The One in Which I Reveal the Funnel Cake Recipe
I spent the entire week looking forward to heading downtown for the Arts Festival on Saturday. I don't really know why, especially considering the words "Arts Festival" roughly translate to "Weeks it is guaranteed to storm daily" in Pittsburghese. I suppose I figured we wouldn't be able to do yard work in the rain, but we could slap on some ponchos and walk around looking at the amazing food. Er, art. Yeah, ART. I mean, I would never go to the Arts Festival just so I could grab a funnel cake. Or two.
OK, so I would. Totally.
We happened to start out at the end very far from the food, which worked out well because we did get to see some actual art. The thing about the Arts Festival that slays me every single year is that when I do find something I think I might like to buy, it always costs eleventy umpteen bazillion dollars. ALWAYS. That painting that would look good in the dining room? Was $12,000. I'm not even kidding.
Needless to say, there's still a big blank wall in the dining room.
As we meandered through the various booths of stuff I will probably never be rich enough to buy, Alexis was focused squarely on the sweet voice of a female singer perched on a small stage over on one side. Her continued insistence that we sit down and listen made me think of the Washington Post story about Joshua Bell playing in the subway (if you've never read the story, GO. Really.). So, it was great pride that I sat with Alexis on the ground to watch the singer. In all honesty, Alexis watched the singer. I watched Alexis. There isn't much better than watching your kid stare with fascination as she discovers a new genre of music.
When the performance was done, we made our way towards the food.
FUNNEL CAKE!
I pink puffy heart funnel cake, in case you hadn't noticed. It's not so much that it's the greatest food ever invented (although, it is), it's more that funnel cake denotes a special occasion. Since you can't just go to the mall food court and get it, it's a rare treat that is accompanied by carnivals or amusement parks or festivals of whatever sort. If there is funnel cake to be had, there is fun to be had. You just plain suck if you are all frowny-faced when there's a funnel cake in front of you.
Alexis, for her part, is much more of a french fry sort of girl than a funnel cake sort of girl (she's an alien, I tell you), so we started out appeasing her. And then I eyed the funnel cakes. And then I eyed them some more. And then I thought about how easy it had been to make 20 of them just the previous weekend when we had a few great friends over at our house.
People, I walked away from the Arts Festival funnel cake. I decided I would rather make 50 of them for all my favorite people than spend the crazy-high price they wanted at the booth.
What the hell is wrong with me? ACK!
Just because I know someone will ask, here is my Top Secret Funnel Cake Recipe:
- 1 1/3 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 cups vegetable oil
- Powdered sugar or other toppings
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet at medium-high heat.
In a small bowl, beat the eggs and milk. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Slowly add the liquids to the flour mixture while mixing with a hand mixer. The batter should be about the consistency of pancake batter when it's done.
If you don't have a funnel, transfer the batter to a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and snip off one corner of the bag. Whether using a funnel or a Ziploc bag, carefully pour the batter into the hot oil in a squiggly roundish pattern. Allow to cook until lightly browned on the bottom, and then use tongs to carefully flip the funnel cake and cook the other side until lightly browned.
Pull that sucker out of the oil and place it on a few paper towels to drain some of the oil. Top with powdered sugar. Or, if you're fancy, slap some strawberries, apples, blueberries, whip cream, ice cream, or whatever on top.
Oh, and if you were in Pittsburgh on Saturday and noticed that it kept raining for five minutes, stopping, raining for five minutes, and then stopping over and over and over again, blame the kid in the yellow poncho. She kept chasing the rain away.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Reader Comments (19)
My DH fertilized the lawn on Friday night because it was supposed to rain. And it didn't. I promise not to tell him it was Alexis's fault. I like your kid. But we had to spend all day yesterday watering our 1.25 acre yard.
And now I'm off to make funnel cakes. Yay!
so sweet that you watch alexis...i wish more parents appreciated the wonder that is their children.
i was at the arts festival four different times and didn't buy one funnel cake. hurt my heart, but the size of my ass really was screaming at me to get out of the crazy long funnel cake line. sigh.
Of course I have this recipe now that I'm avoiding carbs. This may have to be a part of Alex's birthday this year. Funnel cakes totally go with a Toy Story theme, right?
mmmmmmm... funnel cake......
We went to the Arts Fest last weekend solely to see Mr. Steve (Steve Songs?) from PBS (I don't know, my husband watches the morning TV with the girls) and I think Kate actually liked Jill West and the Blues Explosion better. She kept dragging me closer and closer to the stage, and shaking her little bootie to the beat. She had everyone grinning, even the kid whose chair she tried to steal.
yum! but seriously, it's not safe to make funnel cakes around here... no way. best to leave those to the carnivals
Has she watched Singing in the Rain? Because she totally looks like she's about to burst into song. :)
You're little cutie and her amazing magical powers.
And I'm with Janet: mmmmmm...funnel cake...
I totally have to thank you for linking to that Joshua Bell thing the first time. He might not appreciate it so much, since it gained him a stalker (me!). I'd never heard of him until your post. But seriously, I don't know how ANYONE could hear him playing ANYWHERE and not stop to listen.
I paid $120 for two tickets to see him at Heinz Hall when he was here with Jeremy Denk in March. Absolutely breath-taking. It was so moving, I spent the whole performance trying not to cry.
You are like me -- we have champagne taste on a beer budget.
Also? You are evil! I don't need the recipe for funnel cake! Do I want it? YES! Do I need it? NO! My thighs do not thank you.
@Beth--I DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS HERE. Dammit! I might have to cry because I really really really really want to see him in person.
Mmmm I love funnel cakes! One of the reasons I took my kids to carnivals every summer. I too found a good recipe. Them cakes just kept getting smaller and more expensive. And I have spotted a few places using frozen pre-made cakes they toss in the fryer.
I was at the Arts Festival Saturday too. We spent the majority of our time in the Creative Reuse tent. I did hear and see rain but luckily didn't get wet :)
Well, that explains it!
12,000?! There wasn't any prints? I mean that had to be the original, right?
{slurp}
I think of you every single time I see Funnel Cakes
(love that pic of her)
@Jen--Yeah, that was the original. The only prints were tiny postcard-sized ones, which -meh-. It's a big wall that needs a big print.
Thankyou for introducing me to the joys of funnel cake, my kids say thanks too! We had never heard of funnel cakes here in South Africa but I think I will be making these fairly often from now on!
HA! Hahahahaha! HA! HA! Funnel cake! Hot oil! HA! I won't be trying this one...
What does funnel cake look like? In South Africa we only have doughnuts. Please post a picture! It sounds yummy and want to try it out this weekend for treats for our guest coming to braai. Just not sure what the end product is suppose to look like.
google funnel cake and you'll see...