Dandelion Fritters

The dandelions are in full bloom, which means I can finally make one of my all-time favorite dandelion treats. I look forward to these every year, and this year is my first year making them Primal. I'm really impressed with the way they turned out, and it's all thanks to Emily over at Joyful Abode, and her wonderful waffle batter. It worked PERFECTLY for this recipe, and has given me lots of ideas for deep fried goodies.

I did modify it just a tad since I didn't have some of the ingredients, but it worked nicely. Wow, these are so good. I can't stop eating them!

Most people wouldn't think of eating flowers, let alone dandelions, the bane of gardeners and lawn keepers everywhere. They're actually really good, and taste somewhat like battered and fried mushrooms. Even my sister who lives for processed, chemical-laden food likes them. I swear, if everyone knew how good they were, they'd be farming dandelions.

Dandelion Fritters

Ingredients:
1 large bowl of dandelion flowers (about 50)

2 Tbsp melted tallow
3 eggs
3 Tbsp coconut milk
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 Tbsp coconut flour
Sweetener, spices, seasonings to taste.

You will also need grease for frying and a plate lined with paper towels.

Start by mixing your batter ingredients together. This would be a good time to send the kiddos out to pick dandelion flowers. It was always a game for us, hunting down the biggest, fluffiest flowers. If you don't have any kids to do your picking, simply mix your batter together and let it rest while you do the picking. Get the biggest flowers you can find. They'll make much more impressive fritters.

With your bowl full of sunshine, get yourself set up for some deep frying. These are messy and a little bit tricky. Heat your fat (I used tallow) on medium in a small, deep-ish pan. I used a small pan, only cooking 3 flowers at a time. It's easier to keep up with and you don't need as much oil to fill the pan.

While your fat heats up, make sure all the stems are removed from your flowers. You'll want to keep the greens at the base of the flower, however. When the grease is hot, take a flower by its base and dunk it into the batter, getting it well coated. Don't be afraid to get your fingers in there! Besides, the batter tastes good. I probably ate a cup of it by time I got all the fritters made.

Slowly dip your battered flower into the hot grease, gently swooshing it back and forth to get the petals to spread out. Be very careful! Yes, I've burned myself a few times. It's a little bit tricky. I tried using tongs but nothing works as well as fingers. You just have to be nimble. Once the petals spread out just release the flower into the oil and let it cook.

When your flowers start to brown around the edges, gently flip them over to cook the bottom side. You'll want them to get good and brown. If your dandelions are undercooked you'll get a bitter surprise.

Remove the fritters from the grease and let them drain on the paper towels.

There are two ways you can go with these. You can go sweet or savory, depending on what spices you add to the batter, and what you choose to dip your fritters in. You can add sweetener to the batter and make them more of a dessert, and dip one side in chocolate for a sweet treat (which is divine!) or you can put onion powder, red pepper, paprika, garlic powder or other spices in the batter, dip them in ketchup, and eat them with a burger in place of fries. My favorite combination is to add cinnamon and nutmeg to the batter, and dip the fritters in spicy mayo (which is made by simply mixing Frank's Red Hot into some mayonnaise.) I little sweet, a lot spicy.

No matter what taste you prefer, these are a yummy seasonal snack. Feel free to experiment with spices and condiments, and let me know what you come up with. I'm always looking for new flavor combinations.

Baby Robin Update:

Well as it turns out, I don't have two baby robins after all. I have FOUR robin eggs now! I noticed on Sunday a third egg, and on Monday a fourth. Looks like Mama's been busy!