State Fair Funnel Cakes

Peel, halve, and core apples; dice into ½-inch pieces. Quarter lemon.

Melt 1 TBSP butter in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add apples, cinnamon, and 2 TBSP sugar; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add ⅓ cup water and a pinch of salt; stir to combine, then cover. Cook, covered, until apples are tender, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. TIP: Watch carefully to avoid burning; reduce heat to medium if liquid is reducing too quickly. Uncover apples and cook until liquid has thickened slightly and is syrupy, 2-4 minutes more. Turn off heat. Set aside until ready to serve.

While apples cook, in a medium bowl, whisk together juice from 2 lemon wedges and half the powdered sugar until powdered sugar is dissolved (reserve reamining powdered sugar for serving). TIP: If glaze is too thick, add additional squeezes of lemon juice until glaze reaches a drizzling consistency. 

In a large, heavy bottomed pot, heat 2-inches of oil to 375°F over medium-high heat. TIP: This amount of oil may take 5-6 minutes to heat up. If you don't have a deep-fry thermometer, you can test the oil by placing the end of a wooden spoon in the pot; if small bubbles quickly form around the spoon, the oil is ready for frying. Reduce heat to medium. Slowly drizzle ¼ cup funnel cake batter in a thin line into pot, swirling around the pot and overlapping as desired. Cook for 2 minutes or until bottom is light golden brown. Carefully flip using tongs. Cook an additional 2 minutes or until golden brown. TIP: It's ok if some of the funnel cake breaks off into smaller pieces—they will still taste delicious! Carefully remove funnel cake from pot and transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining batter until you have four funnel cakes.