3 : 1/ c All-purpose flour; divided
1 : tb Baking powder
1/2 : ts Salt
3/4 : ts Ground nutmeg
1/4 : ts Ground cloves
1 : c Applesauce
3/4 : c Sugar
2 : Eggs
2 : tb Vegetable shortening
Vegetale : Vegetale oil
0: RINSE THE APRICOTS, slit the sides and remove the pits with a small spoon, leaving the apricots intact
1: Replace each pit with an almond
2: Place the apricots in a bowl and sprinkle the slit sides with the rum
3: For the batter, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk in the water, then the melted butter
4: Pour the oil into a 4-quart pan and heat it to 350F
5: With a fork, dip the apricots into the batter and add to the hot oil 3 or 4 at a time, frying them about 6 or 7 minutes, until the batter is a deep golden and the apricots are cooked, but still firm
6: Drain the fritters on absorbent paper as they are fried and keep them warm in a 300F oven
7: To serve, sprinkle the fritters generously with confectioners' sugar
8: From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www
9: synapse
10: com/~gemini