The fresh or the canned fruit may be used. If fresh, pare, core, and cut them in halves. In either case, let them remain two or three hours in brandy, rum, or wine, with plenty of sugar sprinkled over, with some grated lemon peel or zest. When they have absorbed the flavor of these surroundings, drain, and dip them into the fritter batter (No. 1). If rum is used for marinating the fruit, it should be also used in the batter. When the fritters are done and well drained, sprinkle powdered sugar over them.
Bread Fritters.
Having cut off the crust, cut the bread into any shape preferred, such as squares, circles, diamonds, etc. Let it soak in custard (milk, one or two eggs, sugar, and a flavoring of either lemon-zest, or vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, rose-water, brandy, or wine). When well soaked (not enough, however, to break into pieces), roll it first in bread crumbs, then in beaten egg (sweetened and flavored), and again in bread or cracker crumbs, and fry in boiling lard. Serve the fritters sprinkled with powdered sugar, with or without a sweet sauce.
Pork Fritters ([see page 164]).
Corn Fritters.
Ingredients: The corn cut from seven ears, one pint of milk, one egg beaten, salt, prepared flour enough to make a light batter. Drop by the table-spoonful into boiling-hot lard.
Apple Fritters.
Pare some fine apples, and with an apple-corer cut out the core from the centre of each; now cut them across in slices, about one-third of an inch thick, having the round opening in the centre; dip these in either fritter batter No. 1 or No. 2; fry in boiling lard; sprinkle over sugar, and serve in a circle, one overlapping the other, with or without a sweet sauce in the centre.