Classic Funnel Cake David Venable Recipe 445

Steps:

• Preheat a deep fryer, electric skillet, or deep-sided open skillet to 365°F. Sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt; set aside. Then, in a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, water, butter, and vanilla extract. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and lump-free. The consistency should be thin. Place a finger over the bottom opening of a funnel, and fill the funnel with 1/2 to 2/3 cup of batter. Hold the funnel close to the surface of the oil, making sure not to touch the surface. Then, remove your finger and pour the batter into the oil making continuous circles of different sizes. Fry until light golden brown on one side and then, using tongs, turn the cake over and fry for 45 more seconds. Pull the cake out of the fryer and place it on a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with sifted confectioners' sugar and/or drizzle with strawberry or chocolate sauce, if desired. You can also add fresh fruit right before serving, if desired.

Steps:

• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk the egg with the granulated sugar until pale. Whisk the milk into the egg mixture, then gently fold into the flour mixture. It should be a bit thicker than pancake batter but thin enough to pour. Add up to 3 tablespoons milk to loosen the batter, if needed.
• Heat about 2 inches of canola oil in a large high-sided skillet or pot over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375. Meanwhile, mix the confectioners' sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Hold a funnel in one hand with your finger plugging the hole at the bottom. Pour 1 cup batter into the funnel. Hold the funnel over the hot oil and remove your finger from the hole, letting the batter drop in a spiral pattern all over the surface of the oil. It will look like lots of individual pieces at first, but as you continue to add batter, the pieces will fuse together. Cook until the batter floats and the underside is golden brown, about 30 seconds. Flip with tongs and cook until golden brown on the other side, about 30 more seconds. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and repeat to make 5 more funnel cakes. Dust with the cinnamon-sugar and serve with whipped cream and/or fruit sauce, if desired.

Steps:

• Heat 1-inch of vegetable oil on medium-high in a deep pan. While vegetable oil is heating, mix eggs, sugar, vanilla and milk until well blended. Slowly add the flour, salt and baking powder, stirring well. Test the temperature by dropping a pinch of flour into the hot oil. If it sizzles right away without smoking, it's perfect. Using a funnel or even a ladle, drop mixture into hot oil working from center outwards in a web pattern. (You can use a gallon sized freezer bag instead of a funnel by pouring the batter into the bag, snipping off a small corner of it, and squeezing the batter into the oil.) Using a pair of kitchen tongs, quickly turn the funnel cake over as soon as one side is golden brown. After the other side has cooked, remove it from the oil and place it on top of a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.