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Strawberry Fritters for Valentine’s Day

February 13, 2014 by Valerie Lugonja 28 Comments

Dueling Daughters: all for the love of good food!

Strawberry Fritters for Valentine's Day

Champagne and strawberries are classic lovers fare – in the movies, anyway. I haven’t been wooed with Champagne and strawberries, have you? A gorgeous flower arrangement makes me weak in the knees, but an invitation to dinner is usually out of the question as I am having too much fun in the kitchen concocting my own Valentine’s Day meal. These fritters look like quite a bit of naughty fun, don’t they?

Strawberry Fritters for Valentine's Day

And I have the perfect plate for them. When Isabelle from Crumb Blog wrote about this recipe for strawberry fritters on one of The Canadian Food Experience Project’s challenges, I knew I wanted to make them. Yet, I never have time to do everything I want, so I have initiated a new project that involves my daughters doing all the cooking and I just get to enjoy it and write about it. With Lauren living so far away, the gals don’t cook together any more, yet both do enjoy cooking. So, every few weeks, I will send them a few recipes I am interested in writing about. They will choose which one to make and enjoy sharing their experience with one another from afar. As our family loves to cook, this is our first post of “Dueling Daughters”, though the dueling is all in good fun. I believe a family that cooks together, grows together. (Dueling Daughter Project instructions and information)

Strawberry Fritters for Valentine's Day

These little devils are sinfully delicious, but must be eaten warm, right from the frier after being dusted with a liberal amount of powdered sugar. They do not keep well at all… so only make what you will eat as no one wants to through out gorgeous out-of-season strawberries. (Valentine’s Day is the only time I would ever permit myself to buy out-of-season strawberries!) And, they do not need any dip. The crisp fatty dough is heavily scented with vanilla and the strawberry is warm, but not cooked, so still very fresh in flavour and texture which makes the first bite an unexpected pleasure. Every bite after that is simply sinful indulgence. (The fresh strawberry inside offers the devious idea that these are actually “good for you”.)

Strawberry Fritters for Valentine's Day

According to Menon from “French Family Cook”, strawberry fritters have been around since the 18th century: Make a paste with some flour, a spoonfull of brandy, half a glass of white wine, the whites of two eggs beat and green lemon shred fine. Mix it well, neither too thick nor too thin. It should rope in falling from a spoon. Dip some large strawberrys in to it, fry them and glaze them with a salamander. And my little gift to you is introducing my new fun app: Waterlogue. Best $3.00 I have spent in a long while.

Strawberry Fritters for Valentine's Day

Mis en place above, is Ragan’s and below is Lauren’s.

Strawberry Fritters for Valentine's DayStrawberry Fritters for Valentine's Day

Ragan whipped up her batter, heated her oil in my deep frier, and dipped her berries.

Strawberry Fritters for Valentine's DayStrawberry Fritters for Valentine's Day

Above, you will find my son-in-law, Aaron – a culinary genius, in his own right – starting to dip the berries in the batter he and Lauren whipped up. You will see the “competition is on” as they have strategically placed decorative Valentine’s treats in the photo and he has his kitchen safety glasses on. Below, Lauren also models her new kitchen safety glasses. The have side guard protectors you cannot see in the photo. Both gifts from moi for this dynamic duo at Christmas as they do love to cook together, yet I understand all too well how much trouble both can get into in their kitchen.

Strawberry Fritters for Valentine's DayStrawberry Fritters for Valentine's Day

Ragan offered up a photo of her strawberry fritters frying. That is 2 for her as we got a batter photo from her, too! She did mention that it wasn’t easy to get a nice shape when battering the strawberries and frying them. She had to work at getting that nice strawberry oval. But, no problem. The “duds” went into the discard pile and were eaten before photos.

Strawberry Fritters for Valentine's Day

Above and below are Ragan’s fritters. Immediately after coming out of the frier and then dusted with powdered sugar.

Strawberry Fritters for Valentine's DayStrawberry Fritters for Valentine's Day

Apparently, it was a good thing I bought those safety glasses as both Lauren and Aaron were afraid of deep frying. Hot oil is not something either want to deal with in their kitchen, so they were being very good sports making this recipe. However, they certainly did get into it. Sans thermometer, they did get the little bobbles to fry into lusty crisp golden fritters that would fulfill anyone’s fantasy and then they just fried dollops of dough. Clearly, they were on a roll, as the mini-oreo cookies came out next and you will find a photo of oreo cookie fritters at the end of this post. A deep frier may be on their gift list next Christmas. Who knows?

