Maple Banana Fritters

1 cup dark amber maple syrup
vegetable oil for frying
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 ripe bananas, peeled
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 250F. In a saucepan bring maple syrup to a gentle boil, reduce heat and let simmer and cook for 10 minutes until thick and will coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and let cool enough to pour into a serving container. In a deep frying pan, add 2 to 2 1/2-inches of oil and heat to 350 to 375F or until a drop of batter immediately rises to the surface.

While oil is heating, sift together in bowl the flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat eggs in a separate bowl and add to dry ingredients. Add milk and vanilla to batter and mix until all ingredients are incorporated and it has a pancake batter-like consistency. Add additional milk a little at a time if needed. Let batter rest for 10 minutes to let the baking powder to become active and bubble.

Next, cut bananas into 1-inch size pieces on an angle and toss in a bowl with lemon juice. Using two forks, coat banana pieces with the batter and drop one at a time into the hot oil. Let cook until both sides are golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes for each side. Turn bananas with forks as they brown.

Remove and drain on paper towels, then place in oven on a lined baking pan to keep warm. Repeat steps if doing a larger batch. Pour syrup over bananas and serve as a dessert or side dish.

Serves 8.