Fruit and Marinade

• 6 tart apples
• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup dark rum
• ⅓ cup sugar

Batter

• 2 eggs, separated
• about ⅔ cup warm beer
• 1 cup unbleached flour
• salt
• 2 teaspoons butter, softened, or peanut oil
• ¾ cup (or more) vegetable oil
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Peel, core, and dice the apples. Combine them with the raisins, rum, and sugar and let them stand for 3 hours.

Separate the egg whites from the yolks and reserve them. Blend the yolks and beer and stir in the flour, salt, and butter or oil. Stir well until the batter is smooth. Leave in a warm place (such as a turned-off oven) for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 300°. In a saucepan heat the vegetable oil. Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Pour off the rum marinade from the apples and stir it into the batter, then very gently fold in the egg whites. The batter must be smooth. (It will be very liquid with the addition of the marinade. If you want slightly heavier, more rounded beignets, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons of flour before you add the apples and raisins.) Very delicately but thoroughly fold the fruits into the batter and drop by tablespoonfuls into the hot oil. Fry the fritters until they are golden on both sides, turning them over with tongs after 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Bits of the batter will break off and burn at the bottom of the pan. You will have to fish them out with a slotted spoon. Keep warm in the oven, changing the paper towels twice.

When all the beignets are ready, arrange them in a long basket or a platter line with a napkin. Sprinkle confectioners’ sugar (or crushed crystallized sugar and a little dark rum) on top and serve.