Ingredients
3 tablespoons granulated sugar or brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 (29 ounces) can pumpkin puree
2 extra large eggs, separated
pinch of salt
vegetable oil for frying
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
granulated sugar for coating
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Mix well.
Stir in flour, pumpkin puree, and egg yolks. Set mixture aside.
With an electric mixture, beat egg whites and salt together until stiff peaks form.
Fold egg whites into pumpkin mixture.
In a large, heavy skillet, heat oil over medium heat to 350 degrees F.
Drop pumpkin mixture by teaspoon into hot oil, frying about 6 at a time, turning occasionally to brown on both sides. Fry for about 3 minutes, or until golden.
Drain fritters on paper towels. Continue until all of the pupmkin mixture has been fried.
Combine pumpkin pie spice and granulated sguar.
Roll the fritters in the sugar mixture to coat.
May be served hot or at room temprature.
YIELD: 4 to 5 dozen fritters
Notes
This recipe was taken from Rizzi DeFabo's cookbook, "Cooking with Rizzi" (Crabtree Press, 2010) with the expressed permission of the author, an award-winning Italian-American chef and owner of "Rizzo's Malabar Inn." "Rizzo's Malabar Inn" is located in southwestern Pennsylvania (126 Rizzo Road, Crabtree, Salem Township). The food served at this restaurant, a local landmark dating back to the 1920s, reflects the culinary traditions of Abruzzo and Molise. Rizzi DeFabo notes in his cookbook that "These fritters taste like fried pumpkin pie. We offer them in the fall during pumkin season...." Photo: Mary Melfi. |
