Is there anything better than a fluffy and puffy ball of fried dough? No. No there is not. I rarely fry things at my house, but these are a delicious reason to bust out some safflower oil. They’re light, fluffy, and slightly sweet. They’re also super duper easy and take about 15 minutes from start to finish. It’s a tradition in my household that these are a Valentine’s Day breakfast. Since they are so easy to whip up, I won’t mind making these on a crazy school morning. Pro tip: make the dough the night before and refrigerate, then when you wake up, just place the bowl on the counter while the oil heats up.
I like to keep them simple and dust them with some powdered sugar, but my husband loves these drizzled with honey or maple syrup. On the occasions I’ve made them as dessert, these are fantastic with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Pro tip: when frying these up, do NOT use coconut oil; instead use a light neutral tasting oil like a vegetable, canola, or safflower oil.
Pumpkin Fritters
Yield: about 20-25 fritters
INGREDIENTS:
-2 cups of flour (I like using a combo of white and wheat flour)
-1 tablespoon of baking powder
-1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
-1 cup water
-1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
-1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
-pinch of salt (Southern for approx. 1/4 teaspoon)
-zest from 1/2 lemon OR 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice
-oil for frying
-powered sugar or honey for topping
PREPARATION:
In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients except the oil and the powdered sugar/honey.
In a saucepan, heat the oil until 350F degrees OR until you place the handle of a spoon in the oil and the oil bubbles.
Spoon tablespoons of the dough into the hot oil. Make sure to leave space between them and cook them in batches.
Fry both sides for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.
Transfer to paper towels to drain.
Roll in powdered sugar or drizzle with honey.
