Apple Fritters?

[RollingDoughnuts]

Has anyone found good apple fritters in the greater Boston area? These are cousins of doughnuts but lumpy, heavy, with real identifiable pieces of apple mixed in and covered in
a heavy sugary glaze. A good apple fritter is very heavy, very unhealthy, and wonderful.

I've come across things called apple fritters in this area, but they are extremely lame--kind of like cinnamon buns with a little bit of tasteless apple sprinkled about.

In California, you can easily find them. Here...not so easily.

[californiagirl]

Hey, I'm new and grew up in California and know the Apple Fritters you want. I worked for many bakeries in the L.A. area. Don't know if you are still looking for it but here's a recipe for Fritters from a popular donut shop in S. CA , maybe you can take it to a bakery and see if they will try it.

Use leftover, over worked dough for fritters. 2/3 dough 1/3 pie filling.

WINCHELL'S DONUTS
2 pkg. yeast
1 tbsp. sugar
1 c. lukewarm water
1 c. milk (warm)
3 eggs, beaten (room temperature)
6 tbsp. oil (or a little more 7-8 tbsp.)
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
6 1/2-7 c. flour
1 c. potato flakes

Combine yeast, sugar and water. Mix together milk, oil, sugar, salt and 2 cups flour.
In separate bowl add warm water to potato flakes until soupy. Add eggs and soupy potatoes to mixture. Add enough remaining flour as needed. Let rise. Roll out 3/8 inch thick. Cut into donut shape. Fry in oil at 325 degrees until golden on each side.

enjoy, californiagirl

[threedogs]

Wonder if Coffee Time Bake Shop on Bridge St. in Salem has them. Their stuff is unbelievable, at least when I visited.

[Jpan99]

Somebody already mentioned Ohlins in Belmont and they do have them, they have raisins in them, and they are good! If you're there try the donuts, they are great too. The other pastries are nothing special.

[cheflexi]

Are you up for making them cuz I have a great recipe for them. We make them at least once every three weeks...and they are interchangable with other fruits...pineapple is good too!!!

[LauraBear]

Is it within the rules to share the recipe - I'd love to try making them.

[The Chowhound Team]

The rule for recipes is to paraphrase the directions, but give the ingredients just as they're listed, so there's no room for preparation error. If the recipe is found on the web, a link to it is fine, too. We're very cautious about copyright infringement.

If you'd like to share your recipe, please start a new thread on the Home Cooking Board, so that we can keep the Boston board focused on swapping tips on local chow. Thanks!

[Chris VR]

Kane's in Saugus does have apple fritters for sure. Saw them last weekend but didn't think to get one (sorry!)

[larry loves food]

I found the perfect apple fritter this weekend at Butler's Colonial Donut House,located at 461 Sanford Road in Westport MA (508-672-4600). The place is better known for their whip cream donuts and long johns (amazing-heavenly) but the apple fritter was just fabulous with a great cakey texture and lots of apple pieces and taste. I was glad to see the reference to Winchell's Donuts in a post or two above as I have been looking for an apple fritter to match the remembered taste of one I got warm at a Winchell's back in St. Louis about 30 years ago. This one, even though not warm, filled the bill.

The place is tiny, the people are nice and even though the drive is about an hour and a half from Boston, we'll be back. Butler's is a Phantom Hidden Jewel and deserves it.

[applehome]

Here's the ones from Hannaford. They taste pretty good - decent texture and nice amount of cooked apples - not overly sweet despite the glaze. They're not as lofty as I remember the ones from Winchell's and other places - but that memory is ancient history, I'm afraid... I was stationed on the left coast in the late '70's.

[applehome]

Any Winchell's donuts in NE?

[Cambridge7]

I wish Winchell's would open up outside of the West...I was blown away by some donuts I had in Los Angeles. But either they're not franchising, or they can't break the Dunkin' mafia stronghold in Boston. OK, just joking...Krispy Kreme proved that there's no Dunkin' monopoly.

