My Grandma’s Brandy Apfelradln

Some mornings my grandma would show up on her bike at my childhood home with a basket of these, still warm, covered in cinnamon and sugar. For breakfast. When she would watch us, my sister and I would ask if she could make them. “Grandma, can you make apple raddles? Please? We have apples!” And occasionally she would when everything fell into place just so, and then life was complete. There was nothing better than one of these, straight out of the pan and into our mouths. So, naturally, when I was deciding what to make with my load of farmer’s market and apple orchard apples – did I mention I bought apples at both places? – the first thing on my list were apfelradln, which we lovingly refer to as apple raddles.

Locate your apples. I just took one of every kind I had in my fridge. There’s a Cortland, a Honeycrisp, a Fireside and a Granny Smith.


I peeled my apples, realizing I had no way to core them. After kicking myself for not buying the apple peeler, slicer, corer thingy, I sliced them first into thin rounds.


I then located my favorite cookie cutter ring sets from Williams Sonoma and popped the centers out so that I ended up with a stack of apple rings.


In a bowl mix together sugar, cinnamon and brandy. Pour it over the apples and let them soak it all in for a good 30 minutes. Don’t forget to turn them halfway so that the other sides benefits from the sugar brandy as well.


About 30 minutes later: Sift your flour and a little bit of salt into a bowl. I measured my milk and then tossed two egg yolks right into the cup, beat it up and then stirred it into the flour. I like conserving dishes.


Fish a few spoonfuls of that lovely sweet stuff out from the apples and add it to two tablespoons of melted butter and then to the batter.


Finally, whip your egg whites until they’re nice and frothy and carefully stir them into the mix, and we’re ready to fry.


Heat your frying oil of choice in a frying pan. You don’t need much, maybe 1/4″ deep covering the bottom. You’re looking to get a temperature near 360° F, which mean on my gas burner a medium-high flame and about 5 minutes of waiting. Then dip the apples into the batter (you can toss a few in at a time and fish them out separately) and carefully drop them in the pan, frying for only 60 seconds per side, just until they start to brown. Really, by the time you get all three or so apples battered and in the pan, it’s time to flip the first one. Drain them on a rack for a minute.


Drag them through a good deal of cinnamon sugar until the entire surface is covered.


And that’s it. It’s time to enjoy, just as I did my entire childhood. Maybe with a scoop of ice cream or a drizzle of caramel.


But really? They don’t need anything else. They’re delicious on their own. Like an apple fritter for apple lovers.