What's for Breakfast: Apple Fritters

2 c. flour
1 c. white sugar
2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder

2/3 c. milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped


In a small skillet, heat about half an inch of vegetable oil.  Meanwhile:

Mix the dry ingredients. Then mix the milk and egg together. Form a well in the dry ingredients. Pour in the milk and egg and mix with as few strokes as possible. Fold in the chopped apple.

Drop spoonfuls of batter into the hot oil. Fry on one side till puffy, then carefully turn using a slotted spoon and fry on the other side. Fritters are done when they are nicely browned all over and have puffed.  Remove them to a paper-towel-lined plate using the slotted spoon and allow them to drain. Dredge the hot fritters in powdered sugar.Serve hot.

Hints:

1. If you put your powdered sugar in a zip-top plastic bag or a plastic storage container with a tight-fitting lid, you can just put the fritters in the container, seal it and shake it to cover them evenly with powdered sugar.
2. This goes a lot better if you set up an assembly line near the stove: Skillet with slotted spoon ====> paper-towel-lined plate ====> plastic container with powdered sugar ====> serving plate. Just keep the fritters moving down the line. In my house, you can add a fifth station, a teenager waiting at the end of the line with gaping maw, chowing down on fritters.
3. Be very careful not to splatter the hot oil on yourself.
4. These are supposed to be deep fried, but if you use a small frying pan and pan-fry them, you use a lot less oil. Do be watchful and add more oil if the fritters are soaking it all up. Allow the pan to return to heat before starting another set of fritters.
5. I have to adjust my stove heat a lot. You want the oil hot enough to seal in the surface of the batter so it does not soak into the fritter too much, yet you also want it cool enough that the inside can bake before the outside gets too brown.