Grate The Main Ingredient For Smoother Apple Fritters

If your homemade apple fritters aren't making the grade despite experimenting with different quantities of flour and baking powder, you might need to focus on adapting the main ingredient. For smoother apple fritters that are golden and fluffy in the middle, try grating your apples instead of cubing them.

Using grated apples in your fritters instantly makes them smoother because the smaller shreds are easier to distribute evenly in the batter, guaranteeing that every fritter is equally as tender and delicious. There's zero risk of biting through a doughy fritter that's virtually all batter or an overly crisp one that's chocked full of chunky apples; every fruity morsel will be uniform in shape and texture, ensuring that they cook through at an even rate. Plus, any sneaky little shards of apple that do stick out of the batter will create a craggy, crunchy texture as they fry, similar to pakoras made with matchstick potatoes. The result? A tenderly soft middle and a golden, fragrant exterior — just like a freshly made doughnut.

Secondly, it's easier to squeeze any excess juice out of grated apples by hand if you want to make a crispier batter that isn't soggy in the center. Although this move isn't always necessary, it does create a batter with a thicker dropping consistency that can hold its shape when deep fried. 

The great thing about switching from using diced apples to shredded apples in your fritter batter is that you don't need to alter the quantities in your recipe. All you're doing is using the same amount of fruit, but preparing it in a different way to create a smoother result. You'll also be able to grate right up to the core of your apple, resulting in less food waste. Furthermore, it's faster to grate an apple by hand with a box grater or food processor than dicing it up into identically sized pieces on a chopping board. Indeed, the speed of this easy technique means can quickly whip up an emergency batch of fritters after dinner; there's little labor involved in return for maximum flavor.

Top your apple fritters with a dusting of confectioners sugar for a rustic treat or drizzle over some vanilla-scented icing for a prettier finish. Better yet, if you'd squeezed the juice out of your apples after grating them you could mix it with sugar, instead of using water or milk, to make a fruity-flavored glaze to drizzle over the fritters once cooled. However, if you want to turn your scrumptious appley nuggets into a rich dessert, we recommend serving them alongside a generous scoop of ice cream to create the perfect hot and cold pudding.