Apple Week: Apple Fritters and Donuts

"Some people say football is a matter of life and death.  I assure them its much more serious than that." - Bill Shankly*

When my family moved to a smaller school district the summer before I was in 4th grade, my parents started taking us to the high school football games.  Before this, I didn't even know that there were such things as weekly high school games, much less that we could go to them.  



On my first Friday at my new school, everyone asked if I was going to the game that night.  


What game?  


The football game, of course!  What else would I imagine doing on a Friday night?  Everyone goes to the home games.  


So we went.


And my life was changed forever.


Football games are an integral part of the community--and family-- I grew up in.  They were simply The Place To Be.  Around my sophomore year the guys in my class started playing in the games, and then I suddenly realized that The Game itself was actually interesting.  Through eighth grade it was simply a social event...running around with my friends, watching the cheerleaders, and eating candy from the concession stand.  My freshman year it was still a social event, I was just sitting with the marching band and doing band cheers.  But once I started watching the game and understanding it, football games went to a whole new level.  And we had a really good team!


But I will save my love of football for another post.  Or week of posts. I have a lot to say about football.


The point of this post is that once or twice during the season we would have people over after the game and mom would make donuts and apple fritters.  Usually is was a lot of fun, but I did have a hard time that one time we had friends over after a very close loss to Smithville.  I was a mess and had to go to my room and call Kelly at college and pour out my sorrow and pull myself together before I could socialize.  We don't need to talk about that...


On to the donuts and apple fritters!


Heat a few inches of oil in an electric skillet to about 375ish.  You will know its hot when you flick some water on it (from a distance!  be careful!) and it "jumps" off the oil.  That means you're ready to go.


For the donuts, you just take refrigerator biscuits (you know, the little ones that often come in a 4-pack of tubes and there are 10 in a tube), rip a hole in the middle (to make them a donut) and fry them in the oil until golden brown (like Simba!) flipping them once.  Carefully remove them and put them in a bag full of sugar or cinnamon sugar and shake to coat.  Eat while hot!


Another yummy variation is to make an orange glaze for them.  You just thaw some orange juice concentrate so its runny and then mix in powdered sugar.  Drizzle over the donuts.  A-mazing.


In the same oil, you can make apple fritters  (or peach fritters).


FRUIT FRITTER BATTER

• 1 1/3 c sifted flour
• 1/4 t salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 egg
• 2/3 c milk

Sift dry ingredients and add well-beaten egg and milk.  The batter should be just thick enough to coat the article it is untended to cover.  If it is too thin add more flour.  Add cinnamon for apples.


Apples: Pare, core, and slice tart apples.  Dip in fritter batter.  Fry in hot deep fat (365 degrees) 2 to 3 minutes. 


Roll in powdered sugar.  Be sure to serve hot.


*This quote is actually referring to the "soccer" version of "football."  It was just too good not to use.