State fairs are laboratories of weird fried foods. R.I. clam cake mix maker Drum Rock came up with this dessert adaptation of their mix, featured in my Great Clam Cake and Fritter Guide, after hearing of the dish’s debut at the Big E multi-state fair in Springfield, Massachusetts. But these would also be great for Easter!
- 2 cups Drum Rock Products Fritter & Clam Cake Mix
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup jelly beans in two complementary flavors (lemon and lime, cinnamon and apple, or coconut and pineapple, for instance)
- 1 tablespoon confectioners’ or granulated sugar
Fill deep fryer with oil and heat to 350°F. Empty fritter mix and jelly beans into a large bowl and add ½ cup of water. Gently fold the water into the mix just until blended and not one stir more! (The mix should be thicker than pancake batter, but not as firm as pie or cookie dough. Add more water, if necessary, to create that consistency.) Let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Scatter jelly beans into batter but do not stir them in. Grab batter and a few jelly beans with an ice cream scoop then carefully drop into the fryolator. Each fritter should take about 2 to 3 minutes to cook; you can fry them in batches, taking care to turn them over so they are golden-brown all over and cooked thoroughly.
Remove fritters from oil. Then either place the fritters in a paper bag with the sugar and shake, or put them on a plate and dust with sugar using a fine strainer. (Put sugar in strainer then tap its side while moving over the fritters.) Cool slightly before eating.
Yield: 16 to 24 fritters, serving 4 to 6