Apple Fritters (Fritelle di Mele)

At a recent birthday celebration here in Italy, my daughter watched plates of apple fritters pass by her eyes all evening long. Not noticing her longing for this dessert, her uncle and grandmother actually recalled the last time they had eaten at this restaurant by saying that they had been thinking about those fritters ever since. They weren’t really thinking about the fact that my daughter is gluten free and that she would not be able to have this seasonal delight, but her mom intensely felt her unspoken disappointment. As she got ready for bed later that night, I assured her that those fritters would taste even better gluten free and she actually wasn’t missing out on anything. She assured me she didn’t care. I said good night and she looked up and asked if I could make them for her the next day. I knew she cared more than she let on to. You probably have had an experience like this too.

This recipe is often enjoyed in the Trentino region of Italy, a region famous for growing apples. Unlikely other fritter recipes, in Trentino they also make the batter with beer instead of milk, so if you are dairy free, you might give that a try (with gluten free beer of course)! We like using sour cream best of all. We also like to make the apple slices at least 1/4 inch thick so there is a lot of apple inside because the tart flavor of the apple balances nicely with the crispy, lightly sweetened fried dough. This is my kind of dessert because it is seasonal and satisfies a craving for sugar but only contains one tablespoon of sugar in the batter and a bit of powdered sugar on top. In Italy, fritelle are often served with ice cream or a small bowl of vanilla pastry cream and fresh wild berries. Happy fall eating!

APPLE FRITTERS

Ingredients

• 1 cup (120g) jovial All-Purpose Einkorn Flour

( Remember, if you have celiac disease, you cannot eat jovial’s einkorn flour because it contains gluten.)

• 1 tbsp. (15g) sugar
• 1 tsp. (3g) baking soda
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup (240g) sour cream
• 3-4 large tart apples
• 1 1/2 cups jovial Reserve Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil for frying
• powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

1. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
2. In a small bowl, vigorously whisk together egg and sour cream.
3. Add wet ingredient to dry, beat until smooth. The batter will be thicker than pancake batter. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes.
4. Peel one apple at a time, core and slice into 1/4 inch rings.
5. Dip the slices of apple slices in the batter until they are coated completely. Try to leave a hole in the middle, either by pressing out some batter with your finger or a teaspoon so the fritters look like a doughnut.
6. Fry the slices for 2 minutes on each side until golden. They are done when a knife will easily pierce the apple and the outside is golden brown.
7. Lift the fritters out with a slotted spoon and rest on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
8. Continue with the remaining apples until you have used all of the batter.
9. When cool, sprinkle the fritters with powdered sugar and serve.