Apple Fritters

Apple Butter
1 In a large pot add in the chopped apples, lemon juice, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, and water.
2 Cover the pot with a lid and cook over medium low heat until it reaches a rolling boil/bubble.
3 Take the lid off and stir occasionally while continuing to cook. You want to cook until the apples have broken down and the moisture has evaporated.
4 It's ok if the apples are still a little chunky but most should be mushed. If all the water evaporates before they've broken down, add more as needed.
5 Once cooked down, remove from the heat and pour into a shallow dish to cool to room temperature.
6 If you're short on time you can also prep these the day before and store in the fridge.
Make the dough
8 In the bowl of a stand mixer add in the bread flour, sugar, yeast and grated nutmeg. Whisk together and then add in the butter, egg, milk, vanilla, and salt. *If you don't use bread flour it will be way too much liquid. I think you could decrease the milk amount to 130 grams but then you'll also need to use a little less apple butter.
9 Use the dough hook to knead until smooth - this can take up to 20 minutes.
10 Once smooth, shape the dough into a ball and place it back in the mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
11 Set the bowl somewhere warm to proof until the dough has doubled in size.
Shape the Fritters
13 Cut 8 squares of parchment paper that are at least 4" x 4" and get a 9"x13" brownie pan or baking dish to put the shaped fritters into.
14 Once the dough has doubled in size, roll it out to approximately 18" x 10" using flour as needed.
15 Spread the cooled apple butter over one half of the dough. Fold the empty half of the dough over the apple compote. Gently press down to seal everything together. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut the dough into 1" grid squares.
16 Generously sprinkle overtop with flour, probably about 3 tablespoons.
17 Using a bench scraper scoop about 1/3 of the squares over the rest of them and then another half over the pile that you've now created. Basically you should have a big pile of dough and apple butter. Sprinkle the surface again with flour.
18 Use the bench scraper to divide the pile into 8 approximately equal portions. Using even more flour as needed and the bench scraper, work with one portion at a time a gently press the portion into a ball. Keep adding flour till you can quickly but gently toss it between your hands without it sticking. The flour mixing with the apple butter will act as a glue to hold everything together.
19 Once shaped and well floured, place each portion onto an individual square of parchment and then place it in the baking dish up against the edge.
20 Continue shaping and placing the fritters on parchment and kind of nestle them against each other so that as they proof they don't fall apart.
21 Immediately start heating the at least 3" deep of neutral oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium low heat (if using an electric stove, up the heat to medium). Make sure you also have a thermometer sitting in the oil to check the temperature. It should reach 360 F but not higher.
Fry the Donuts
23 Place a wire rack over a baking sheet and place it next to the pot of oil for the fried donuts. Once the oil has reached 360 F and the fritters have gotten a little puffy, it's time to fry.
24 Holding onto a parchment square, carefully lower one fritter into the hot oil. Gently use the parchment to flip it over and peel the parchment away - if needed use a metal slotted spoon or spider to peel it away from the parchment.
25 Set a timer for 1:30 minutes and keep an eye on the oil temperature. It should stay between 350 and 360. *Place the extra donuts in the pan into the fridge.
26 After 1:30 has passed, use a metal slotted spoon or spider to carefully flip the fritter away from you. Fry for another 1:30-2 minutes until golden brown.
27 Once fried use the same slotted spoon or spider to lift the fritter out of the hot oil and transfer it to the metal rack sitting on the baking sheet next to the pot of oil.
28 Repeat frying the remaining fritters with the same method. Don't fry more than one at a time as it will drop the temperature of the oil too much.
29 While they are frying if you feel like you can multi task, move on to making the glaze.
Maple Glaze
31 Whisk the powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt together.
32 If it seems a little thick add an extra splash of milk to slightly thin it out but dunking the hot donuts into the glaze will thin it out so don't add too much milk.
Glaze
34 While the fritters are still warm, I usually let each fritter cool while at least two more fry before dunking.
35 Lay the fritters down, into the glaze. Carefully lift it up with a fork or your fingers, flip it over and then lift up to let any excess glaze drip off.
36 Place the glazed donuts on a second wire rack. Leave them to cool for at least ten minutes.
37 These are best eaten day of but keep surprisingly well at room temperature in a box!