Funnel Cake

Makes: About 8 servings

Time: 20 minutes

This state fair favorite gets its name and its distinctive swirled shape because it’s poured into the oil through a funnel (although the job can be done with a pastry bag, zipper bag, or squeeze bottle). It’s fun to eat and could hardly be simpler to make.

• Neutral oil (like canola or vegetable) for frying
• 2 eggs
• 2¼ cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups flour
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

1. Place a candy thermometer in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, add 2 inches of oil, and heat it to 375°F over medium heat while you make the batter. Line a plate or rack with paper towels.

2. In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs, then add the milk and vanilla. Whisk in the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt until combined.

3. To pour the batter into the oil, you can use a pastry bag with a round tip, a zipper bag with the corner cut off, a squeeze bottle with a wide opening, or a large funnel. For each cake, squeeze out the batter in overlapping circles (or whatever crazy shape you like). Fry until golden, 45 seconds to 1 minute; flip and cook for another minute or so. Transfer to the prepared plate, dust with confectioners’ sugar, and serve immediately.

JALEBI These extra-crisp Indian cakes are sensational on their own or soaked in saffron syrup: Omit the eggs and use 4 cups buttermilk in place of the milk; add 2 tablespoons melted butter or ghee (Indian clarified butter). Replace the vanilla with ½ teaspoon cardamom and omit the baking powder. To make the syrup, bring ½ cup water and ½ cup sugar to a boil. Stir in ⅛ teaspoon saffron threads and turn off the heat. Cook the cakes until they are deep golden and very crisp. Dip the cooked cakes in the syrup or just drizzle some over the top; serve immediately.

Fats for Frying

For deep-frying, there are two main factors: smoke point and cost. You don’t want the oil to burn before it reaches frying temperature (about 350°F), and since you need several inches of it in the pot, you can’t use liquid gold. Peanut, vegetable, and corn oils are all great standbys; it’s worth keeping a big bottle of one in your pantry. Even olive oil is good, and since it smokes at 375°F, it’s perfectly appropriate for frying.

If you can get your hands on it, lard satisfies these criteria and crisps food up beautifully; clarified butter, or ghee, doesn’t have the milk solids that cause butter to burn, so it’s far more heat resistant, and grapeseed is wonderfully neutral. All three are sufficiently expensive that you’re not likely to fill a pot with them and make doughnuts.

What to do with a pot full of hot, used oil? Don’t throw it down the drain (dangerous) or in the trash (expensive and messy). Let it cool to room temperature, strain out the solids, and store it in the fridge or a cool, dark place. Do this and you can reuse it several times; as soon as it starts to smell a little funky, throw it away: Let it cool, refrigerate in a disposable container, then throw it in the trash.