Funnel Cake: What is it?

Was at Dollywood last weekend and ate funnelcake. It was n ot the first time I ate funnel cake. I liked it but do not know anything about it. Fellow roadfooders, can you tell me more about this delicious snack?

Aren't funnel cakes more of a fried batter, than dough? To me, fried dough is just that - a heavier, almost pizza crust dough, while funnel cakes are more like the batter used in rosettes - almost like a crepe batter that's drizzled into oil and fried.

quote:

Originally posted by txtwister

Aren't funnel cakes more of a fried batter, than dough? To me, fried dough is just that - a heavier, almost pizza crust dough, while funnel cakes are more like the batter used in rosettes - almost like a crepe batter that's drizzled into oil and fried.

That's right - Fried dough can be pizza dough. Funnelcakes are batter poured into the hot frying oil through a funnel (hence the name), often topped with powdered sugar and/or fruit topping (like pie filling). I had my first one at Dollywood, also, and have also seen them at Knott's Berry Farm.

They usually use a special container to make them, it looks like a plastic pitcher with a funnel on the side. They dip the pitcher part into the batter and then pour it right through the funnel. I assume these are good to ensure that all the cakes come out the same size. You can usually buy these at places where they sell funnelcakes, but a regular pitcher and funnel will do just as well. (I've made them that way.)

As I recall from the one time I made them, it's similar to pancake batter. Again, places that sell them (like the above-mentioned theme parks) usually sell boxed mixes, but I have seen recipes in cookbooks. Nothing really unusual, I believe it's more the way they are cooked that makes them "special."

what is it?? DELICIOUS.........
:)

Funnel Cake Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
Show: Good Eats

1 cup water
3/4 stick butter (6 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1 cup eggs, about 4 large eggs and 2 whites
Vegetable oil, for frying
Powdered sugar, for topping

Boil water, butter, sugar, and salt together
in a saucepan.

Add flour and work it in until it is all
incorporated and dough forms a ball.

Transfer mixture to the bowl of a standing
mixer and let cool for 3 to 4 minutes.

With mixer lowest speed, add eggs, 1 at a time,
making sure the first egg is completely incor-
porated before continuing.

Once all eggs have been added and mixture is
smooth, put dough in a piping bag fitted with
a number 12 tip.

Heat about 1 1/2 inches of oil in a heavy pan.

Pipe dough into oil, making a free-form lattice
pattern; cook until browned, flipping once.

Remove cake from oil, drain on paper towels, and
top with powdered sugar.

Continue until all of the batter is used.



http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_20681,00.html

Funnel Cake

A medium funnel is needed for this recipe.


1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons honey
1 egg
7/8 cup milk, warm
Oil for deep-frying
Honey or maple syrup

Sift together all the dry ingredients
and then add the honey, egg and milk.

Beat until smooth.

Heat about 2 inches of oil in a large
cast-iron skillet, or other heavy pot.

To test the correct temperature, drop
a small piece of dough into the oil.

If it floats to the top and bubbles
appear around the edges, you are ready
to make the funnel cakes.

Hold your finger at the bottom of the
funnel to stop up the batter, and then
remove finger to pour batter.

Using a spiral motion, let the batter
pour into the oil.

The cakes should look like free-form
spiral sculpture.

Fry until golden brown, turning once.

Drain on paper towels.

Drizzle with honey or maple syrup and
serve hot.

The number of servings depends upon
the amount of batter you use for each
cake.

Note: We dusted with confectioners' sugar
or granulated sugar mixed with cinnamon.

We doubled this recipe with excellent results.



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"Bread Winners" on www.ichef.com

One of my rites of summer is having a funnel cake on the boardwalk in Ocean City, MD. Life is wonderful at that moment.

nothing beats a good funnel cake. a simple pleasure in life!!! brad

I've always described them as beignets poured through a funnel, and i guess that's what they are. I liked beignets better, however, because you can justify eating them for breakfast, and a funnel cake just seems like it's going straight into your arteries. I can just imagine the tubey dough wrapping itself around the outsides of my stomach, expanding while i'm eating it.

Good though.

First time I had a funnel cake was the Renn Faire south of here on the Illinois border. Fruit topping was extra but worth it.
For the cooking-impaired, look around in gourmet shops and you might find a funnel cake kit-- a box of the mix and the pitcher for the batter.
They make a nice change from pancakes or an unusual dessert.
IHoP is doing their bit to promote funnel cakes this month.

I recently saw on one of the TV channels pertaining to food that they were using rice flour for their funnel cakes because they believed they gave them a lighter tempura effect.

I do not know but sounded like a good idea?

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN