Homemade Apple Ring Fritters

These apple ring fritters are old-school county-fair territory. Whole apples get peeled, cored, and sliced into half-inch rings (the core-removal is the trick to the classic ring shape), dipped in a quick milk-and-egg batter, then shallow-fried until crisp and golden in hot shortening. A dusting of cinnamon sugar finishes them.

The batter is the simplest version of fritter batter that works: flour, baking powder, a touch of sugar and salt, milk, and an egg. No yeast, no buttermilk, no fuss. The baking powder gives just enough lift to puff the coating slightly around each apple slice without making it pancake-thick.

A half-inch of hot melted shortening is the right depth and fat. Less and the bottoms of the rings won’t crisp evenly; more and you’re deep-frying instead of pan-frying. Shortening fries clean and gives a crisper texture than butter, which burns at the temperatures needed.

Kitchen Tips

• Use firm baking apples like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady. Soft apples like Red Delicious turn to mush in the hot oil.
• An apple corer makes quick work of the rings. A small round cookie cutter or a sharp paring knife works too if no corer is handy.
• Heat the shortening to about 365°F (185°C). Too cool and the batter absorbs oil and turns greasy; too hot and it browns before the apple cooks.
• Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar while the fritters are still hot from the pan. The sugar grips the warm batter and stays put; cold fritters shed the sugar.

Variations

• Use pear rings or pineapple rings in place of apple for a different fruit fritter.
• Add a teaspoon of cinnamon or a pinch of nutmeg to the batter itself for extra spice.
• Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of maple syrup for a dessert version.