While shopping at Williams-Sonoma one afternoon, we came across something miraculous: Funnel Cake mix. I took one look and was sold, especially because it happened to be on sale at the time (which doesn’t seem to happen often there). We bought two boxes and I was really looking forward to making it.
ok, FINE Williams-Sonoma. I guess we'll try it.
Funnel cake was (well, still is) one of those guilty pleasures that I only indulge in at the occasional street fair or carnival. Deep fried dough made light and fluffy on the inside, sprinkled with powdered sugar on top. Where is the down side to that? I can’t think of one. Don’t say the deep fried part is bad. I might not be good for you, but it is not bad.
Every summer I remember going to a July 4th Festival with my grandparents in New Jersey which meant every summer we were guaranteed at least one funnel cake. I truly have great memories of sitting on the beach, eating funnel cake with my sisters, and waiting for the fireworks to start.
So funnel cake is more than delicious to me. It’s part of my childhood. It makes me nostalgic. Probably another reason I was so excited for the Funnel Cake Mix. One night we decided to make it, and I was so happy.
We mixed up the batter like it said in the directions. Heated up the oil on the stove. Put the batter in a container with the perfect spout. And then this happened.
OK, so it didn’t work as planned. It seemed like as the batter hit the oil, it just became that blob. Dane suggested putting the batter into a Ziploc bag and cutting off the edge to have more control over how the batter goes into the oil. Sounded good to me, so we tried it.
Fail. This was an all around Funnel Cake fail. After messing up two we decided to take another approach, and instead used the batter to make mini fried doughs. Now those were good, and the smaller size let them cook all the way through and become light and crispy. Dane put the powdered sugar on top, and they were a great little dessert for us.
fry em up
very small pillows of fried happiness
Anyone have any tips on making funnel cake? I want to try it again at some point, but I feel like I need to talk to an expert first!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I hate it when something you look forward to doesn’t work out. perhaps start by making fried donuts from scratch and then move on up to funnel cakes?
I’m thinking funnel cakes have been relegated to the “those are bad for me so I’ll only have them once a year at a street fair” category of my eating
I have a tip!!! Use a pastry bag! And make the cakes pretty big in the pan (one at a time)
We tried that! Well it wasn’t a pastry bag, but a ziploc bag. I think I just need to forget trying to make it at home at instead look forward to it as a guilty pleasure at street fairs.