Gluten-Free Apple Fritter Bites

Annalisa developed a recipe for gluten-free apple fritter bites that rival any fritter or doughnut we’ve eaten. It is a perfect Saturday morning treat.  Friends and family had no clue the fritters were gluten-free and enjoyed them to the last lick.

Annalisa’s Gluten-free Apple Fritter Bites

• 2 cups gluten-free biscuit mix
• 1/2 cup cinnamon chips
• 2 Tablespoons powdered apple cider mix
• 1 small peeled and finely diced apple
• 1/2 cup ginger ale (provides the leavening)

Before frying the fritters, place 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon in a brown paper sack. Close the sack and shake it lightly. You will be dropping the hot fritters into the sack.

Mix the first three dry ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add apples and stir until the apple bits are distributed through the dry ingredients. Add ginger ale and incorporate using a folding motion. Do NOT stir vigorously this will cause the ginger ale to lose carbonation. (The ginger ale bubbles add leavening and help make the fritters tender.) The batter will be very soft and sticky.

Since this batter contains no gluten, it is better to keep the size small so the fritter stays together while cooking. Annalisa suggests using a melon ball scoop for scooping the batter and lowering it into the oil as this makes a perfect doughnut hole size once they have “poofed” in the oil.

Heat 3″ of oil in a deep  heavy pan such as a cast iron dutch oven or deep fryer. When the oil reaches 370 degrees on a candy thermometer, carefully lower the scoop close to the oil and invert rather than dropping the batter in the oil as that may cause hot oil to splash. You may need to rinse the melon ball scoop periodically and leave it wet so the batter slides into the oil more easily.

Allow the fritter to sizzle in the grease until golden. Use along-handled slotted spoon to turn the fritter if it is not fully submerged in oil. These cook quickly (check in 45 seconds to a minute. You can cook four or five at a time.

As soon as you remove the fritters with the long-handled slotted spoon, drop them in the cinnamon sugar sack. Shake until coated and remove from the sack. Continue this process until all fritters are fried and sugared. Yes, licking the sugar from your fingers is perfectly acceptable. It’s Saturday!