I'm going to make funnel cakes (just one item of many) this year for our big 4th of July event. I hate to admit it but I don't think I've ever even tasted one and don't really know much about them (other than the obvious basics). I have a recipe from my Mom (a chef) but I'm wondering if anyone else might have a recipe also so I could compare (old habit) it to another (or a resourse where they've seen a recipe for them).

Anyone make these or love them where they could tell me what makes one better than another? I'd be interested in any tips or thoughts you would share?????.

Just pour batter in spiral fashion in frier, xxxsugar, right... Some people call them elephant ears, right? Why? Or is that something different?

By cowboy on Wednesday, June 27, 2001 - 12:48 pm: Edit

Funnel Cakes!!! A staple of the State Fair of Texas. Poured into fat with a funnel like spaghetti. Powdered sugar, placed in French Fry cardbord, topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.
A larger funnel is best, use a donut stick as a stopper and a gallon measurer as a holder. Lay the cooked ones out on brown paper to eliminate the fat.
We start with the corny dogs, fried jalapenos,
smoked turkey leg, roasted corn, and finish with funnel cake.
whoopy ky oh!!!!

By tom on Wednesday, June 27, 2001 - 02:47 pm: Edit

Funnel cakes are extremely popular around here and sold at all the fairs, home shows, boat shows, street fairs etc. Some use a metal ring in the hot oil to help keep the shape, which is something less than the circumferance of those cheap white paper plates, of which at least 2 are used to serve the FC upon. It is not a spiral shape, but the dough is done spaghetti-fashioned (as mentioned previously), looping and curling everywhere, then topped with a dense coating of the powerdered sugar. They line up for 'em, the cost is about $3.50 each, but i've never seen them topped with anything but the XXXsugar. I don't eat them, my wife loves them, they give her the runs, so she takes it home to eat it.

By debord on Thursday, July 05, 2001 - 12:21 am: Edit

Well I made them tonight...they weren't the prettiest, but they still tasted good (so everyone said). I didn't realize you need rings to form the batter (da, that should have been an obvious thought but I missed it). I made rings out of foil and that worked sometimes and not others. It was quite weird...sometimes the shape held and sometimes it didn't...I wondered if the heat might have been to high and that forces the batter to break-up more as it hits the oil or would it be because the dough needed more gluten (but it's supposed to be thin)?

I have some questions though about frying......I had a problem with the batter sticking to the grill on the bottom of the frier. Well I pulled it up and wraped it in foil. That worked a few times then it started to stick to the foil. What or why do some items stick so badly when others that seem similar don't? And do any of you have a solution when something constantly sticks in the fryer?

Is it the moisture content of the item? But that's more splattering......

By momoreg on Thursday, July 05, 2001 - 03:38 pm: Edit

Wetter batters do stick more than drier ones.

I'm not sure what you mena about "rings"; all you need is a funnel, and a stopper. You keep the batter flowing out into the oil, while swirling around in a circular motion. After you have a portion, apply the stopper into the tip of the funnel.

The funnel cakes should float to the surface of the oil within a few seconds, and then just flip 'em over for a minute.

It should be thicker than a pancake batter. Maybe it was jsut too thin.

By debord on Friday, July 06, 2001 - 07:50 am: Edit

The batter I made wasen't as thick as a pancake batter but much thicker than a crepe. Having never made this before I don't know what the "right" consistance is, was, should be?>,.

I had an office girl helping me, she has helped me before...anyway she used to work at Great America (the theme park) as a kitchen superviser. She first mentioned they use metal rings in their frier to hold the cakes into the right sized shape. Then after the batter is poured they lift off the rings (they don't even flip the batter over to cook the top, but they also use a mix etc..)

Well if you try this you'll quickly realize you do need something to contain the batter because as you pour it, it goes deeper than the surface and as it rises it is forced outward from the grease and many pieces don't hold together until you circle back over the top to bind, but by then they've floated outward too much and you couldn't go crosswise to bind. I made some rings out of foil they worked alittle, but then the sticking to the bottom grill became an issue and yuk.....
That's when I tried wrapping the grill in foil, to no avail.


If I ever get time I'd like to make the batter again and see what happens if I go lighter on the liquids and make it a denser batter.

Cchu. posted a recipe source, but that lead me no where. This is why I was looking for another reference before I made them....when you can compare recipe sometimes issues become clear before you start.

By cowboy on Friday, July 06, 2001 - 08:13 am: Edit

Oh Darlin, you should of asked. The batter should not sink. You pour the cakes in a criss cross pattern,wait just a second till it forms and then pour the rest of the batter like I-talian spaghetti. Turn once.
Tell me Sugar, why didn't you test these little buggers ahead of time? Whew doggie, its hard for me to use this hi tex wire machine.
Ya'll take care!

By debord on Friday, July 06, 2001 - 11:07 pm: Edit

Hey cowboy some of us have to ride a crazy unpredictable bull daily (and I'm not talkin about a four legged creature). If I had the time to test out every recipe I needed to pull off I wouldn't be a pastry chef I'd be a recipe tester.

Feel like posting a recipe for a little lady?