Battered Apple Cakes

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Apple fritters with sugar

Apple fritters , and apple fritters , apple fritters , Apfelradl , baked apple rings , apple fritters or Apfelkrapferl , is a traditional German Boiling pastry , originally from the south of Baden and Württemberg originates region. It is one of the fruit fritters and consists of apple slices that are dipped in thick batter and fried while floating in hot fat . The former lard baked is particularly popular in Baden-Württemberg and has spread throughout Europe and the USA . It is prepared similar to pancakes and also in many variations. It is traditionally consumed as a dessert with the main meal , but it is now also popular as a dessert .

history

Even in ancient times , people dipped various foods in batter and fried them in hot fat . However, it is not known when exactly baking fruit and prepared apples and thus the apple fritters were “invented”. According to the research results of the art historian Elke Gerhold-Knittel (1946–2007), who worked at the Württemberg State Museum in Stuttgart, they originally come from the south of Baden-Württemberg. Apple fritters were initially only in the carnival time and above all on " Schmotzigen Donnerschtag eaten" - the Thursday before Ash Wednesday , at which in the Swabian-Alemannic carnival , the actual carnival begins. Schmotzig the means Alemannic dialects "greasy" and comes from the fact that like the "Greasy Thursday" Fried is eaten, such as Fasnetsküechle or Fasnachtskiechli or donuts or indeed Apple fritters . The "golden-yellow lard biscuits" with the sweet and sour apple filling offered a welcome change and became popular beyond the region of origin. In addition, they soon belonged to many southern German church fairs .

According to the findings of the Austrian writer and non-fiction author Elmar Bereuter , who often dealt with the so-called Swabian children and also participated in the "Swabian Children Project", apple fritters are among those dishes that the Swabian children got to know during their seasonal work in southern Germany and back home with them brought the Alpine countries . Mountain farmer children from Vorarlberg , Tyrol , Switzerland and Liechtenstein were referred to as Swabian or guardian children. From the beginning of the modern era until the early 20th century, due to the poverty of their families, they moved every spring through the Alps to the “ children's markets ”, mainly in Upper Swabia . in order to be placed there as seasonal workers, mostly to farmers in Württemberg and partly also in Baden and Bavaria . While the boys were used to work outdoors, the girls were mostly involved in the household. When they returned home, they brought along various recipes for simple and at the same time nutritious dishes that found their way into the home kitchen. In Vorarlberg, Austria , Öpfelküachle , apples baked in a pancake batter and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar , are among the “classic” desserts of Vorarlberg cuisine .

Apple fritters at a buffet

Apple fritters have been handed down from at least the 18th century; For example, in the 1913 cookbook published by the household and cooking school of the Badischer Frauenverein, an apple fritters with beer batter can be found . As early as the end of the 18th century, housewives from Baden-Württemberg were refining dishes such as strudel and lard baked goods with a special sauce, a wine foam sauce: For a long time since then, the "now almost forgotten chaudeau sauce [...] has also been served with apple fritters".

Apple fritters are now spread far beyond the state borders of Baden-Württemberg and are also an integral part of local and Swabian cuisine all year round , both as a main meal and as a dessert. Today they are often classified as "Swabian pastries", and in southern Germany as well as in parts of Austria , Switzerland and South Tyrol they are often referred to using different dialect terms such as Apfelkiachl , Apfelkiachla , Öpfelchüechli or Öpfelküachle . Apple fries are regularly described both in collections of classics of the southern German regional cuisine and in modern cookery and baking books.

Ingredients and preparation

Batter

A thick pancake batter or yeast dough as well as a classic batter such as beer batter are used as batter. Traditionally, flour , eggs , sugar, milk and salt are mixed into a thick (pancake) dough. In refined recipes, the eggs are separated, the egg whites are beaten into snow and the sugar is added. Separately, flour, milk, oil , egg yolk and salt are mixed together to form a smooth dough, then the snow, which has been whipped out with sugar, is carefully pulled under the dough. The dough should not be stirred too long, otherwise it will be tough.

With yeast dough, baker's yeast is first dissolved in half of the lukewarm milk and left to rise. Separately, flour, salt, egg white, milk and oil are mixed together and then added to the yeast-milk mixture. The dough should then rest for about two hours. For beer batter yet, in addition to milk and oil Beer added.

Prepared apple slices
Fry in hot fat

Apples

The Boskop apple , which used to be widespread, can be stored for a long time and was therefore originally preferred for the preparation of apple fritters, especially in the winter months. Today, other sour cooked fruit apples are often used, such as Braeburn or Elstar . According to the usual recipe specifications, “large apples” of a sufficiently boil-proof apple variety are required for apple fritters. In addition, apples with superficial or minor damage due to storage or transport can be used for apple fritters.

The apples are washed, peeled and, after cutting out the core, cut into even, approximately 1 cm thick slices (rings). To prevent browning, the sliced ​​apples are usually drizzled with a little lemon juice. In some traditional recipes, the apple slices are sprinkled with fruit schnapps instead and for additional flavoring and left to steep for at least two hours.

