Blueberry season is here! So naturally I want to put them in a fried food. Fritters are so great for summer, since they don’t require that you turn on your oven!

These fritters are based on a german/mennonite recipe for portzelky (also called new years cookies), that my grandma used to always make on New Year’s Day. (The Dutch call them Olibollen too!). Usually they would have raisins in them, but occasionally we would request blueberries. These fritters are hilarious, often weird-shaped, little doughnuts, that require no special tools to shape them, and you simply spoon the batter into the fryer. Crispy on the outside, beautifully fluffy on the inside…they are perfection.

I’m calling these “small batch” since I pared the recipe down to make about 1 dozen small fritters. Most traditional portzelky recipes will make enough to feed a crowd! This recipe doubles and triples perfectly, so feel free to increase it if you’re looking to serve more people.

Often these are dusted in powdered sugar, but we often pulled them apart and dipped them in granulated sugar. They can also be served with jam or syrup, there’s truly no wrong way to enjoy them. I decided to mix a little freeze dried raspberry powder into my sugar, and it gave a delicious pop of flavour! You could also experiment with cinnamon, cardamom, or any other spice you like.

small batch blueberry fritters (portzelky)

PRINT RECIPE HERE

recipe: Kelsey Siemens

yields: about 1 dozen fritters

ingredients

1 tsp brown sugar

40 mL (just shy of 3 tablespoons) warm water

1 tsp active dry yeast

1/3 cup (80 mL) milk

1 large egg

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup (125 g) all purpose flour

2/3 cup (190 g) blueberries - fresh or frozen (sub in diced rhubarb, diced cherries, raisins, craisins, or simply leave plain)

topping:

berry sugar: 1 cup granulated sugar + 1/2 tsp freeze dried raspberry powder

cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, jam, syrup

to make

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, warm water, and yeast. Stir and set aside for 5 minutes to activate. This mixture should become nice and frothy. If it doesn’t, try again and check the expiry of your yeast.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, and salt until combined. Add the yeast mixture and flour, and use a wooden spoon to stir until combined.

Add the blueberries and gently stir in. The batter will look pretty sloppy at this point, that’s normal! It should not look like regular doughnut or bread dough. It should look “pourable”. Cover the bowl and place let rise for about an hour, until dough has about doubled in size.

Meanwhile, prepare the sugar mixture of your choice. If covering fritters, they will need to be rolled in sugar while they are still warm so that it sticks!

Once the dough has doubled, start heating the oil. I prefer to use a fryer (or even an electric skillet), so that the heat is controlled easier, but you can also use a pot of oil on the stove as long as you have a thermometer on hand. Heat the oil to 375 degrees F. Set a baking sheet lined with paper towel directly beside the fryer.

*Remember to never leave your oil unattended, and take every precaution to avoid the potential for any accidents. Keep pets and children out of the room if possible.*

Once the oil has reached temperature, spoon the batter into the fryer, about 1 tablespoon at a time. I simply use two regular spoons…one to scoop the batter, and the other helps slide it into the oil. Fry for about 1 minute per side, or until dark golden brown. Carefully remove from the oil and transfer to the paper towel lined baking sheet. Immediately roll in sugar if desired. I recommend doing one test fritter and breaking it open to make sure it’s done before you do the rest of the batter!

Repeat with all batter.

Serve fritters warm, with extra sugar, a dusting of powdered sugar, jam, syrup, or whatever your heart desires.

Note:

• Like most doughnuts, these fritters are best the first day. They can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer, and warmed slightly before serving.

• Swap the blueberries for raisins, craisins, diced apple, diced rhubarb, or leave them out completely!

• I never fry more than 3 or 4 at a time, as this will cause the oil temperature to drop too much and will effect the cook time and oil absorption - but this will depend on the size of your fryer/pot.

Happy fritter frying!

-Kelsey