Apple Fritters with Bourbon Ice Cream

Name: Apple Fritters with Bourbon Ice Cream
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup sugar; 2 tsp ground cinnamon; 2 tbsp unsalted butter; 1 lb Pink Lady apples , peeled, cored, cut into 1/3- to 1/2-inch cubes; 2 tbsp sugar; 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon; 0.5 cup sparkling apple cider; 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 1.75 cup all purpose flour; 0.5 cup sugar; 1 tsp finely grated lemon peel; 1 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg; 0.67 cup buttermilk; 2 large eggs, separated; 2.5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted; 0.25 tsp coarse kosher salt; 1 Safflower oil; 1 Bourbon Ice Cream; 1 Deep-fry equipment

From the kitchen of Carly

Crispy-edged fritters stuffed with caramelized apples and warm spices, paired with bourbon ice cream that melts into every golden bite. The apples are cooked down with cider and vinegar until jammy and concentrated, then fried until they're impossible to resist.

Pink Lady apples get sautéed down to a jammy, concentrated filling, then folded into an airy egg-white batter and deep-fried until the outside cracks and shatters under your teeth. The trick is keeping your oil temperature steady and not overmixing once the egg whites go in, so they stay puffy and light. Bourbon ice cream melts right into the warm cinnamon sugar coating.

Prep: n/a
Cook: n/a
Total: n/a
Servings: 4
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

4 servings

1 cupsugar
2 tspground cinnamon
2 tbspunsalted butter
1 lbPink Lady apples , peeled, cored, cut into 1/3- to 1/2-inch cubes
2 tbspsugar
1/4 tspground cinnamon
1/2 cupsparkling apple cider
1 tbspapple cider vinegar
1 3/4 cupall purpose flour
1/2 cupsugar
1 tspfinely grated lemon peel
1 tspbaking powder
1 tspground cinnamon
1/4 tspground nutmeg
2/3 cupbuttermilk
2 largeeggs, separated
2 1/2 tbspunsalted butter, melted
1/4 tspcoarse kosher salt
1Safflower oil
1Bourbon Ice Cream
1Deep-fry equipment

Instructions

Combine the 1 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl and stir until evenly mixed. Cover and keep at room temperature; this coating holds for up to 3 days.
In a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the 2 tablespoons butter. Tumble in the apple cubes, sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and toss to coat. Stir often and let the apples cook until browned in spots and tender, about 10 minutes. Pour in the sparkling cider and vinegar, then keep stirring until every drop of liquid cooks off, about 4 more minutes. Leave the filling in the skillet to cool completely.
Lay a double layer of paper towels on your work surface and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, lemon peel, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg yolks, and melted butter until smooth, then gradually stir that mixture into the dry ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, beat the egg whites with the coarse salt until firm peaks form. Fold the whites gently into the fritter base, then fold in the cooled apple filling, keeping as much air in the batter as you can.
Fill a heavy large saucepan with enough oil to reach a depth of 1 1/2 inches, roughly 5 to 6 cups. Clip a deep-fry thermometer to the side of the pan and bring the oil to between 320°F and 330°F over medium heat. Working in batches of 5 or 6, drop heaping tablespoonfuls of batter into the oil. Fry each batch about 4 minutes, turning the fritters occasionally and nudging the heat as needed to hold the temperature, until they are deep golden brown and cooked through. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon onto the paper towels, let them drain briefly, then toss while still warm in the cinnamon-sugar coating. Spread the coated fritters on a large rimmed baking sheet. To make these ahead, let them stand at room temperature for up to 2 hours and rewarm in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes before serving.
Pile the fritters onto a platter and serve alongside Bourbon Ice Cream.

Tips from the kitchen

Separate your eggs before you start cooking the apples, so the whites come to room temperature faster and whip to stiff peaks more easily.
Keep that deep-fry thermometer clipped on the pan the whole time. Oil that dips below 320°F will give you greasy fritters; oil that spikes above 330°F will burn them black on the outside before the inside cooks through.
Fold the egg whites in two additions: first a big dollop to lighten the batter, then the rest gently, using a rubber spatula to slice down the middle and bring the bottom up and over, rotating the bowl as you go.
Toss the warm fritters in the cinnamon sugar within a minute of pulling them out of the oil, while they're still slightly sticky. This helps the coating adhere instead of sliding right off.

Variations

Skip the bourbon ice cream and serve with unsweetened whipped cream and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for brightness.
Swap the apples for pears and add a pinch of cardamom to the cinnamon-sugar coating for a different spice profile.
Make a savory version by omitting the sugar and cinnamon, using buttermilk batter to coat sautéed onions and herbs, then serve with a sharp vinegar or hot sauce for dipping.
Double the apple filling and layer it between two fritters with ice cream in the middle for a fritter sandwich.

Make ahead and storage

Fritters are best eaten warm or at room temperature on the day you make them, but they'll hold for a few hours uncovered at room temperature. Don't refrigerate or freeze; they'll turn dense and rubbery. Reheat briefly in a 300°F oven if you need to warm them back up.