Recreate a favorite amusement park treat at home with these delicious Mini Funnel Cakes. You won’t believe how easy they are!
So it appears that there’s been an abundance of fried foods on this blog lately. My apologies to the dieters reading this, but you’ll have to hang in there for another day or two. It’s still Hanukkah and I’m still here with delicious fried treats for you. Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon with diet stuff. (Groan.)
This recipe came about because as a kid who kept kosher, I would stare at the folks walking around the fairs and amusement parks with funnel cakes with a level of envy that I don’t really know how to describe. Sure, there were lots of foods that were off limits to me, as a kosher kid, but the funnel cakes always talked to me most of all. I mean, how could you not wish for deep fried dough smothered in confectioner’s sugar.
It wasn’t until I was all grown up and writing recipes for a kosher magazine that I realized how many folks might covet the same delicious dessert I did. So I made my own version! And it wasn’t until it was a huge hit in the magazine that I realized how perfect this recipe was for folks who find donuts intimidating!
And now I am sharing them with you. Because chanukah is still happening for another couple of days, and frying things is practically a requirement.
Funnel Cakes:
By Miriam Pascal, OvertimeCook.Com
Originally published in my column in Ami Magazine
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups soy milk
Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting
Instructions:
Heat about 2 inches of canola oil in a large frying pan.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the egg, vanilla and milk and whisk until smooth. The consistency will be that of a batter.
Pour the batter into a large plastic bag (use a piping bag if you have one, otherwise use a ziplock bag) and cut a small hole at the end.
Before frying, check that the oil is hot enough by squeezing a small amount of batter into the oil. When hot enough, the cake should immediately rise to the top.
Squeeze the batter into the hot oil, squeezing back and forth, making a freeform web-like pattern like the one in the picture. (You can vary the size of the funnel cake by adjusting the outer ring size, then fill it in by squeezing inside of it.)
Wait a couple of seconds after the cake floats to the top, then flip it over. They should be a light golden color. Cook on the other side for about half a minute until lightly golden, then remove from the pan and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain. The funnel cakes cook very quickly, so don’t let them over-cook!
Dust with confectioner’s sugar and serve immediately, with dipping sauce, if desired.
Strawberry Citrus Dipping Sauce
By Miriam Pascal, OvertimeCook.Com
The funnel cakes are absolutely delicious plain, but for an extra layer of flavor (and impressiveness!) serve them with this delicious dipping sauce. If you will be using the sauce immediately, add the corn starch. If you are making it ahead, leave it out or the sauce will gel too much.
Ingredients:
1 bag frozen strawberries, finely chopped
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Finely grated zest of half an orange, optional
1/2 teaspoon corn starch, optional
Instructions:
Mix all ingredients in a saucepan. Stir well to evenly distribute everything. Simmer on a
low to medium flame for about 20 minutes, until the liquid that come out of the berries
has been partially reabsorbed and the sauce gets thicker. If you prefer a smooth sauce,
blend it in the blender or food processor.
Serve with the funnel cakes.
Enjoy!
Looking for more fried treats for Chanukah? I’ve got you covered right here with over 50 options!
Happy chanukah to y’all, and thank you for stopping by! -Miriam PS: did you enter my cookbook giveaway?
I’ve never had a funnel cake, the ones I’ve seen have always been so huge! I love the size of these ones here, they do look delicious.
I want to make these tonite if I use regular milk should I make any changes?
this looks amazing!! can’t wait to try it.
This looks AMAZING! I am more than a little obsessed with funnel cakes, definitely pinning this for later, thank you for sharing!!!
I think there is a reason my mom told me that it was not possible to make funnel cakes outside a funnel cake stand, this might make me fat.
Funnel cake is that one thing that I always needed when I went to the boardwalk. I could walk past the ice cream, pizza, and sweet shops, but not the funnel cakes. I would always ask my mother for a funnel cake and she would always say, as long as you share because you don’t need to be bouncing off the walls by yourself.
When I get home from work today I am skipping dinner and going straight to dessert (then probably the gym). I am finally going to be able to make a funnel cake and not be at the boardwalk. Oh I love the privileges of adult hood!
Hi, directions call for salt, but I believe it was left out if ingredient list.
I’ve made these before and I would transfer the batter to a squeeze bottle (as in a ketchup bottle) and it pour neatly and simply
After I saw this post, I got curious and my husband and I watched a few videos. I made them today via YouTube, though now I see it’s the same recipe as this one — we LOVED them. Do you prefer the piping bag to a funnel? The funnel worked perfectly for me (and it’s nice having a “real” use for it).
These look so good. I pinned it for when I have a chance to try it out. Thanks.
I made these again this year and this time added a few shakes of cinnamon. It added the perfect flavor!