Strawberry Fritters for Valentine's Day

Lauren and Arron ate them so fast that they didn’t take a cross section photo of the fritter, which was, I do recall, one of the project requirements. 🙂 That would be 3 for Ragan. But, really? Who is keeping score? I will probably get into trouble for even joking about this, now. You know: sibling rivalry. It doesn’t exist between my gals until I make it happen.

Strawberry Fritters for Valentine's DayStrawberry Fritters for Valentine's DayStrawberry Fritters for Valentine's Day

And how can one not be charmed by this artful display of Valentine’s Day gratifications? I had so much fun immersing myself in this cooking experience that my daughters engaged in and I didn’t make a thing! But, I did taste Ragan’s fritters as she is living here temporarily. I was her photographer. Aaron was Lauren’s photographer and her Sous Chef. Participating in this activity is an expression of love within our family that will continue throughout the year. I am looking forward to the food and how cooking together, though apart, will draw us all closer.

So, what did they think?

In Lauren’s words: We were very excited to make strawberry fritters; however, I did have reservations because I’m not really into deep fried food and I didn’t have a deep fryer or a thermometer to measure the heat of the oil. I haven’t deep- fried food except Thai fried bananas once years ago. Without a thermometer, I wasn’t sure how to measure the heat. I started by turning the burner up very high, thinking that the oil needed to boil and within 5-8 minutes, the whole house was in smoke; the smoke alarms were wailing away, and I found myself frantically running around opening doors and fanning the alarms. Luckily, Aaron had perfect timing, arriving home from work while I was mid-panic and to me yelling “HELP!! HELP! I NEED YOU!”

Before Aaron even had a chance to put his bag down, he was quickly at work. I soon realized (after a mercy call to Ragan) that I didn’t need the oil on high heat (or to boil), but rather medium was just fine. Next time I attempt any similar task, I think a thermometer will purchased. Once all was settled, Aaron and I got a system down where he would dip the strawberries and I would regulate the oil. We had some really nicely rounded fritters alongside some truly odd shaped ones as our strawberry selection was comprised of a variety of different sizes.

For the most part, it was rather easy, although we noticed that occasionally it was kind of hard to get the batter to stick to the strawberries and it was a little difficult to tell whether the dough was cooked all the way through. After we were done with all of the strawberries, Aaron pleaded to try plain fried dough, so we plopped a few balls of the batter into the oil, just for him – gross, eh? And that quickly escalated to his adventurous suggestion: “this is OUR chance; what else can we fry??” So we found some mini oreos in our cupboard and with our remaining batter, threw a few in and they were surprisingly delightful.

All in all, these were very pretty looking, quite simple (minus the smoke at the beginning) and quite tasty. Note: as the recipe says, they definitely do not store well.

And Ragan’s reflection: When mom presented this idea, I was excited! I know my sister and I love to cook and I was looking forward to our takes on these recipes. When Mom suggested the strawberry fritters, I was excited yet a bit hesitant as I have never deep fried anything since we were kids and made doughboys with my dad. These were just pockets of fried dough, we would eat them right out of the friar with sugar or jam. BUT, back then, it was our dad that got the ‘stuff together’, now known as mis en place. Mom ensures that we were taking the right steps to create beautiful food and memories over the years. She has miraculously passed these genes to the two, duelling daughters. I am lucky that I’m able to work in such a kitchen as this, and have a personal photographer as my dear sissy does. I know that once I am back out on my own I will (yes, mom, it will happen) be back here to make every post for the Dueling Daughters Project.

The recipe was easy to read and prep for. The only thing we both found was the instructions of where to add the lemon zest and the baking powder were missing from the original recipe. When my sister called me to get some advice, I told her that I added my zest with the wet ingredients and the baking powder to the dry. The challenge was to not heavily coat the strawberry. I ended up using bamboo skewers to pierce the strawberry to dip in the batter. I stood in the very chilly garage with the deep fryer (thanks mom) on the deep freezer (so I wouldn’t mess up the kitchen), coating and frying the first 6. After discovering the technique to ensure each fritter actually looked like a strawberry, I then came to realize to not let batter seep into the hulled cavity of the strawberry as the batter wasn’t cooking in there. Success!!
 
The berries were warm, but not cooked, juicy and sweet. The batter was crisp and full of vanilla lemon flavour. As the recipe says, eat as soon as you can because the sweet juice from the strawberry will escape and soften the crispy exterior. 
 
