In a large bowl, whisk together the sifted flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamon, and sugar until thoroughly combined. Then, create a well in the center of the flour mixture.

Next, in a medium bowl whisk the egg, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and milk together. Once combined, pour the liquid mixture into the well you created and stir the batter with a wooden spoon or silicone spoon. When almost fully combined, add the apples to the batter and fold them in. Note, the batter will be sticky.

In a deep heavy skillet, heat about 1.5 inch of oil (I use about 3-4 cups of oil) to 375F (use a candy thermometer to ensure the temperature has been reached). Drop about 1/3 cup of the batter into the hot oil. Be sure not to overcrowd the pan. Allow the apple fritters to fry for a few minutes per side until they are a deep golden brown (about 2-3 minutes per side — usually the second side takes less time to fry). Once done, use a spider ladle or metal slotted spoon to remove them. Note, the oil should stay around 360F-375F when frying the fritters.

Place them on a plate lined with paper towels for about a minute. Next, place the fritters on a wire rack to cool. This will help keep them crispy. I like to put the wire racks on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

Once you have fried all of the fritters, make the icing. In a medium bowl whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste, and milk.

Next comes the fun part — dip the top half of each of the apple fritters in the icing. Ensure you get them coated well. Place the fritters back on the wire racks for at least 2-4 minutes so the icing can set. Then, serve them! Enjoy!