Frying

Suitable fat with a high smoke point , vegetable oil, lard or clarified butter is used for baking (deep-frying) . The fat is heated in a saucepan, high pan or special deep fryer to just below the smoke point; in recipes for apple fritters, “at 170 ° C” or “medium heat” is usually given. The apple slices are lightly dusted with flour, pulled through the batter and baked until golden yellow in the hot fat. Then they are placed on kitchen paper to drain, traditionally sprinkled with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar and served warm.

Serving, side dishes

"Where Swabian Apple fritters are, as are cinnamon sugar and vanilla sauce," says the vernacular , and so they are often sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar together with a vanilla sauce served both as a dessert or as a main course. Sometimes they are sprinkled with powdered sugar instead of cinnamon sugar. Alternatively, they are often supplemented with vanilla ice cream and / or whipped cream as a dessert and, depending on the requirements and taste, garnished with fruit, jam or fresh herbs . As a main course, besides vanilla sauce, they are often served with compote . Like everything fried, apple fritters taste best when they are warm, but are also eaten cold.

Spread and variations

Starting from the south of Baden and Württemberg, apple fritters were initially popular throughout Baden-Württemberg and parts of Bavaria as well as in some regions of Austria, northern Italy and Switzerland, and later also in other regions of Germany with a focus on southern Germany. Recently, the deep-fried apple fritters have spread far beyond the borders of Germany and have become very popular throughout Europe and the USA.

There are different types of preparation, all of which have a main ingredient of apples and dough and most of the recipes differ mainly in small ingredients that vary and can be exchanged depending on the taste. Different variations of the batter can be prepared with extras such as beer, fruit brandy or cinnamon. In addition, the usual side dishes such as vanilla sauce, vanilla ice cream, cream and compote are often varied and the pastries are served with other sauces, ice creams or with sorbet . In addition, apple fritters are sometimes flambéed with Grand Marnier or rum .

A related Fettgebäck make in the United States, Canada and the UK spread Apple fritters ( English : "apple"), which similarly prepared and usually as snacks consumed or small dish: For American Apple Fritters each apple slices are successively in cornflour , battered egg and flour and fried in portions in the pan until golden brown. Alternatively, a simple batter is used, which is traditionally made of flour, eggs, milk, rum and salt.

Literature and Sources

To illustrate the regional variations with partly different types of preparation and side dishes, the following is a selection from culinary guides and cookery and baking books for the main distribution area of southern Germany (in chronological order) :

  • Hans-Albert Stechl : Cooking with the Fallers. The cookbook for the Südwestrundfunkseries. Traditional dishes and favorite recipes from the Black Forest. 7th edition. Braun, Karlsruhe 2000, ISBN 3-7650-8176-0 .
  • Karola Wiedemann, Jörn Rynio: Swabian cooking. Gräfe and Unzer, Munich 2010, ISBN 978-3-8338-1630-7 , p. 47.
  • Beate Plener, Michael Plener, Martin Hegar: Baden kitchen. Recipes, customs and stories throughout the year. Bassermann, Munich 2011, ISBN 978-3-8094-2836-7 , pp. 277-278.
  • Erich Schütz : Lake Constance. 66 delights and 11 winemakers. Gmeiner, Meßkirch 2012, ISBN 978-3-8392-1284-4 , pp. 113-114.
  • Walter Cimbal: Dr. Oetker. Local cuisine A – Z. Dr.-Oetker-Verlag, Bielefeld 2013, ISBN 978-3-7670-0780-2 , p. 12 ff.
Individual evidence
  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h Taste the South: Cooking: Specialties: Apple fritters (>> see the tabs: Worth knowing / Preparation / Further information) . In: schmeck-den-sueden.de. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  2. ↑ a b Elke Knittel, Rolf Maurer: Spätzle, Maultaschen & Co. Recipes and stories from Swabia . 3. Edition. Ulmer, Stuttgart 2012, ISBN 978-3-8001-7576-5 , pp. 144, 172 .
  3. ↑ Elmar Bereuter : Upper Swabia - Swabian Children's Paths. Bregenz - Friedrichshafen - Ravensburg - Wolfegg. Bergverlag Rother, Oberhaching 2011, ISBN 978-3-7633-4413-0 , pp. 23-24, 34 ff.
  4. ↑ a b c d e Elmar Bereuter: Vorarlberg - Schwabenkinderweg. On the old paths of the Swabian children through Vorarlberg and the border areas of Tyrol and Liechtenstein. Bergverlag Rother, Oberhaching 2012, ISBN 978-3-7633-4416-1 , p. 38.
  5. ↑ Emma Wundt u. a .: Cookbook from the household and cooking school in Bad. Women's Association , Dept. I. 2nd edition. Braun, Karlsruhe 1913, p. 375: Apfelküchle ( digitized at BLB ).
  6. ↑ John. F. Mariani: Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink. Bloomsbury, New York / USA 2014, ISBN 978-1-62040-160-6 , pp. 83–84 (English; digitized in the Google book search).

Web links

Commons : Apfelküchle  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files
Wiktionary: Küchlein  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations