Mother Bird: Apple Fritters

I had had the Pioneer Woman's apple fritters (I really do use other people's recipes, too, I swear!) in the back of my mind for a long time, but I usually try to save my very fattiest, deep-fried desserts for when other people are going to be sharing them so that I don't end up eating them all by myself. Even though he was once into baking cakes, my husband really isn't much of a dessert eater. So when I found out that we were getting together with a former mission companion, I was thrilled for an opportunity to try them.

I have to say, they did not disappoint. They were warm, crispy nuggets of apple cinnamon-y goodness and even though we had friends to share them, I still had a hard time keeping myself from eating the entire batch. And they were easy, too! If you want to make them, you can head on over to The Pioneer Woman Cooks for a full how-to and pictures that don't make them look like sweet and sour chicken doughnut holes like mine do. Here are some hints that I learned by making them myself:

1. When you think you have enough apples, add more. They're the star and they really make these things good. Ree tries to emphasize that you should not skimp on the apples and even though I didn't think I was, I wish I had added more. The recipe calls for 2 Granny Smith apples and I used three, but if I were going to make them again (which I may when I can fit into my pants again) I would keep adding apples until there is barely enough dough to hold them together. I imagine if I did this, they wouldn't be quite so round as the ones that I made.

2. Go with the glaze instead of the powdered sugar. It's a little more work, but not much and was totally worth it.

3. Ree mentions that you can reheat them the next day in the oven. If you're going to do this, make sure you don't glaze the ones that you plan on reheating. I did, and there was no way to reheat them without them getting soggy. (I ate most of them anyway before good judgment and self-control showed up. Not my best moment.)

4. If you have one, I recommend frying them in a fondue pot. They are awesome for keeping the oil temperature steady, which is always tough for me on the stove top. And you likely won't need as much oil to fill it.


Make them. Eat them. Love them.