"BBQ'd Filipino-American Fritters are too Sweet and Tastey as a Treat..."

by D. A. Flores

This recipe is adapted from a Filipino superstar of a website called www.PanlasangPinoy.com for what is called Maruya. It is a somewhat simple preparation but you will agree singularly sweet and pleasing to your American taste given it is made from cooking banana and spiced up together with sugar for your sweet tooth.

A short entree to finish breakfast with including a dark cup of black coffee for all its sweetness.

Ingredients:

6 pcs. of cooking banana or plantains (try also the Filipino variety called '/sab-ah/'; it is yellow and somewhat plump in girth).

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 pc. egg beaten

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 c. granulated white sugar

1 1/4 c. brown sugar

3 tsp. cinnamon spice

1/2 tsp. cloves

1 c. fresh milk

3/4 c. cooking oil

1/2 c. tsp. salt

Instructions:

1. Combine flour, baking, salt and 1/2 c. sugar. Mix well in a large bowl.

2. Mash the cooking bananas well and mix thoroughly with previous mixture.

3. Add in the egg, vanilla extract and milk. Mix well also.

4. Take a pair of plastic gloves to prevent sticking, oiled, and proceed to form flat fingers, 4"-5" in length and place in a cooking sheet that has also been oiled.

5. Take the cooking oil and coat a Filipino cast iron round pan or Kawali or use the American cast iron wok and then heat until hot (but not smokey hot).

6. Then proceed to fry until light brown (but not fully cooked).

7. Dip or coat with brown sugar with cinnamon and cloves in the mixture so sugar sticks evenly.

8. Deep fry in the kawali or wok with oil still in and caramelize until shiny to the semi-dark colour of cola and the banana inner-filling is bright yellow or well-cooked.

9. Cool with skewering flat on a waxed paper sheet.

10. Serve freshly cooked as a fritter for the 4th of July celebrations or favourite BBQ.