Mele Fritte (Apple Fritters With Vanilla Sugar)

For these sweet, crunchy fritters, apple rings are lightly coated with a creamy batter, then fried until crisp and golden outside and tender within. My recipe was inspired by one found in Donatella Limentani Pavoncello’s cookbook “Dal 1880 ad Oggi.” She served the fritters as part of her family’s Hanukkah menu, but they also make great use of an autumnal apple-picking haul.

Pavoncello sprinkled her fritters with a homemade vanilla sugar, as do I. The recipe for the sugar makes a good deal more than you need for the fritters, but it keeps for a long time and is useful to have around for other baking projects. If you would rather skip that step, the fritters are equally tasty sprinkled with regular granulated sugar or cinnamon sugar.