As has become tradition in the Babish household, we're ringing in 5 million subscribers with some confections from Regular Show: the tantalizingly double-glazed apple fritters that transport our heroes to another plane of existence. Will they force our reality to similarly burst at its sugary seams?
Ingredients
1 ¾ cup milk (heated to 110°F)
2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
¼ cup sugar
2 Tbsp honey
3 eggs
22 ⅓ ounces all purpose flour
1 ½ sticks unsalted butter (room temperature), plus an additional ½ stick
4 large Granny Smith apples
½ cup brown sugar
¼ tsp cloves
½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp allspice
1 tsp cornstarch
1 ½ quarts vegetable oil
2 ½ cups powdered sugar (or more, if you want an extra thick glaze)
¼ cup milk
Method
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine warmed milk, active dry yeast, sugar, and honey. Whisk and let sit for 10 minutes.
Lightly beat 3 eggs and add to the stand mixer bowl along with the flour.
Cut butter into cubes and add to the stand mixer.
Using the dough hook, slowly beat the dough for a minute or two, then increase the speed to medium high and let it mix for 6 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl halfway through the 6 minutes.
Scrape down the sides one last time and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let it rise at room temperature for one hour.
While the dough is rising, prepare your apples. Peel all 4 apples and then dice into half-inch, bite sized cubes.
Toss the apple cubes in a bowl with the juice of one lemon.
In a large nonstick pan, melt ½ stick of unsalted butter over medium heat to lightly brown it.
Once you see the milk fats start to separate and change colors, add the cubed apples. Stir. Add the brown sugar and stir again.
Add the spices (cloves, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice) and stir to combine. Simmer, tossing occasionally, for 4-5 minutes.
Mix ¼ cup warm water with 1 tsp cornstarch. Pour the slurry into the apples to thicken up. Stir and cook for an additional minute and then set aside.
Generously flour your work surface. Scrape every last bit of dough out of the bowl and onto your floured counter.
Coax the dough into a rectangle, stretching and patting it. Dump the cooled (yes, cooled) apples onto the top of the rectangle. Spread them across the dough evenly.
Fold the dough on top of itself into thirds, like a pamphlet. This laminates the dough and apples.
Coax the dough back into a ball, making sure the apples are evenly distributed throughout. Put back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for 1 hour at room temperature again.
Re-flour your work surface and dump the dough back out. Apples will spill out but that’s okay! Liberally flour the top of the dough and then roll it out with a rolling pin to a 1-inch thickness.
Using a biscuit cutter, cut rounds out of the dough.
Place the cutout fritters onto a well floured baking sheet. Pull out the scraps and re-roll to make another round of dough.
Heat 1 ½ quarts vegetable oil to 375°F. Pat each donut a little and stretch them before dropping into oil.
Cook for 90 seconds, then flip each donut. Cook for 90 seconds more, until golden brown and crisp. Remove and let dry on a wire rimmed baking sheet.
Do this in batches until all of your fritters are cooked.
Time to make the glaze! Combine a lot of powdered sugar (about 2 ½ cups) and a little bit of milk (about ¼ cup) and whisk until smooth.
Dunk each fritter into the glaze and let rest back on the rack. Once the first coat has hardened, go in and dunk each fritter again for a double glaze.
If you want to make a thicker glaze, double the amount of powdered sugar and use the same amount of milk for an extra thick honey bun-esque glaze.
Serve and enjoy!