APPLE FRITTERS WITH ORANGE GLAZE

Apple Fritters with Orange Glaze image

Provided by Melissa Roberts

Yield Makes about 25 fritters

Number Of Ingredients 18

Fritters:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 teaspoons grated orange zest from 1 navel orange (set aside orange to use for juice in glaze)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 Golden Delicious apples (1 pound total), peeled, cored, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
About 3 cups vegetable oil
Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar plus more for dusting
3 tablespoons orange juice from navel orange
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Special Equipment
Deep-fat/candy thermometer

Steps:

Make fritters:
Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk eggs, then whisk in milk, melted butter, zest, and vanilla. Add wet ingredients into dry and fold until just combined (do not overmix), then fold in apples.
Heat 3/4 inch of oil in a 10- to 12-inch deep heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Drop a little batter into the oil. If it bubbles and rises to the top, the oil is ready. If it browns immediately, reduce heat. (Or use a deep-fat/candy thermometer to heat oil until it registers 375°F.) Using two tablespoons (soup spoons), drop spoonfuls of batter, each containing 2 apple slices, into oil. Working in batches of 5, cook fritters, turning over halfway through, until golden brown, center is just cooked through, and apples are tender, 3 to 4 minutes total. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. (Make sure oil returns to 375°F between batches.)
Make glaze:
Whisk together 1 cup confectioners' sugar with orange juice and vanilla until smooth.
Dust fritters with some additional confectioners' sugar and drizzle glaze over fritters.