Pancake Fried Apple Rings

When faced with a mass of apples one wonders what you can make besides apple pie, apple sauce and apples with peanut butter.  Have a box of pancake mix in your pantry? It will become the perfect complement to tart green apples.  I got this recipe from the one and only episode of The Chew, a new food talk show, that I ever watched.  I'm a huge Carla Hall fan and she conjured up this treat as a variation of an old favorite of her mothers.  It was easy and delicious and the perfect dish for kids and adults alike.

Ingredients:

1 cup pancake mix

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk

2 large green apples

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1. Slice the apples into rings about 1/3-1/2 inch thick

2. Core the center with a melon baller

2. Heat the oil in a large pan on medium heat until it begins to ripple

3. Mix the pancake mix, milk and egg in a large bowl until smooth

4. Dip the apple rings one at a time into the batter

5. Let the excess batter drip off the rings and place into the oil (the oil should bubble when the apple rings are placed into it)

6. Fry each side until the batter browns

6. Place on a paper towel to soak up excess oil after cooking

7. Garnish with a sprinkle of confectioners sugar

Optional: If you have apple cider, boil 1/2 a cup until it has reduced by about half and drizzle over rings

The outside of the ring is crispy and the inside is slightly soft with a bit of a bite. The sour of the green apple and the sweet of the sugar go perfectly together.