HAPPY CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

Right now, in the Bootheel of Missouri, the county fair is underway.  Growing up, late September in Kennett, Missouri and the surrounding area was a time we all looked forward to.  This was when the Delta Fair came to town.  The week of the Delta Fair began with the parade on Tuesday night and continued until the fair folk left on Saturday.  Every year until I left to go to college (and occasionally after) we went to the Delta Fair.  I loved watching the parade and all the elaborate toilet paper stuffed floats.  I even rode on a float once or twice—one year dressed as an elf with my brother, green tights and all.  My favorite part, by far, was the fair itself.  Walking round the circle of the fairway, looking for whatever boy I currently had a crush on.  I always entered something I baked into the FHA (Future Homemakers of America!) booth, although I don’t remember ever getting a blue ribbon.  One year, my brother won best in show in the baby picture contest and that was a big deal.  There were tons of local food vendors, most of whom we knew.  Barbecue, burgers and sliced green apples with melted caramel and chopped pecans on top are a few that I can remember.  My favorite, hands down, was the homemade corndogs.  It’s the one thing I got every year.  They even had a coffee can filled with mustard and ketchup that you could dip your corndog in to coat it for extra portability. 

I was reminded that this was Fair week by my friends from Southeast Missouri on Facebook.  I was very envious reading all their postings about the parade and the fair.  I decided that instead of moping, I would bring a favorite part of the fair home to me and my family.  I made my own homemade corndogs! 

First you dip 'em......

Then you fry 'em!

I started by boiling the hotdogs.  It doesn’t call for this, but I like to do it, so that I only have to fry the corndogs until the coating is toasty brown.  If you have to worry about cooking the hotdog, too, you could burn the batter.  Here is the recipe.  It is from http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/

·         1 cup milk

·         2 medium eggs

·         1/4 cup oil

·         2 tablespoons sugar

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         2 teaspoons baking powder

·         1 1/3 cups corn meal

·         2/3 cup flour

·         8-12 hot dogs

·         flour for dusting (about 1/2 cup)

·         Hot oil for Deep Frying

·         Popscicle sticks

In a large bowl combine the milk, eggs, oil, sugar and salt. Mix it very well. Sprinkle in the baking powder, corn meal and flour. Stir it all up to make a slightly thick batter.  Take your hot dogs and dry them off on paper towels. Dust the hot dogs with flour, coating them completely. The cornmeal batter won’t stick to the hot dogs unless they are coated in flour. Push popscicle sticks into the flour hot dogs. Set the hot dogs aside.

While all of this is going on, it’s a good idea to get heat your oil.  You want the temperature to be about 375F. Allow the fat to preheat so it is almost smoking by the time you are ready to add the corn dogs.

Now, to coat the floured hot dogs with batter:  scoop some of your corn meal batter into a narrow jar or cup which is as tall as your hot dogs are long. Fill the jar or cup about 3/4 of the way full. Dip your hot dog into the batter while you hold onto the stick. Swirl the hot dog to coat it evenly.  Raise the hotdog above the cup and let any excess batter drip off. Quickly place the battered dog into the hot oil. The oil will bubble up and cook the outside of the batter.  Only fry a few corn dogs at a time. If the corn dogs crowd each other they don’t fry very well. I only fry 2 or 3 at a time. Turn the corn dogs when the bottom side is well browned. Use tongs to remove the cooked corn dogs from the oil. Allow them to drain on paper towels.

These were a big hit with the kids.  They even agreed that they were better than the store-bought ones they are used to!  Now if I only had a cotton candy machine……………..