Having the childhood memories of the sweet warm doughboys, I was definitely motivated to fry some dough: it was crispy and sinful and I enjoyed every single morsel!
 
Strawberry Fritters for Valentine's Day
5 from 7 votes
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Strawberry Fritters for Valentine's Day

The crisp fatty dough is heavily scented with vanilla and the strawberry is warm, but not cooked, so still very fresh in flavour and texture which makes the first bite an unexpected pleasure. Every bite after that is simply sinful indulgence. (The fresh strawberry inside offers the devious idea that these are actually "good for you".)
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Valerie Lugonja

Ingredients

  • 1 quart strawberries , cleaned (not hulled)
  • 1 egg , lightly beaten
  • 1 cup milk
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon butter , melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 1½ cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Icing sugar , for dusting

Instructions

  1. Ensure strawberries are completely chilled (these are not hulled as the batter gets inside the hull and tends not to cook there)
  2. Whisk together egg and milk; add sugar, butter, lemon zest, vanilla extract and almond extract, Whisk until well combined
  3. Sift in flour, baking powder and salt; whisk until you have a smooth, thick batter.
  4. In a deep, heavy pot, heat 2-3 inches of oil to 375F (or use a deep fryer)
  5. Working in batches of 4-6 fritters, spear a strawberry with skewer, dip into batter to coat completely
  6. Drop battered strawberry into hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes, turning once to ensure all sizes are golden
  7. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels, to drain excess fat
  8. Dust fritters generously with powdered sugar, and serve immediately

Recipe Notes

Make only as many as you can eat; they do not keep

Strawberry Fritters for Valentine's Day

(Nice dental work, Lauren! XOXOXO)

Strawberry Fritters for Valentine's Day

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Filed Under: Dueling Daughters, Other, Winter Tagged With: Eggs, Flour, Strawberries, Vanilla Bean

About Valerie Lugonja

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Educator, Writer, Gardener and Traveler who believes in buying and eating locally, and most importantly cooking at home! As a brand new Gramsy, so be prepared to hear a lot about this new role in her life!
Please connect with Valerie to buy a Thermomix Machine!

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Comments

  1. Judy Swainson says

    February 13, 2014 at 11:26 am

    5 stars
    Delicious and beautiful!

    Reply
  2. Brendi says

    February 13, 2014 at 12:33 pm

    Valerie, these sound absolutely delightful. I make corn fritters, shrimp fritters, cranberry fritters, apple fritters, but had not thought of strawberry fritters. This is definitely a must try recipe, thank you so much. What a great idea involving your family in this adventure. Brendi

    Reply
    • Valerie Lugonja says

      February 14, 2014 at 9:51 am

      I am just not a fritter gal, but over the past few years have discovered a corn fritter recipe (on this site) that Vanja loves, so do make that during corn harvesting season… but, these were definitely novel, and fun.
      🙂
      V

      Reply
  3. Simone says

    February 13, 2014 at 3:16 pm

    That is such a fun project Valerie!!! I love how they got in to it and pretty daughter you have too.. 🙂 Great that both your daughters love cooking. I wish I had a mum that loved to cook! That would have been so much fun… Looking forward to the next match!

    Reply
    • Valerie Lugonja says

      February 14, 2014 at 9:50 am

      I have to find a photo of my two daughters together to post so that there is an identity for each one. It is a fun family project. I hope it doesn’t loose steam over time.
      🙂
      V

      Reply
  4. Mallory @ Because I Like Chocolate says

    February 13, 2014 at 4:09 pm

    Both batches look like they turned out wonderfully, I love this idea and am thinking of trying it with raspberries too!

    Reply
    • Valerie Lugonja says

      February 14, 2014 at 9:49 am

      Apparently people make fritters with everything, Mallory, as I discovered when viewing googled fritter images on Google. I lean toward savory fritters, yet love fresh doughnuts, too. This recipe presented a completely new experience to each of us which was thoroughly enjoyable and a lot of fun.
      🙂
      V

      Reply
  5. Barbara - My Island Bistro Kitchen Food Blog says

    February 13, 2014 at 6:01 pm

    Fun posting, Valerie! I have never heard of strawberry fritters but they look tasty!

    Reply
    • Valerie Lugonja says

      February 14, 2014 at 9:47 am

      It was a blast, Barbara. I had never heard of them, either, until reading Isabelle’s post.
      🙂
      V

      Reply
  6. amy creer says

    February 13, 2014 at 10:48 pm

    5 stars
    LOVE! I need some awesome cooking goggles apparently. looks delicious…. way to go Lauren, Ragan, and Aaron!!!

