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Carrot puffs are fritters made with carrots or parsnips. Carrot puffs are more like hush puppies, although they’re leavened with eggs instead of yeast or baking powder. They can seem dense if the oil isn’t hot. A deep fat fryer works well with this recipe.

18th Century

Scrape and boil your carrots and parsnips tender; then scrape or mash them very fine, add to it a pint of pulp, the crumb of a penny loaf grated, or some stale bisket, if you have it, some eggs, but four whites, a nutmeg grated, some orange-flower water, sugar to your taste, a little sack and mix it up with thick cream; they must be fried in rendered suet, the liquor very hot when you put them in: put in a good spoonful in a place.

– Smith, Eliza. “The Compleat Housewife”

21st Century

• 8-10 medium carrots
• 1 cup of bread crumbs
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 ½ tsp. nutmeg, ground or fresh
• 1 tsp. orange flower water (optional)
• 2 Tbsp. sherry (sack)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Vegetable oil for pan frying

1. Make the carrot pulp. Scrape the carrots and boil them for 20 minutes or until tender. Mash the carrots into about 2 cups of pulp.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the carrots, bread crumbs, beaten eggs, nutmeg, orange flower water, sherry and cream.
3. In a large frying pan, add the oil. It should come about halfway up the sides. The oil should be hot, around 365°.
4. Drop a heaping tablespoon of the batter into the hot oil. Fry until each side has become golden in color. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

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