Vegan apple, cinnamon and vanilla fritters

These fritters are crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside, and inside we find small pieces of fresh apple that give them an irresistible contrast of texture and fruity touch. But what gives them their touch of distinction is, without a doubt, the delicious aromatic note provided by the cinnamon and vanilla.

Like torrijas, fritters are very filling, which is why they are so typically eaten during Holy Week: in the past, Christians used to eat simple sweets that nonetheless gave them enough energy to face the fasting days that religion required during Lent and Holy Week, when they could only have a single main meal a day.

Although recipes for buñuelos can be found in Spain from the 16th century, the word 'buñuelo' comes from the Roman word 'puñuelo', the name given to the balls of dough that the Romans made by kneading them with their fists. However, the sweet fritters that have come down to our days are part of the great Andalusian gastronomic legacy, as they originated in al-Andalus.

Fritters are very easy to prepare and use very common, simple ingredients. The only thing to keep in mind is that they double in size when fried (so we take small portions of dough when dropping them into the oil, to get fritters of about 3 cm in diameter), and that the oil must be very hot so the dough floats, but not excessively so, because that would form a hard layer that would prevent the fritter from rising.

In the case of these fritters, we have added pieces of tender, sweet apple (Golden variety), which lets us use less sugar and makes the texture of the pieces creamier and juicier.

Besides making the fritters even more delicious, adding apple to this dessert also gives us nutrients such as fiber, flavonoids, vitamins A, C, E and the B group (especially B3 and B6), calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium.