A traditional Mississippi Gulf Coast Christmas treat, this is my small batch version of pusharatas - a heavily spiced, drop fritter, made with apple, orange and lemon, raisins and pecans, and deep fried and finished with a dip in a thick powdered sugar glaze.

Small Batch Pusharatas

I love pusharatas. Love. Love. Love. But, because of their history here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the best recipes are mostly huge batches, making hundreds! That is excellent when you are giving them away as gifts, of course, but sometimes you just want enough for your own cookie trays, so this year I wrote a smaller batch recipe.

Fried brown sugar and cinnamon dough, filled with chopped apples and finished with a maple glaze.

Maple Glazed Drop Apple Fritters

Apple fritters are delicious little bites of puffy fried, brown sugar and cinnamon dough, filled with chunks of apple. What could possibly be wrong with that?

I like to finish them with a powdered sugar glaze infused with just a touch of maple extract just because I do love how it tastes with apple. That's, of course, completely optional, as they are plenty good with a basic glaze or even just a simple dusting of plain powdered sugar, if you prefer.

French Market Beignet Doughnuts

Beignets are slightly sweet fritters, deep fried and sprinkled with a generous dousing of powdered sugar. Best when served with a strong New Orleans chicory coffee.

Beignet Doughnuts

At this writing, it's Shrove Monday, or the Monday before Ash Wednesday, now mostly just referred to as Lundi Gras, meaning that Carnival season is winding down and the Lenten season is about to begin.

It is the time that certain Christian denominations, in particular Catholic, Episcopal and Lutheran, begin to reflect, prepare for confession, and seek penance to obtain absolution for our sins. It is, in essence, the day before the final blowout - Fat Tuesday.

No better appropriate time to bring you my final recipe to add to the Mardi Gras brunch and party foods list for New Orleans Style Café au Lait and French Market Beignets!

Pusharatas, Prsurate, Purshunate a/k/a Croatian Deep Fried Pastries

Pusharatas - a Croatian doughnut that is fruit and citrus based, and is a traditional recipe included on the Christmas cookie trays for many Mississippi Gulf Coast families.

Pusharatas

Pusharatas were a Christmas standard around my house and if you've never had a pusharata, well, you just don't know what you're missing! Similar to a doughnut fritter, but so much better because they are stuffed with fruit and nuts and cinnamon and nutmeg (and a little whiskey, if you're so inclined). They are a tradition amongst the local community of Slovenian women in Biloxi on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.