eating. Assign coffee and tea duty to another person.
7. Fire up the coffee: Invite everyone you know. We usually make about 4 batches of fritters once a year. This feeds about 40-50 people. Make heaps of coffee; people will bring you tons of creamer, and EVERYONE will have a good time.

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