It is just the start of the South African apple and pear season! South Africa is known for the eating quality of its fruit, thanks to the near perfect growing conditions in the country’s Western Cape. Particular varieties you’ll find in UK supermarkets from March until October are:

Apples:

Granny Smith – Tart yet sweet taste with a firm, white and crisp flesh
Gala – Sweet flavour, yellow skin with red stripes and a firm crisp flesh
Golden Delicious – Golden yellow skin, with a delicate pink blush
Pink Lady (Cripps’ Pink) – Attractive pink colour and exquisite taste, slightly oblong in shape

Pears:

Forelle – Oblong or bell-shaped with a distinctive pink blush, it has a sweet and juicy flavour
Williams – Yellow skin when ripe, with a fragrant, sweet and juicy taste
Packhams – Often unevenly shaped, green-yellow when ripe with a soft textured flesh

So this recipe is a great way to use up some of the incredible apples that are on offer. The taste of the fritters is really sensational, served with a salted peanut butter sauce for added scrumminess.

Eastern Cape Spiced Sweet Potato & Apple Fritters

Preparation: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients:

300g sweet potato, peeled, cored and diced
150g plain flour
2 tsp cornflour
2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
250ml milk of choice
4 South African Pink Lady or Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced into rings
Vegetable oil, for shallow frying
2 tbsp caster sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, for sprinkling

Sauce:

30g peanut butter powder
30g light muscovado sugar
30g butter
60g golden syrup

What To Do:

Cook the sweet potato chunks in lightly salted boiling water until tender. Cool, then put them into a blender with the flour, cornflour, baking powder, salt and milk to give the consistency of thick double cream.
Pour vegetable oil into a large saucepan or wok to a depth of 4-5cm. Heat, then check that it’s hot enough by adding a small cube of bread – it should sizzle and brown.
Dip the apple slices in the batter and cook them in the hot oil in batches, about 2 or 3 at a time, until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper.
For the sauce, put the peanut butter powder, sugar, butter and syrup into a saucepan. Heat gently, stirring until smooth. Add a little hot water to thin the consistency. Serve the fritters, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and drizzled with a little sauce.

Cook’s tip: Find peanut butter powder in health food shops and most supermarkets. Otherwise, use 60g smooth peanut butter

It would be great to hear if you give it a go! What are your favourite recipes that use apples and pears?

*recipe in partnership with South African Fruit .

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Spiced Sweet Potato & Apple Fritters