Description
These Baked Apple Fritters are a delightful twist on the classic fried version, offering a lighter and equally delicious treat. Made with a soft yeast dough filled with tender tart apples, cinnamon, and a touch of sugar, then baked to golden perfection and topped with a sweet glaze, they are perfect for breakfast, dessert, or a snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 1 ½ Tablespoons (14 g) active dry or instant yeast
- ½ cup (120 ml) warm water
- 2 teaspoons white granulated sugar
- 2 cups (250 g) bread flour, spooned and leveled (can substitute all-purpose flour)
- ¼ cup (50 g) white granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon mace (or substitute nutmeg)
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
- 2 Tablespoons (30 g) shortening or lard (can substitute vegetable oil)
- 1 large egg
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Apple Filling
- 2 medium tart apples, peeled, cored, and chopped into ½-inch pieces
- ¼ cup (50 g) white sugar
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 4 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon bread flour
Glaze
- 2 cups (280 g) confectioners/icing sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons light corn syrup or golden syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon white sugar
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) water
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and 2 teaspoons of sugar in warm water. Allow it to sit for 5–10 minutes until the mixture is foamy, indicating the yeast is active and ready.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the bread flour, ¼ cup sugar, baking powder, mace, and salt. Stir well to evenly distribute all ingredients.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: Add the shortening, egg, vanilla extract, and the activated yeast mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir until a sticky dough forms.
- Knead the dough: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic, sprinkling with more flour as necessary to prevent sticking.
- First rise: Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, approximately 1 to 1.5 hours.
- Prepare the apple filling: While the dough rises, toss the chopped apples with sugar and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Let this mixture macerate to soften and bring out the juices.
- Shape the fritters: Once the dough has doubled, punch it down and roll it out to about ½-inch thickness on a floured surface.
- Add the filling: Spread the apple mixture evenly over the dough, then sprinkle with cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of bread flour to absorb excess moisture.
- Fold and cut: Fold the dough over the apples gently pressing to seal the edges. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces for individual fritters.
- Second rise: Arrange the fritters on a parchment-lined baking sheet and allow them to rise for another 30 minutes, helping them become light and fluffy.
- Preheat oven: Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking.
- Bake: Bake the fritters for 18–22 minutes or until they turn golden brown and are fully cooked through.
- Prepare the glaze: In a mixing bowl, whisk together confectioners sugar, corn syrup, salt, vanilla extract, white sugar, and water until smooth. Adjust the mixture’s consistency by adding water or sugar as needed for a drizzle-able glaze.
- Glaze and serve: While the fritters are still warm, drizzle the glaze generously over the top to add sweetness and shine. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Notes
- You can substitute bread flour with all-purpose flour if needed, but bread flour provides better structure.
- For a spicier flavor, optional nutmeg can replace mace in the dough.
- If shortening or lard is unavailable, vegetable oil can be used as a substitute.
- Be sure to allow the dough proper rising time in a warm environment for best texture.
- The glaze can be customized by adding more or less water to reach desired thickness.
- Store leftover fritters in an airtight container and reheat gently before serving to maintain softness.
