Homemade Apple Fritters

Every year since I can remember, I've gone to the Apple Festival. People don't go there for the rides or the crafts. They go for the apple fritters. I'm sure I've spent hours waiting for these things, which I honestly don't mind at all since they are after all, the best apple fritters. Ever. These people got it down to a science, and a really well organized assembly line.  The result is a perfectly round, warm, sugar coated, toasty-on-the-outside, soft and moist on the inside, melt-in-your-mouth, ball of diced apple and cinnamony sweet dough.



Yep. It's definitely worth waiting for.  One year, my husband and I got THE last batch of fritters, after waiting hours in line of course. We walked away clutching our white, greased stained paper bags in our arms like it was a million dollars, then devoured half of them in the way back to the car. You really should eat these right away. If not, they lose their nice crispy outside.

This year, I missed it. Sigh. But, I did go apple picking. And was having guests over for dinner. Though lucky for me, I didn't actually have to make dinner. My sister, who went to culinary school, came over on an extremely rare occasion and cooked us an amazing dinner that I cannot do justice by describing with words. She grills a mean steak. So I knew I'd have plenty of time to make fritters and guests to eat them.

Filet with Gorganzola Cream Sauce and Sauteed Portobello Mushrooms served with a Side of Fingerling Potatoes and Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Apple Fritters                              

adapted from Seemingly Greek
Makes about a dozen

• 1 heaping cup of flour
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• oil for frying (I use canola)
• 3 apples, diced should come out to about a cup
• cinnamon and sugar mixture for coating
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Combine your dry ingredients, minus the extra cinnamon/sugar. Fold in your apples. This tends to help them stay in place.

Combine your milk, egg and vanilla. Carefully add to your flour/apple mixture.

In a medium sized pot over medium heat, pour enough oil so it come up about 3 inches. Heat up to 365 degrees.  If you don't have a thermometer to gauge this, just test it out with a tiny amount of batter. When it's hot enough, it will sizzle instantly.

When the oil is ready, use a mini cookie dough scoop to plop the batter into the oil. If you don't have one, a tablespoon should work good too.

Be careful not to over fill your oil so the fritters have enough room to cook.  They may need to be "flipped" while they fry using a slotted spoon.

Once they are nicely golden brown, transfer them to a paper towel lined plate to absorbs any excess grease.

Right away roll them in your cinnamon and sugar mixture. You can probably use a big ziploc bag for this too or a deep baking dish.

Serve warm or with a piece of chocolate cheesecake after an amazingly delicious meal your sister just cooked. I mean that's what I did....

 

No need to wait in line anymore.

You're Welcome.

Buttery Butternut Bisque...A Perfect Taste of Fall

It's taken me a while to get into this whole fall thing, even though ironically enough, it's my most favorite time of year. Butternut squash screams autumn to me. I bought one, not gonna lie, a few weeks ago. I was planning on making bisque with it but just wasn't quite ready. The temperature is now 54 degrees and the leaves are falling. It's time to cook this squash.

I love it roasted with some butter and brown sugar. But I love it even more if I can eat it with a spoon. With heavy cream. And nutmeg. On the couch, in front of the fire. Butternut squash bisque is super easy to make and will definitely put you in the mood...for fall.

Butternut Squash Bisque
Makes a huge pot full

• One large butternut squash
• 3 stalks of celery, diced
• 1/2 bag of carrots, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 large vidalia onion, diced
• 7-8 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• olive oil
• 2 tsp butter
• 3 tbs brown sugar

Preheat your oven to 350.

Cut your squash in half. Place skin side down on a tray with a little drizzle of olive oil and roast in the oven for about 35-40 minutes or until a knife goes in easy.  I usually roast this a day ahead of time.

Once it's done and completely cooled, peel the squash and chop it into chunks.

In a large pot, over medium heat drizzle some olive oil and about a 2 tsp of butter.

Throw in the onion, celery and carrots. Saute for about 10 minutes or until the onion is translucent.

Pour in the chicken stock. Dump in the butternut squash. Turn up the heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Let cook for about 10 minutes, then turn down heat to medium.

