Archives for August 2016

Fair season is just about to wrap up! But, this week you can still visit the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, NY from August 22-August 28th and get your fair fix! One of my favorite (but not my hips’ favorite) part of the fair is the food.  The smell of sweet roasting nuts, the salty aroma of freshly popped popcorn and, the funnel cake….oh the funnel cake.  That hot, sweet, doughy, finger licking, sugar coma inducing goodness. Sorry, did I drool a little? My apologies. So, how would you like to bring that tasty treat into your own kitchen? Well, you can and it’s pretty easy. With a little bit of frying oil and pancake batter, you can bring the taste of the fair into your own home.  Check out my recipe below and see you at the fair!

Ingredients

Vegetable oil for frying
1/3 cup Buttermilk Pancake Mix
1/4-1/3 cup water
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar for topping

Materials

8-inch Skillet
Candy Thermometer
Pastry bag (a sandwich bag with a corner cut of will work) or squeeze bottle (i.e. an empty ketchup or mustard bottle)

 

Instructions

Add enough oil to a skillet so it comes about halfway up the side of an 8-inch skillet, and heat it on medium heat until it reaches 360°F. Spoon pancake mix into a 1-cup measuring cup and level it off. Be careful not to pack the mix as you level it.

Whisk together the water, egg and vanilla. Slowly add in pancake mix whisking as you go. Pour batter into a bag/squeeze bottle. You should test the oil to make sure it is hot enough.  Be careful when working with oil as it will sizzle when it comes in contact with moisture. Oil burns are very painful so be mindful while working with it.  Test the heat by dropping a small dot of batter in the pan. It should fry golden brown and sizzle quickly without burning. When oil is ready, quickly squeeze the batter into the pan. You can make a circular motion or, get crazy with some zigging and zagging

Cook about until golden brown on the bottom (30 seconds-1 minute). Flip and cook the other side until golden brown (about 30 seconds). Remove from the oil and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm.

 

We are in the midst of berry season. All of those vibrant, sweet fruits are calling to us from roadside stands, farmer’s markets, and grocery stores. While my children may attempt to devour the berries as soon as they are purchased, I try to hold a few back to use in easy summer recipes.

The refrigerator shelf life for berries is pretty short, especially with strawberries or raspberries. It often seems that you bring them home from the store and find them spoiling within a few short hours. Once you bring your fresh berries home, the key to keeping them fresh is to kill any spores on the fruit. Here is a quick tip to keep your berries fresher, longer:

1-Place the berries in a large bowl and wash them in a vinegar-water bath: 1 cup of white vinegar and 8 cups of water.
2-Let the berries sit in the bath for 2 or 3 minutes, gently moving them to help dislodge any dirt, grime and letting the vinegar kill spores and bacteria.

3-Drain the berries in a colander and rinse the fruit to remove any vinegar flavor.
4- Allow to dry on a towel, gently patting them with paper or cloth towels.
5 -Store the washed and dried fruit in a container that has been lined with paper towels. I prefer to wash the original container they came in and then re-use it.