GRAND MARNIER CHOCOLATE CHIP FRITTERS: National Fritters Day!

I'm a huge fan of Fritters, of any kind. Well, I'm happy with just about anything that's fried. I heard a chef on Chopped say, "I'm from Kentucky. If I don't know what an ingredient is, I fry it." Love that motto!

So today is National Fritter Day. According to Wikipedia, a fritter is "any kind of food coated in batter and deep fried. Although very similar to a doughnut, a fritter differs in the fact that it requires some base ingredient beyond the dough it is cooked with." Want to know more? Read about Fritters from Renee Shelton at The Pastry Sampler.

In the past I posted a recipe for Easy Chocolate Fritters, and they're wonderful, but here's another recipe for Chocolate Chip Fritters that also included 'orange' in the liqueur -- Grand Marnier-- and a lot of orange zest. How great is that? Fritters are usually served best when they're still warm, so invite a crowd! This would be perfect for a holiday gathering. They remind me of canolli! Not surprising since this recipe is adapted from "Proud Italian Cook," a great source for terrific recipes!

GRAND MARNIER CHOCOLATE CHIP FRITTERS

Ingredients
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp sugar
1 pound ricotta or marscapone
1 cup flour
4 tsp baking powder
3 Tbsp Grand Marnier
Zest of 1 orange
Mini DARK chocolate chips
Dash of salt
Canola oil
Confectioners sugar

Directions
Combine eggs, sugar, ricotta (or marscapone), flour, baking powder, Grand Marnier, zest, chocolate chips, and salt in medium bowl. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Pour oil into wide but shallow saucepan, couple inches deep, and heat over medium-high heat.
Drop (be careful!) rounded teaspoons of batter into hot oil and fry, a few at time, until golden, about 5 minutes.
Drain on paper towels, dust with powdered sugar, and serve right away!

How easy is this?!