Using an immersion blender, blend all ingredients until smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, a regular blender will work too.

Once everything is smooth, add your heavy cream, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cover and let simmer for another 15 minutes.

 

 The result is a velvety, smooth, perfectly balanced bisque. 

Serve with a little drizzle of cream and fresh ground cinnamon.

 

You're Welcome.

What to do with an entire loaf of Monkey Bread.

I have never eaten or heard of Monkey Bread before I met my husband. Yep, I went 23 years without devouring a single piece of this cinnamony, sweet, mouthwatering, melt-in-your-mouth, buttery chunk of heaven. My mother in law is known for this delectable dish and when she makes it, it only lasts maybe a few hours, a day at the most. My husband and I once ate an entire bundt pan full in one weekend.

We are lucky enough to come from Italian families who like to cook and we like to eat. Our mothers are both incredibly hard working women who will stop at nothing to protect their families and still provide for them ...especially their favorite children, no matter how old we get...ehem...my husband and I.  On occasion, I find bags of goodies on our front door step. We always leave our mothers' houses with more than we came with. The last time, we received a whole loaf of monkey bread. This is a real thing.  I have no idea where she bought it but my mother in law somehow finds the most delicious little treats. It's not quite the same as a homemade one but pretty damn tasty, especially if it's made into french toast....and stuffed...with cream cheese....and fresh raspberry chutney...then smothered in syrup, from the one and only Mrs. Butterworth of course. Who's mom didn't make her talk and say "Good morning! Would you like some more syrup on your pancakes?"

What makes this recipe blogworthy is that I had all these ingredients ready to be thrown together in my fridge. I rarely go out and search for something a recipe calls for. Again, I "make-do." I had just baked some of my favorite Lemon Raspberry cupcakes and had leftover raspberry filling. I had cream cheese, my husband cannot live without it. And of course, the loaf of monkey bread.  Any these ingredients can be substituted. Regular bread can be used. Any filling you can think of can be used....peanut butter would be amazing! Even goat cheese! Figs! Your Noni's homemade jam! Or the one you bought off the shelf! Use whatever you have on hand. I'll just take credit for the idea.

Monkey Bread Stuffed French Toast
Makes 2 servings

2 eggs

8 slices of Monkey Bread
3/4 cup of milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
Cream Cheese, softened
Raspberry Filling (see recipe below or you can always use some jam)


Whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla.  Or do whatever you would normally do to make french toast.

Slice the loaf of bread into 8 pieces about 1/4 inch thick. (You'll have some leftover for another round of french toast the next day)

Heat your pan on medium heat and grease with some butter.

Meanwhile, prepare your "sandwiches."

Spread a layer of cream cheese on each slice

Spread some raspberry filling or your favorite jam on top of half the slices.

Smoosh together.

Carefully dip each one in the egg mixture. Be sure to drench it really well.

Place each one in the pan. Start your bacon. Yep, this needs some bacon. Doesn't every meal?

                  My husband is a pro at cooking bacon. Somehow we manage in our little kitchen.                         He only burned me once.

Because the french toast is a little thick, I noticed I maaay have cut mine into thicker than 1/4 inch...I used my panini pan top to put some weight on it so it would cook all the way through.

Cook on each side for about 3 minutes, meanwhile still cookin' up a bunch o' bacon.

When they're ready to eat, top with a coating of powdered sugar, slice in half and take pictures to make everyone jealous of what you just concocted.

Recipe for Raspberry Filling:

 All it requires is cooking down some raspberries, about a cup, with some sugar. In a saucepan on medium heat, bring to a simmer, raspberries and maybe less than 1/4 cup of sugar and some freshly squeezed lemon juice.  Once the raspberries break down, take one teaspoon of tapioca or cornstarch and mix with water. Add to the pan and cook for another 10 minutes. Let cool in the fridge until it is somewhat firm.  It'll last about 3 days or until you realize how good it tastes on almost anything...especially a spoon.

You're Welcome.