Hanukkah Fritter Sundaes

Pour chilled heavy whipping cream into a mixing bowl along with 3 tbsp sugar. Use your hand mixer or stand mixer to whip the cream for 3-5 minutes on high speed just until the cream reaches stiff peaks. Reserve in refrigerator until ready to serve. You can make the whipped cream up to 2 days ahead and store covered in the refrigerator to speed the prep process for this recipe.

In a mixing bowl, use a fork to mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the egg, ½ tsp of vanilla, and ¾ cup half & half together until well combined. Add the egg and milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a fork until a thick batter forms.

Warm oil (use the whole 32 ounce bottle) over medium heat until hot enough for frying (around 365 degrees F). Use a metal soup spoon to scoop up each portion of batter. Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls into the hot oil. The oil should sizzle but not splatter-- if the oil pops or splatters, let it cool slightly before proceeding. Test one fritter first to see if you've got the oil temperature right. You want the oil temperature at the low end of the frying spectrum-- they take a while to cook through.

Make 4-5 fritters at a time. Keep a metal slotted spoon handy to turn the fritters as they become golden. Fry the fritters until golden brown on both sides. If the oil is at the right temperature, it should take about 3 minutes for the fritters to brown completely and cook all the way through. Drain fried fritters on a wire rack. You should get around 12-14 fritters.

Melt semisweet chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat.

Whisk in 3 tbsp sugar and butter, stirring constantly, until the butter is completely melted and mixed into the chocolate.

Whisk in ¼ cup half & half, a tablespoonful at a time, stirring to combine after each addition. Whisk the sauce over medium heat until the half and half is fully incorporated. Add more half & half as needed to reach a rich, pourable consistency like hot fudge. Whisk in 1/2 tsp vanilla.

Place a large dollop (a heaping 1/4 cup) of whipped cream into the bottom of your dessert dishes.

For each sundae, place 2 warm fritters on top of the whipped cream.

Sprinkle the fritters with a little powdered sugar using a fine mesh strainer for even distribution.

Drizzle on about 1 tbsp of chocolate sauce, or more to taste.

Serve immediately.