By Vida Gustafson
Contributing Writer
Somehow making this nostalgic treat at home never occurred to me before. This recipe is quick, easy and a guaranteed crowd pleaser. You don’t even need any special frying equipment. I went for a classic strawberry sauce and whipped cream as toppings, but the sky is the limit with these. Think ice cream, chocolate syrup and sprinkles or fresh berries and maple syrup. You can even make them fully grown up with some grilled figs, fresh goat cheese and honey. At my house, they disappear after I dust them with powdered sugar before I even get a chance to dress them up. Whatever your toppings of choice, it’ll feel like “summer fair” time.
Ingredients
For the batter:
2 1/2 C Self Raising Flour*
2 tbsp Powdered sugar (+ more for dusting)
1 C + 1 tbsp milk
2 eggs
1-1 1/2 cup vegetable oil, for frying
* Self raising flour consists of 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt to every cup of regular flour.
For the strawberry sauce:
1 C strawberries (halved)
2 tbsp Sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1/3 C water (+ 1 tbsp for cornstarch slurry)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Method
In a large mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs with the milk and slowly incorporate this into the dry ingredients. Do not overmix, a few clumps here and there are fine. Transfer batter to a jug with a pouring spout, or alternately you can use a piping bag to for the funnel cake shape. Be advised though, the batter is very runny.
Preheat half an inch to an inch of vegetable oil in a medium-sized, heavy-bottom skillet like a cast iron pan or an enameled Dutch oven. I like using peanut oil or sunflower oil here, just avoid olive oil or coconut oil for this recipe. Heat the oil over medium to high heat for 4-5 minutes, you will know that it’s ready for frying when the back of a wooden spoon inserted in the oil releases small bubbles.
Turn the oil down to medium and start pouring your cakes. I like to pour batter around what will form the outer edge first and then fill in the inside with a lattice-like criss-cross. The slower you pour, the thicker the funnel cake will be, if you move too fast the batter will fry in separate blobs. The first one is usually a flop, that’s why we call it a tester. It take a time or two for you, the oil and the batter figure to each other out. Fry on the first side until you see the batter turning light brown, usually 3-5 minutes. Flip carefully, away from yourself and fry a further 2 minutes. After removing from the oil, dust with powdered sugar.
For the strawberry sauce: In a small saucepan, bring the water, strawberries and sugar to a low boil and let it cook for just a minute. Mix the cornstarch in a separate cup with the tablespoon of water and vanilla and add to the strawberry mixtures, stir and cook another 30 second to a minute until the sauce turns glossy and clear.
