Apples in “šlafor” or “šlafrok”, or apples in “dressing gowns” (šlafor” or “šlafrok” being an adaptation of the German word, schlafrock, into the various languages across the Balkans). It may be the most appropriate name for a weekend breakfast. It was a real treat when my mother made these on a weekend. Apples peeled, cored, sliced and coated in the most comfortable, cozy, thick batter with vanilla, cinnamon and lemon zest, then fried and eaten almost immediately, coated in icing sugar and more cinnamon. Yes, they would work well as a dessert with ice cream, but for me these are the perfect thing to eat on a weekend morning, in pyjamas and dressing gowns.

This recipe serves 2.

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Ingredients

  • 2-3 apples

  • 125g plain flour

  • 1 medium egg

  • 100ml milk

  • 25g butter, melted and cooled

  • ½ tsp baking powder

  • 1 tsp sugar

  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra for dusting

  • ½ tsp vanilla extract

  • ½ tsp lemon zest (optional)

  • Pinch of salt

  • Sunflower oil, for frying

  • Icing sugar, for dusting

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Directions

  • Prepare your batter. Mix the flour, egg, milk, melted butter, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, lemon zest and salt into a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until well blended and smooth. If you would like, you can add 1 tbsp of rum or sweet wine to the batter.
  • Prepare your apples. Peel, core and slice the apples into slices approximately ½ cm thick. I suggest you do this as after you prepare your batter as your apples can brown.
  • Coat the apple slices in the batter. If the batter is too thick and doesn’t go on the apples easily, add 1 tbsp of milk to loosen the batter. Once coated, deep fry in deep fryer or in a deep pan with a lid, until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper to remove any excess oil, then dust the apple fritters with icing sugar and a pinch of cinnamon.

    Best enjoyed immediately!