Appelbeignets (Dutch Apple Donuts)

Sometimes, things just don´t go as planned. I know, I know....one of those ¨"such is life" things... But I had really planned on making Sugary Snowballs tonight. Snowballs are made of a light choux dough, fried in oil, then filled with whipped cream and dusted with powdered sugar. Yep, a real killer, but what a great way to wrap up the old year with something that has at least two out of the five funky food groups (i.e. fat and sugar)!

I started late and a little hurried, couldn´t get the right consistency and the snowballs turned out to be little golfballs instead. Very dark brown with a raw center, yuk!!! So after another batch and still getting the same results, I decided that it was too late for snowballs and too late for oliebollen (the yeast dough has to sit and rise for a while). Hurray for never-fail-favorites, because I made appelbeignets instead and they were fabulous, as always. They´re apple slices, dipped in batter, then fried in oil. Technically not a donut at all, but the cored apple slices do give it a donut-esque appearance.

It´s hard to mess up an appelbeignet. Also known as appelflappen, these are a favorite treat. The apple brings some lightness, albeit subtle, to the oily batter and adds a pleasant sweetness. Any apple will work except for the Granny Smith: too tangy, too juicey and it doesn't hold up well. I used Golden Delicous for this recipe.

Appelbeignets
1 tablespoon of sugar

1 teaspoon of cinnamon, ground
2 apples, peeled and cored
1/4 cup of all purpose flour
1/4 cup of milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon of baking powder
Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon of powdered sugar

Slice the apples in rings, about 1/4 inch thick. Stir the sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over the apple slices. Set aside. Mix the flour, milk, salt and baking powder together for a batter. Put the slices in the batter and coat them on both sides, then drop each slice of apple carefully into the hot oil. Turn over when they're golden brown on one side and fry the other side, remove when both sides are done. Drain on a paper towel to capture the excess oil and transfer to a new plate. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and eat while warm.

This batter is a very neutral one and can be used for a variety of fruits. Try bananas (cut a small banana in half lengthwise and then each part in half), pineapple rings (drain on a paper towel before adding to the batter) or add some cinnamon or flavoring to the batter itself. There is no sugar in the batter to avoid excessive and premature browning.

I wish you all a very happy New Year, with lots of love, good food and dear friends!