Apple Fritters

In keeping with reader suggestions, I've been trying to progress through a day's worth of meals each month. So, I start with a breakfast recipe and end with a dessert, generally. So I start with a morning treat. In my house growing up, you could eat something like this for breakfast and no one would blink. It's got fruit and bread. Sounds like breakfast to the Steinerts!

Yes, I've made a fritter recipe once already. AND this isn't going to be my last. I'm saving the best "fritter" recipe EVER for later.  But, if you've not heard, it's fried food month here at Recipe Resolution, and I decided to make the first recipe that was mentioned when I solicited recommendations on Twitter and Facebook. This recipe for Apple Fritters comes from Twitter via fellow food blogger, "Betty Martha". (Visit her blog and show her some love, would ya?)

Let me start off by admitting that I took "some liberties"--as my friend Hillary put it!--with this recipe, as I always do. And once again, they were unintentional. I mean, seriously, it's not even cute anymore. How can I mess up such a simple recipe? Here's how: I read "sugar" instead of "vanilla sugar" And I also falsely assumed I had nutmeg in my spice cabinet. Who DOESN'T have nutmeg, right?! Well, me. I don't have nutmeg. I used to...but I digress!

I'm not sure how much of a difference vanilla sugar would have made, but I did add a couple drops of pure vanilla to my liquid ingredients to compensate. I don't even know if that's okay, but I did it, anyway. But that was the only ingredient it the fritter itself that I substituted. Anyway, in case you didn't click on the recipe link above, here's what's in them: cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, egg whites, apples and 1% milk. Then that all gets rolled in a mixture of sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.

In regards to the execution--besides missing a couple ingredients--I wish I would have chunked my apples a little smaller. Not quite sure what I was thinking in chopping them as large as I did. Also, can someone PLEASE teach me a trick for ending up with a smooth fritter! All mine thus far look like fried porcupines.

As far as the taste goes, it was fine but it didn't wow me. I think it needed a little more salt than just 1/8 of a teaspoon. Maybe twice as much. And since I substituted a pumpkin spice blend for the cinnamon and nutmeg, that likely made a negative impact as well. After tasting the finished product, I rolled a couple in sugar alone and I thought they tasted much better. I didn't try just cinnamon and sugar, but I bet that would have been great, too.

I think the issue I have with the taste of these is the cornmeal. It was hard for my mouth to reconcile cornmeal and apple. If I try apple fritters again, I'll find a recipe that doesn't use cornmeal. OR...maybe next time I'll take out some of the sugar and make a cheese fondue. People pair apples and cheddar, right? Hmm....whatcha think???

Apple Fritters