Orange Fritters

Peel the oranges, cut them in halves, pick out the seeds, and, with a sharp knife, scrape off all the white pith; put them in a basin together with some fine sugar and three tablespoonfuls of brandy, and leave them for an hour or two, afterwards draining them on a sieve. Warm and beat two ounces of butter, beat also the yolks of two eggs, mix them together with the butter in three-fourths of a pound of flour, and stir in gradually with a wooden spoon sufficient tepid water to make the whole into a smooth batter. Whisk the whites of the eggs to a stiff snow, and mix them lightly with the batter at the last moment. Put a large piece of lard or clarified fat into a flat stewpan, and place it over the fire until boiling; dip the pieces of orange into the batter, coating them well, and fry in the boiling fat until nicely browned. Then take them out, and put them on a sheet of kitchen-paper to drain. Spread a folded napkin or an ornamental dish-paper over a hot dish, place the fritters upon it, sprinkle sugar over them, and serve.

Orange Custard Fritters

Put one pound of flour into a basin and stir it gradually, keeping it quite smooth, one quart of milk and five well-beaten eggs. Turn the batter into a saucepan, and stir it over a moderate fire for twenty minutes without letting it boil; then move it to the side of the fire, and mix in four tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar, one of finely-chopped orange peel, one-half saltspoonful of salt, and the well-beaten yolks of five eggs. Butter a baking-sheet, and, when the custard is well mixed, spread it over about one inch in thickness. When cold, cut it into equal-sized pieces, dip them in beaten egg and then in finely-grated breadcrumbs, and fry them in butter till a golden brown. Drain the fritters, dust some sugar over, put them on a folded napkin, or an ornamental dish-paper on a hot dish, and serve.

Peach Fritters

Skin some ripe but firm peaches, cut them in halves, and take out the stones. Put the peaches in a bowl with sugar, and toss them about well, taking care not to break them. Put one pound of finely-sifted flour into a basin, and stir in one-half pint of water gradually with a wooden spoon. Beat the whites of three eggs till very stiff, mix them with the batter, and add one and one-fourth ounces of warmed butter. Put a lump of lard in a fryingpan, make it warm, but not too hot; dip each piece of peach separately in the batter, then fry them in the lard. When lightly browned, drain the peaches on a cloth, lay them on a baking-dish, the cut side downwards, sift some powdered sugar over, and glaze them under the salamander. Arrange the peaches in a pyramid on a folded napkin, placed on a hot dish, and serve.

Pear Fritters

Take as many good cooking-pears as are required for the dish, cut them into slices lengthwise, cover with sugar, dip them in batter, plunge them into boiling oil, and fry a delicate brown. Take them out, drain, dust over again with sugar, place them on a napkin over a dish, and serve with sweet or wine sauce.