One of Dad’s rabbit trophies from the Central Kansas Free Fair.
One of my favorite memories as a child was the fair. The sites, the smells, the animals…what more could a kid ask for? In my hometown of Abilene, Kansas, the Central Kansas Free Fair was and still is the place to be the beginning of every August. Abilene, Kansas, the boyhood home of Dwight D. Eisenhower, is just a small town in the middle of the USA, but come the first week of August the population swells from close to 7,000 to tens of thousands. I grew up on the fairgrounds showing rabbits, dogs, and my baking skills for both ribbons and trophies. After I got older and moved away, my Dad continued to show rabbits, frequently winning Best of Show in open class, leading to a trip to the Kansas State Fair.
The food at the fair was always amazing, full of grease and all that other stuff that will clog your arteries. Who cares though? Calories don’t count during fair week. Now that my kids are grown we don’t head home to Abilene for the fair, but that doesn’t stop the craving for the food. I saw a posting from one of my friends on Facebook about getting Indian tacos and funnel cakes and my mouth started to water. I made a quick trip to Cooks.com and found an awesome recipe for easy funnel cakes. While we aren’t going to the fair, I can at least bring a little bit of the fair home to us.
(Chrissy, 2010)
FUNNEL CAKES
1 1/2 cups flour
2 eggs
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon mace (optional)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
Combine all ingredients. Drop mixture through a large funnel into hot peanut or vegetable oil (365°F-375°F) and fry until golden. Remove to paper towels using a slotted spoon. When cool, place in a clean paper bag and shake with confectioners’ sugar. Alternatively, drizzle with syrup or honey just before serving. (CM, 2012)
Not the recipe I used, but fun to watch! I think she might have had a little vodka with that funnel cake.
(Jolene, 2010)
Talk about melting in your mouth! I hope you enjoy and get a little bit of that fair feeling, I know I did. Just don’t tell my doctor please!
References:
Chrissy. (Photographer). (2010). Funnel cake. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://sloblogs.thetribunenews.com/andallthetrimmings/funnel-cake/
CM. (2012). Funnel cakes. Retrieved from http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,166,135191-251197,00.html
Jolene. (Producer). (2010). Funnel cake : The trailer park cooking show . [Print Photo]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyY_TjjUh64
Michele Peterson-Rufener
Michele Peterson-Rufener is Secret Laboratory’s Home & Health Editor. Michele is a former advertising sales representative and a freelance writer; she is currently seeking a degree in marketing and is a columnist for Examiner.com. Read Michele’s blog at http://happyblonde.wordpress.com/.
Email Michele at michele@secretlaboratory.org.
Michele, great article and sounds just like home!
Sorry I didn’t see this sooner, glad you liked it!