By George Geary | Certified Culinary Professional
Yields 6 to 10 Funnel Cakes
Equipment Needed:
- Electric mixer
- Stockpot
- Medium saucepan
- Candy/deep fry thermometer
- Pastry bag
- Wire rack
Ingredients:
Funnel Cakes
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 cup cool water
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 2 large egg whites
- Canola oil
- Confectioner’s sugar
Berry Topping
Yields 2 cups
- 1 quart fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- A pinch of sea salt
Instructions:
For Funnel Cakes
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine butter, water, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and quickly mix in the flour.
- Return the saucepan to low heat and cook while stirring frequently for about 3 minutes to slightly cook the flour and remove the starchy taste.
- Transfer the dough to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until most of the steam has evaporated, then gradually add the eggs and egg whites, one at a time, until fully incorporated and a batter is formed.
- Fill a stockpot with 3 inches of oil and heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Pour the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a round pastry tip no wider than 1/4 inch.
- Over the hot oil, squeeze the batter into a zigzag or spiral shape. Fry no more than one large or two smaller funnel cakes at a time.
- Cook the cakes until they are puffed up and golden, about 3-5 minutes, flipping them every 30 seconds.
- Drain the cakes on a wire rack and let them cool slightly. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and top with Berry Topping.
For Berry Topping
- In a bowl, mix the berries, sugar, and salt. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes before serving.
Editor’s Note: Recipe and photo reprinted from FAIR FOODS: The Most Popular and Offbeat Recipes from America’s State and County Fairs by George Geary, Santa Monica Press.
ABOUT GEORGE GEARY:
George Geary is an award-winning chef, best-selling author, and renowned educator. A former pastry chef at the Walt Disney Company, George is a Certified Culinary Professional and has recently been honored as the Culinary Educator of the Year by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. He is well known for creating all the cheesecakes for The Golden Girls and various other highly-rated television shows.
George has served as a critic and/or judge on programs such as ABC’s The Taste with Anthony Bourdain, The American Baking Competition with Jeff Foxworthy, Hell’s Kitchen, Supermarket Superstar, and many other popular television series. He was also a guest chef aboard Holland America Line’s ships for eight years, traveling to over 118 countries and every continent.
With over thirty years of experience, George has judged culinary contests for several major food manufacturers, including Canola Producers, Veg-All, Hormel Foods, the Hershey Company, Knott’s Berry Farm Foods, Ghirardelli Chocolate, Fleischmann’s Yeast, the San Diego Union Tribune, ABC News, and numerous others. From 1982 to 2010, he was the culinary coordinator for the Los Angeles County Fair. Visit his website at www.GeorgeGeary.com.
