Ingredients
Method
1.Add milk, salt and sugar to a small saucepan and bring to boiling point. Add butter and stir until it is dissolved. Leave to cool on a trivet or wooden board.
2.Place rum, sultanas and walnuts in a large bowl and soak for 5 minutes. Add egg, vanilla, lemon and orange zest and grated apple to bowl and stir to combine.
3.Gradually add flour and warm milk mixture to wet fruit mix by alternating a little flour and a little milk while whisking with a fork. You should end up with a wet-but-thick mixture that will drop off a spoon. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes.
4.Heat oil in a small pot on medium-high heat until very hot. Gently drop 1 tsp of mixture into oil as a test; if mixture turns golden quickly, the oil is ready.
5.Fry the fritters in batches of 4-6 by dropping dessertspoon-sized amounts directly (and carefully) into hot oil. Cook for 30 seconds until deeply golden then turn and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove and place on paper towels.
6.Sieve icing sugar over the fritters and serve immediately (see recipe tips).
If you don’t have any self-raising flour, make some by adding 1½ tsp baking powder to 1 cup plain flour. If the oil is not hot enough, the fritters won’t cook quickly enough and they will be oily. They should turn golden very quickly. We recommend having a helper to dust the fritters and help with the serving as it is best to eat them right away.
Note