[threedogs]

Krispy Kreme proved that Bostonians aren't total foodie idiots!

[amr011]

Olin's Bakery in Belmont (Cushing Sq) has really good, unhealthy, homemade fritters and doughnuts

[tamerlanenj]

The starbucks by me on newbury st. always has decent looking Apple Fritters. I wonder where they get them from....

[Blumie]

Does that Starbucks have one of the new ovens? If so, ask them to warm one up for you.

[othervoice]

I just went into a Hannaford's market and low and behold, yes, there was the Apple Fritter. It was your basic fritter with similarities to the west coast version. They've reduced the size considerably, still crunchy, sweet sugar glazed and filled with gooey apples. To be honest the size was actually more manageable. I once ate two of the west coast versions and thought I would burst.....ah, the recklessness of youth.

[fayth]

A friend mentioned that she bought one at Honey Dew
Donuts. Looked on their website (www.honeydewdonuts.com) and didn't see listed. Check site for store locations and maybe give a call for confirmation.

[BarmyFotheringayPhipps]

The fact that the closest thing I've ever found to a decent apple fritter in Boston was in the doughnut case in the bakery department at a Stop and Shop is proof that they're next to impossible to locate around here. Too bad, because now that you mention it, I'd love a good apple fritter right about now.

[Blumie]

I grew up eating them in the Boston area, but to be honest I don't recall where I got them.

[RollingDoughnuts]

Do some bakeries call these bear claws? Or is that a different animal altogether?

[Blumie]

Completely different.

[MrsCheese]

Definitely different, but now I have a craving for bear claws.

[ShakeNBake]

The Black Dog in Martha's Vineyard has amazing apple fritters. I'm not familiar with California apple fritters, so I'm not willing to say that if you take a long drive and ferry to The Black Dog you'd be happy, but IMO their fritters are really good. So, if you happen to be on the island... ; )

[E Eto]

Never seen an apple fritter (at least of the kind we're thinking of) in Boston, let alone the east coast.

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/195326
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/233946
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/236348

[maillard]

Seriously? I've definitely had them in Massachusetts (most recently from Atkins farm in Amherst), but I can't think of any place to get a really good one around here.

[E Eto]

Seriously. Did they look anything like this?
http://static.flickr.com/36/86529743_...

[othervoice]

this photo is similiar to the California fritter. I have had them here on the east coast and as soon as I can remember where, I'll add it to the list.

[Chris VR]

I had one of those at Olin's in Belmont, a few years ago.

[othervoice]

I think it was Stop and Shop......It would have been in Westborough.

[maillard]

Yup, almost exactly like that. I have to say, the one I got from Atkins was not very good. The apple bits were all on the outside and were hard and dried. It was a bit weird. But I'm sure that I've had really good apple fritters in this area, I just wish I could remember where!

[Bob Dobalina]

Starbuck's one looks like that - and others I've seen at bakeries in the area.

[cancergrrrl]

Yes, you're right, the apple orchards sometimes have them -- Bolton Orchards' are pretty good, but kinda on the small side...

[Blumie]

I grew up in Boston and always remember finding them in Boston.

[Bob Dobalina]

How do your versions of apple fritters compare to the ones at Starbuck's? Normally I do not eat their bread products, but their apple fritter is $1.50 so on the quality/quantity/price ratio, it fills a need - it's giant, filling and relatively cheap (to go with my grande soy latte at $3.60 - what a rip but until a non-franchise coffee place opens in Boston, what choice do I have?)

[Blumie]

Now that Starbucks has begun installing ovens in many of their locations, a lot of the food can be dramatically improved by having it heated before eating it. Their apple fritter is a prime example. I had a heated one last week and it was amazing.

[RollingDoughnuts]

What about other old-school bakery/coffeshops? Would Mike's Pasteries be a place to look?

[autopi]

i wonder if verna's would have them?

[Joanie]

Thread from a couple days ago:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/37333...