Recipes and images from  “Real food For Babies and Toddlers” by Vanessa Clarkson (Murdoch Books)

Spiced Almond Fritters with Pumpkin and Apple 

Makes 10

Preparation time 10 minutes  Cooking time 15 minutes

DIETARY INFO: Dairy-free    gluten-free    vegetarian

4 eggs

250 g (9 oz/2 cups) peeled and grated butternut pumpkin (squash)

3 eating apples, cored

3 tablespoons almond meal

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

coconut oil for frying

maple syrup (optional), to serve

To make the batter, beat the eggs well in a large bowl. Add the pumpkin and grate in one of the apples, along with the almond meal and spices. Stir to combine. Finely slice the remaining 2 apples and set aside.

Working in batches and allowing 1 teaspoon coconut oil per fritter, heat the coconut oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, spoon 2 tablespoons of the fritter batter into the pan, and shape into a fritter using a spoon or spatula. Continue until you have three or four fritters in the pan, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Press a slice of apple into the top of each fritter. Cook for 3–4 minutes on the first side, then flip over and cook for a further 1–2 minutes until cooked through and crisp and golden on the outside. Keep warm on a plate lined with paper towel while cooking the rest. Repeat until all the batter has been used. Serve the fritters drizzled with a little maple syrup, if you like.

“For little ones: As raw apple presents a choking hazard for babies, these fritters are a great way to introduce this fruit in its whole form. The apple slice is unlikely to be soft enough for beginners, so either leave this off their fritter or grate all the apples into the batter. You may need to add a little more almond meal if the apples are especially juicy.”p.70