What I Made Wednesday {Carnival-Styled Funnel Cakes}

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What's a summer without a carnival passing through town? Our annual Home Days celebration set-up shop, again, for 4 days and, although I'm really not that into it, there is something about the whole atmosphere that draws even the most upstanding of citizens in. For me, it's mainly the death-food like french fries soaked in Malt Vinegar (sprayed on by a spray bottle, watered down, of course), over-priced sugar water shaken with a lemon rind disguised as fresh lemonade, and, our family favorite, the funnel cakes! Ahh, that doughy goodness of fluff and grease, all mingled together with a heavy dusting of snowy powdered sugar covering every hill and valley of this divine pastry.

Lately, we've only been going for the funnel cakes. We have a family plan in procuring such golden riches of mountainous strands of clumped dough. We get in the car and Super Hubby drops off my son and I near the carnival vicinity. Stealthily we duck and dodge the crowd of carny-goers seeking out the cleanest looking funnel cake shop while Super Hubby circles the car around like a mechanical vulture awaiting his greasy "kill". Sounds like a great plan, right?

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What we weren't counting on was the long line we discovered at the funnel cake shop - about 45 people deep, no kidding! Uumm, may I remind you Super Hubby doesn't like going out to dinner on weekends because we have to wait for a table so funnel cake wasn't going to be wait-worthy, either. But, my son and I had faith so we got in line and stood there with the masses, waiting and salivating for our cholesterol-filled treat. Then, my cell phone rang and I knew it was a call to abort mission.

Me: "Ahh, hello?"
Super Hubby: "What is taking so long?"
Me: "Well, the line for funnel cakes is really long?"
Super Hubby: "How long?"
Me: "Long. Like, really long. Probably longer than your acceptance of long."
Super Hubby: "I can't keep circling around."
Me: "Why, are you pushing the car?"
Super Hubby: "Very funny. No, I just don't think it's worth the wait for a $4 funnel cake."
Me: "$5."
Super Hubby: "I'll be waiting for you guys by the road closest to the Ferris wheel."
End call.

I got in the car, shoulders a bit slumped. I'm pretty sure I heard our son's stomach grumbling in protest. Then, I did it again. I challenged that I, too, could mix some flour and eggs together, funnel it into my own grease pit, and call it a funnel cake! And, for sure, less than $5 per cake. See, I do this and I find success (remember the restaurant-styled chicken fingers and honey mustard sauce or the Dutch baby pancake story) so, not only may I never see the inside of a restaurant ever again, but carnivals may very well be crossed off, as well. I need to fake more failure:-) Hope you enjoyed my very true story and here's the recipe! I apologize for the pictures. It's what you get when it's impromptu.

What You'll Need
48 FL OZ bottle of Canola oil
Heavy-bottomed, deep-sided pot or dutch oven
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
2 Tablespoons sugar
1-1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Funnel or ZIPLOC bag, trimmed at the corner

What You'll Do

Whisk together wet ingredients.

Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

 

Marry the wet and dry ingredients, mix until it combines into a holy matrimony.

Pour all the oil into your pot. Set your stove temp to "7". For those of you not lucky enough to have an antiqued stove like mine (circa. late 1980's) I think that would be about medium-high heat. Oil temperature should reach about 375 degrees but who's going to find the candy thermometer now?

Be prepared! Have a plate with paper towel on it, ready to absorb the oil from the funnel cake. Use tongs to flip the funnel cake. Be sure your oil is ready by testing for some sizzle when you put a pinch of flour into it. Then you know it's ready.

1. Dip your funnel into oil to coat the inside. 2. Spoon in the mixture but hold your finger under the funnel opening. 3. Release the dough into the oil (be careful). Press the dough through the funnel and make web-like passes around the oil. 4. Try to overlap so the dough has strands but is still one piece. 5. After frying each side for a couple of minutes, transfer to plate with paper towel to soak up excess oil.

 What You Need to Know to Finish
When the funnel cake has cooled a bit, go ahead and sprinkle powdered sugar over your edible creation. Others have been known to drizzle chocolate sauce, as well. Your choice, I'm not judging. Enjoy!


So, what's your favorite carnival food?