Easy Peach Fritters

Drop-style peach fritters skip the rolled-and-cut donut routine. The batter comes together in one bowl, the diced peaches fold straight in, and they fry up in a couple of minutes flat.

Fresh ripe peaches give the best result, but well-drained canned peaches work in a pinch when summer is over. Either way, blot the diced fruit on paper towels first. Wet peaches make wet batter, and wet batter makes greasy fritters.

The oil temperature is what separates a crisp golden fritter from a sad oil-logged blob. Hot oil seals the outside fast so the inside steams the fruit and cooks the batter without absorbing grease. Use a thermometer if you have one.

Rolling the hot fritters straight into cinnamon sugar is the move. The residual heat melts the sugar slightly so it clings, instead of falling off the way it does on a cooled fritter.

Kitchen Tips

• Heat oil to 375°F (190°C) and check between batches. Cold oil means soggy fritters, scorching oil means burnt outsides and raw centers.
• Drop the batter from a teaspoon dipped in the hot oil first. The oiled spoon releases the batter cleanly without sticking.
• Don’t crowd the pot. Four or five fritters at a time keeps the oil temperature stable.
• Drain on a wire rack over paper towels rather than directly on paper, so the bottoms stay crisp instead of steaming.

Variations

• Swap the peaches for diced apples and add a pinch of nutmeg for fall fritters.
• Use rum or vanilla extract in the batter for a deeper flavor that plays off the peaches.
• Skip the cinnamon sugar and drizzle with a simple powdered sugar glaze for a donut-shop finish.