Glazed Apple Fritters

Instructions

1. 1

   Prep the apples

   Peel and core the apples, then cut them into pieces roughly the size of a chickpea — about 1/4 inch. Bigger chunks stay raw and crunchy in the short fry time. Toss them with the lemon juice in a small bowl so they stay pale, and leave them there while you mix.

2. 2

   Heat the oil

   Pour the oil into a heavy Dutch oven or deep pot to a depth of about 2 inches — never more than a third of the way up the sides. Clip on a thermometer and bring it to 365°F over medium heat. This takes longer than you think, so start it now. While it heats, set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet for draining.

3. 3

   Whisk the dry ingredients

   In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until evenly streaked with spice and no pockets of baking powder remain.

4. 4

   Combine the wet ingredients

   In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth. Make sure the butter has cooled to just warm — if it's hot, it will scramble the eggs.

5. 5

   Bring the batter together

   Pour the wet mixture into the dry and fold with a spatula just until the last dry streaks disappear. A few lumps are exactly right; overmixing makes tough, bready fritters. Drain the apples, discarding any pooled juice, and fold them in. The batter should be thick enough to mound on a spoon and hold its shape.

6. 6

   Fry in batches

   Scoop a scant 1/4 cup of batter and lower it gently into the oil, nudging it off the spoon so it lands in a loose, craggy heap rather than a neat ball. Fry three or four at a time — crowding drops the oil temperature and gives you greasy fritters. Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, flipping once, until deeply golden. If they're browning faster than that, pull the heat down; the centers need the full time to set.

7. 7

   Check and drain

   Sacrifice the first fritter: tear it open and look for a moist but fully set crumb with no wet batter at the core. Adjust your oil temperature or scoop size accordingly. Move finished fritters to the wire rack and let the oil climb back to 365°F before the next batch.

8. 8

   Mix the glaze

   Whisk the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon until completely smooth. You want it pourable, about the consistency of heavy cream — thin it a teaspoon of milk at a time if it's stiff, or add more sugar if it runs straight off.

9. 9

   Glaze and set

   Let the fritters cool about 5 minutes — warm enough that the glaze thins and seeps into the crevices, cool enough that it doesn't slide off entirely. Dip each one top-down or spoon glaze over, return it to the rack, and give it 10 to 15 minutes to set into a thin crackly shell.

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Baker's Tips

• 1.

  Firm, tart apples are the whole game here. Granny Smith, Braeburn, and Honeycrisp hold their shape and cut the sweetness of the glaze; softer varieties like McIntosh collapse into applesauce in the hot oil.

• 2.

  Pat the diced apples dry before folding them in. Excess juice loosens the batter and makes fritters that spread flat instead of puffing.

• 3.

  An instant-read or candy thermometer is worth more than any other tool for this recipe. Below 350°F the fritters drink oil; above 380°F the outsides brown before the middles cook.

• 4.

  For extra-craggy edges, use two spoons and drop the batter in a deliberately messy shape rather than smoothing it. Those ragged bits fry up crisp and catch the most glaze.

• 5.

  Glaze twice for a bakery-style finish: let the first coat set completely, then dip again. The second layer dries opaque and white.

• 6.

  Strain and cool the frying oil, then store it in a sealed jar — it's good for another round or two of sweet frying.

Equipment

• Heavy Dutch oven or deep, heavy-bottomed pot
• Candy or instant-read thermometer
• Wire cooling rack
• Rimmed baking sheet
• Spider skimmer or slotted spoon
• Large mixing bowls
• Whisk and silicone spatula

Storage