pumpkin fritters

This fritter recipe was passed along to me by my good friend Erica. It has become a recipe I look forward to making each year during pumpkin season. I took this recipe to a pumpkin picnic last weekend and the kids gobbled them up. The fact that I called them pumpkin donuts instead of fritters I think made the kids want to try them. My kids get giddy whenever donuts are mentioned.

I use real pumpkin but, you could try it with canned pumpkin and that would be yummy too.

Pumpkin Fritters (aka Pumpkin Donuts)

• 1 small pumpkin (2 cups mashed pumpkin)
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 - 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp salt
• oil for frying
• confectioner's sugar

First remove seeds and peel the pumpkin. To easily peel the pumpkin I roast it in the oven for about 15 min covered until the skin easily peels away or is at least soft enough to easily cut away. Then chop, boil, drain and mash the pumpkin. Combine 2 cups of mashed pumpkin with sugar, whole wheat flour, vanilla and salt. Heat oil in tall saucepan, spoon in mixture and fry. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

This year I decided to make 3 small pumpkins at once. After I prepared the pumpkins I portioned out 3 containers with 2 cups of mashed pumpkin in each. I fried one batch up right away, refrigerated one for the following day and froze one to save for Thanksgiving. This way, I just combine the ingredients and fry without the hassle of preparing a whole pumpkin each time.

Hope you are enjoying pumpkin season! I sure am.