Apple Fritter Rings w Cinnamon Sugar & a Salted Caramel Sauce

Helloooooo apple season a.k.a Fall. I figured for my first Fall recipe nothing is more appropriate than these deliciously easy apple ring fritters sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and drizzled with salted caramel for a little extra flair. You could skip the salted caramel entirely, but I think it is a Fact that salted caramel makes everything yummier. I used the same recipe I used here, omitted the cardamom and added a smidge more salt. It does make tons of caramel, but I solved that `problem` by halving the recipe and putting dollops of leftover caramel onto brownie batter and then let it bake into delicious goodness. What can I say, I am thrifty like that.

Before I made these the only apple fritters I had had were the chain cafes/shops kind - chunks of apple in a sweet dough with a sugary glaze. For this version I have my friend Karen to thank (hello Karen!). She had them at a local cafe that shut down and when she described them to me and asked me if I could make them I think (hope) I said a more polite version of "hell yeah!"

While we are on the subject Karen rocks. Really. We have known each other casually for a few years yet I can think of more than a few times where she has helped me out - with ideas, parenting advice, and all sorts of other things. Even before I knew her I used to tell people that I truly love how much she loves her kids. There is something incredible about her mompowers (which is how I think of them) and I was more than happy to have her be my guinea pig for these and can only hope that it was the first of many times 🙂

Apple Fritter Rings w Salted Caramel Sauce
(Makes 20-24)

1 egg
1 cup milk
1 tbsp melted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
4 Golden Delicious Apples
Oil for Frying
½ cup sugar + ½ tsp cinnamon powder

Whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the wet ingredients together in another bowl (or the measuring cup you used to measure out the milk). Combine the wet with dry, mix until just smooth. Set aside.

Pour at least two inches of oil in a large saucepan on medium heat and heat till a small drop of dough sputters and instantly 'fries up' in the oil. If your oil is too hot the batter won't cook through and if it is too cold then the fritter will be soft and oily so temp matters here.

While the oil is heating, peel, core and slice the apples ¾ cm thick. Since I couldn`t find the kind of apple corer I needed I just used a biscuit cuter to cut out the center from my apple rings and got 5-6 rings per apple. Once the oil is hot drench the apple rings in the batter and gently drop into the oil, cook till golden brown (2-3 minutes), turn, and then fry the other side to that same beautiful golden-ness. Drain on a paper towel lined plate.

Whisk the sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over the warm fritter rings. Drizzle with some warm caramel sauce for some over the top yumminess.