Terrier and Apple Fritters

Terrier

by Tamora Pierce

Terrier is the book that inspired me to start this blog. I am always in the mood for dessert, and one of Terrier's major side characters is a baker. A book full of the phrase “warm apple raisin patties” is enough to make one's mouth water and...well, inspire a blog!

Beka Cooper is a guardswoman-in-training, assigned to accompany the two most respected “dogs” (guards) in the city. They work the evening watch in the “lower city”--a place of crime and poverty, a place that Beka loves and understands because she grew up here.

Terrier is a complex mystery story with a fascinating protagonist. Beka is painfully shy around new people, but her shyness rarely interferes with her ability to excel at a difficult job. Not only is she tenacious, she is a sharp detective, possessing both intelligence and certain magical abilities. (These abilities, however, do not eliminate her need to do real detective work, or protect her from physical danger.)

Link to Terrier on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Terrier-Legend-Beka-Cooper-Book/dp/0375838163/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453863659&sr=8-1&keywords=terrier+tamora

Apple Fritters

Before their watch, Beka and her “dogs” like to stop at Mistress Noll's bakery stall in the evening market. Apple-raisin patties for the guards, and apple fritters for Beka. I was going to do a recipe for apple-raisin patties, but I am not 100% certain what apple-raisin patties are, and can't go back to search for a description because my audiobook rental expired. I am 95% certain that they are hand pies—and you can find a recipe for them here, on another blog inspired by Tamora Pierce's writing: https://disciplinecottage.wordpress.com/2014/03/05/mistress-nolls-apple-patties/ This is the only relevant result when you google “apple raisin patty.” Instead, here is a recipe for Beka's favorite, apple fritters, very similar to the one found on the Pioneer Woman website: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/apple-fritters/

Finally, I would like to say that baking with young children is not easy--this is why I will try to post simple recipes and may make shortcuts (like using oil instead of melted butter) in order to cut down on prep time. This is what happened while I was working on the fritters: 

Followed by my knocking an egg-filled mixing bowl off the counter with the broom handle. Yikes! Totally worth it though :) 

Apple Fritters

2 c flour

½ c sugar

3 Tbsp brown sugar

2 ¼ tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

2 eggs

¾ c milk

2 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp melted butter (I used oil because we don't have a microwave and I didn't want to dirty an extra

pan, but I'm sure this is better! :)

2 Granny Smith apples

Powdered sugar (optional)

1. Mix dry ingredients, including sugars.
2. Lightly beat eggs in a separate mixing bowl, then mix in the rest of the wet ingredients.
3. Peel and dice the apples. Chunks should be fairly small.
4. Add the wet to the dry ingredients, stirring gently.
5. Fold in the apples. Do not overmix! 
   
6. Heat 1 1/2-2” oil in a medium saucepan to about 365 degrees.
7. Using a cookie scoop, drop balls of dough into the oil and cook until brown on one side, then
   flip over and finish cooking on the other side. (I took my first couple of batches out too soon, and they were raw in the middle! So let them get a nice brown color—but not burnt, of course.)
   When finished cooking, remove from pan and place on paper towel-covered plate. 
   
   
   

   

   Not a fantastic picture--but they're pretty cute! 

8. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.