    Reply
  7. Susan says

    February 14, 2014 at 3:29 pm

    Love the Dueling Daughters idea! I wonder if I could talk mine into it. Probably not. What a delightful way to enjoy the gorgeous strawberries I’ve been seeing in stores lately.

    Reply
  8. Joan Nova says

    February 14, 2014 at 3:59 pm

    5 stars
    How unique! And I bet delicious. Goodbye chocolate covered strawberries!

    Reply
  9. Margaret@KitchenFrau says

    February 15, 2014 at 7:14 am

    What a great project, Valerie! A little healthy competition will only intensify sibling bonding, I say. This will be a fun project to follow. Love the strawberry fritter idea!

    Reply
  10. Ragan says

    February 15, 2014 at 3:32 pm

    5 stars
    We had a BLAST please stay tuned! The love of food is on! xo

    Reply
  11. Thunderfoot says

    February 15, 2014 at 4:15 pm

    5 stars
    Looks delish!!

    Reply
    • Valerie Lugonja says

      February 15, 2014 at 4:18 pm

      Thanks!
      I do believe Ragan and I enjoyed them more than Lauren and Aaron, flavour-wise – but it was fun for all!
      🙂
      Valerie

      Reply
  12. Janet West says

    February 15, 2014 at 4:18 pm

    I love the dueling daughters concept. The Strawberry Fritters look festive and tasty. I look forward to the next challenge.

    Reply
    • Valerie Lugonja says

      February 15, 2014 at 4:26 pm

      Hey, Janet!
      Thanks for commenting inside of the post… you will see Ragan’s culinary triumphs if you follow her on Instagram and then, here, as well!
      🙂
      Valerie

      Reply
  13. Crystal says

    February 15, 2014 at 4:28 pm

    Is it possible to make these Gluten Free??
    They look Delish!

    Reply
    • Valerie Lugonja says

      February 16, 2014 at 8:49 am

      Crystal,
      I am not a gluten free expert…but, I would imagine so. If you can find a gluten free fritter recipe, and then adapt it to add the flavour ingredients we have, it could work… but, you can’t go wrong with a sweet, tart and juicy strawberry fresh from the garden, if not!
      🙂
      V

      Reply
  14. Ashley Gammill says

    February 16, 2014 at 12:40 am

    Loved the stories with the recipe! So fun to read. They look really good–if I were a bigger fan of berries, I’d have to make some ASAP!

    Reply
    • Valerie Lugonja says

      February 16, 2014 at 8:42 am

      You don’t care for berries, Ashley? Write into the Guinness Book of World Records now! You must be the ONLY one in the entire world! Sometimes I dream of berries. They are the jewels of my garden…. but, I am so happy you have chimed in and I would like to encourage my readers to check out your etsy site!
      🙂
      Valerie

      Reply
      • Ashley Gammill says

        February 17, 2014 at 9:40 pm

        I know! I’ve tried so hard. I’m not too much a fan of things that are tart, and I also don’t like the texture of seeds. I just can’t do it! And thank you–I appreciate that so much :).

        Reply
        • Valerie Lugonja says

          February 18, 2014 at 8:25 am

          OK, Ashley
          I have the perfect solution for you… when Aaron and Lauren come again, I am sending home a jar of my seedless raspberry jam just for you. It will be small, in case it is too tart. I don’t think it is tart, but you might. When I pick them each summer, I get almost under the bushes and look back up into them and just marvel that God and Mother Nature have created such gorgeous, delicious bobbles to actually grow on such ugly thorny bushes. I have a fetish for raspberries. No doubt about it…. one of the most beautiful creations on the planet… so, just sit back. It won’t be anytime soon… but, someday.
          🙂
          Valerie

          Reply
  15. Lauren Andersen says

    February 18, 2014 at 1:57 am

    i had such a blast making these and i cannot wait for more dueling daughter bake/cook-offs!! xoxo

    Reply
  16. Lauren Andersen says

    February 18, 2014 at 1:58 am

    5 stars
    ohhh and FIVE STARS, of course!!!

    Reply
  17. helen says

    February 18, 2014 at 5:14 pm

    5 stars
    These sound absolutley delicious! I want to try next time PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
    • Valerie Lugonja says

      February 19, 2014 at 12:41 pm

      R and L
      Will there be a next time? Cannot believe R didn’t bring you over some.
      🙂
      V

      Reply

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