Apple fritter recipes can be found in many period cookbooks.  Sometimes the apples are sliced in donut shaped rounds, sometimes cut in thin slivers, fat quarters or simply chopped small. Raisons or currents are occasionally added. The batter ingredients may include milk, eggs, yeast, or simply flour and water. Some recipes call for frying in hot lard; others call for butter. Over the years I've tried a number of variations, but my favorite recipe is still the first one I tried.

Apple Fritters from  Ein Buch von guter spise (1345-1355)

• 2 eggs beaten

• 1/8 cup flour

• 1/4 cup bread crumbs

• 1 cup apple chopped small (this was about 2 of the small 2" apples or one large apple)

• 1/2 cup butter for frying

Blend eggs and flour together till smooth. Slowly stir in bread crumbs, then stir in apple pieces.

Melt 1/2 cup butter in a nine inch or larger skillet over medium to medium high heat but watch carefully to avoid burning the butter.

Drop apple and batter mixture by tablespoons into hot butter. Fry about 1 minute on each side or to desired brownness.  Remove and drain on paper towels. Eat warm.  Makes about 8-9 small fritters.

If possible fry them all in one batch as the butter darkens quickly and can burn.

Do not give into temptation to douse these with powered sugar, glaze, or even cinnamon. Sugar garnishes suck all the sweetness right out of them and spices don't improve them in any way.

 notes: Initially I used dried bread crumbs for the recipe and they work fine, but using fresh bread crumbs (a rustic white loaf is best) will give you a doughier fritter more like what comes out of bakeries today. The Golden Delicious is perhaps the closest to period apples generally available in your local market. We also like Braeburns in this but feel free to use your favorite cooking apple.

Ein kluge spise (A clever food)

     Wilt du ein kluge spise machen. slahe einen dünnen teic von eyern und von schoenem melwe. mache daz dicke mit schoenem brote und ribe daz. schele sur epfele. scharbe sie grober denne spec uf hüenre. di menge dar zu. nim einen leufel und fülle den teyc und teilez. und brat den in smaltze oder in butern ab ez niht fleischtac ist. und gibz hin.

     This is how you want to make a clever food. Beat a thin dough (or batter) of eggs and of fine meal. Make that thick with fine bread and grate that. Peel sour apples. Cut them larger than fat on hens. Mix them together. Take a spoon and fill the dough (or batter) and divide it. And bake it in fat or in butter if it is not a meat day. And give it out.

Original recipe from Ein Buch von guter spise is an early German cookbook from around 1345-1355. It is available in the original German at Thomas Gloning's excellent site or you can access Alia Atlas's English translation at http://cs-people.bu.edu/akatlas/Buch/buch.html

Want more fruit  fritters?  See these recipes.

• Apple Puffs  

•  Apple Pillows  

•   Cherry Puffs

• Puffed Apples

Other recipes from Ein Buch von guter spise

• Cheese and Bacon Pastries

• Colris

• German French Toast

• Kraphen of Apples and Nuts

• Pickled Root Vegetables

A few more fritters

• Dulcamine

• Frytours of Mylke

• Imperial Fritters

• White Fritters