Elderflower Fritters

One of the things that my friend Jane and I talk about is how we always feel like we are behind a season. English Instagram fills with flowers bursting open, swallows coming back and seeds going in the ground whilst here in Scotland we still have barren trees and frosts sitting heavy. I used to feel this incredible push to do things earlier or that I was running late because those in warmer climes were so far ahead. Why weren't my potatoes in the ground in April? Why didn't I have tomatoes in June?

These days, I feel no such push. Maybe its age or just an understanding that seasons come when they are ready. So even though I saw elderflower exploding on social media down south, I wanted to wait to give you this recipe when I could make them fresh with elderflowers from my own garden. I'd been watching the flowers on the elder that sits by the gate to the paddock for weeks, willing them to open.

These fritters remind me of summers at the fair. One of the many things Iowa is known for, in addition to being the birthplace of sliced bread and Captain James T. Kirk, is the Iowa State Fair and its array of deep fried foods. And while I won't be deep frying butter any time soon, I do have a soft spot for the occasional fritter.

These little floral donuts are just lovely little bites of seasonal goodness. The heaviness of the batter is offset perfectly by the lightness of the flowers. They aren't particularly sweet on their own, so add some honey or elderflower syrup to sweeten them.

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Elderflower Fritters

Yield: 5

Author: Kat Goldin

Prep time: 15 MinTotal time: 15 Min

These little floral donuts are just lovely little bites of seasonal goodness. The heaviness of the batter is offset perfectly by the lightness of the flowers.

Ingredients

For the Batter

• 1 egg
• 130g (1 cup) of flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)
• 230ml (1 cup) beer
• 30g powdered sugar

Other

• 20 elderflower heads
• 115ml (1/2 cup) oil for frying
• 2-3 tablespoons of honey

Method

1. ​Gather your elderflowers, pick the youngest ones with some of the flowers still in bud
2. Heat the oil in a pan
3. Mix the batter ingredients.
4. Holding the flowers by the stem, dip in the batter and then place in the hot oil.
5. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until brown.
6. Serve warm, drizzled with honey or an elderflower syrup (just undiluted cordial)

Did you make this recipe?

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