Apple Fritters with Peanut Butter Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

2 Granny Smith or Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and chopped

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon allspice

2 to 3 scrapes of fresh nutmeg on a rasp

1 cup all-purpose flour

Kosher salt

7 ounces beer (Coronita is the perfect size!)

Peanut oil, for deep frying

Peanut Butter Caramel Sauce, recipe follows

Directions:

Mix the wet: In a bowl, stir together the apples, sugars, pumpkin pie spice, allspice and nutmeg. Set aside.

Mix the dry: In a large bowl, add flour and a pinch of salt.

Pull it together: Make a well in the center of the bowl of the dry ingredients and whisk in the beer until combined. It should be slightly thicker than pancake batter. Gently fold in the apple mixture and let it rest 10 minutes at room temperature.

Fry the fritters: In a large pot, bring oil temperature to 360 degrees F, so when adding the fritters, the temperature rests at 350 degrees F. Once the oil is ready, using a small ice cream scoop or large tablespoon, gently drop the dough into the oil in batches. Fry until golden brown on both sides, flipping once, about 4 minutes total. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate. Serve with Peanut Butter Caramel Sauce.

Peanut Butter Caramel Sauce:

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 stick butter

1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature

1/2 cup peanut butter

Melt the sugar: In a saute pan over medium heat, add the brown sugar and allow it to melt while whisking.

Melt the butter: Once melted, add the butter and continuously whisk while melting until everything is smooth.

Add the cream: Turn off the heat and slowly pour in the heavy cream while whisking until smooth. (Don't get hit with the splatter!)

Add the peanut butter: Add the peanut butter and turn the heat back on to low to help it melt into the caramel sauce while whisking for just under a minute. Remove from the heat, serve warm. Yield: 2 cups