Bring Bridge Day to the Holidays With Funnel Cake

One of the staples of Bridge Day is the funnel cake. Some locals hit the Bridge just for a taste of this wonderful goodness.  No matter how many funnel cakes you eat throughout the year, you always want just one more.

So why not bring a bit of Bridge Day into your life and make funnel cakes part of the holiday celebration?  Kids (and lots of adults) are on vacation, New Year's parties are taking place, and there's plenty of football to watch.  It's the perfect time to give funnel cake-making a try!

Try this basic recipe, and then make one (or all) of these fun toppings.

The Batter

There are a few different recipes for funnel cakes, but they all share one crucial ingredient: FUN!  Seriously, you and your loved ones will have a blast making these cakes. You will need a deep fryer to properly make these treats.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups of milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 Cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp sugar
• ½ stick of butter, melted

Directions

Combine milk, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar and gradually add to wet ingredients. Beat with a mixer until a smooth batter forms. Fold in melted butter. Pour batter into a funnel or squeeze bottle while using your index finger to stop the flow of the batter. Bring the funnel over the hot oil and release your finger to start a stream of batter while moving the funnel in a circular motion to create spiral-like shapes. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown and fluffy.

The Toppings

The traditional topping for funnel cake is plain 'ol powdered sugar.  But if you're going to make these treats from scratch, you may as well up the ante and top them with some holiday cheer. Here are a few ideas for some toppings:

Caramel Topping

• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup dark corn syrup
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine sugar and syrup. Cook until soft ball stage. Remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.  Pour over funnel cake.

Cranberry Topping

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 16-oz can organic whole-berry cranberry sauce

In a small saucepan whisk together the cornstarch and orange juice to combine, making sure there are no large clumps. Pour in cranberry sauce, stir, and bring mixture to a boil over medium to medium-high heat for one minute. Cool for 10 minutes.  Pour over funnel cake.

Cinnamon Apple Topping

• 2 tbsp. bottle lemon juice
• 1/3 c. water
• 7 c. thinly sliced, peeled, Granny Smith apples
• 3 c. sugar
• 3/4 tsp. Cinnamon

In a 6-8 quart saucepan, heat lemon juice for 1 minute over medium - high heat. Add water, apples, sugar and cinnamon. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Continue boiling for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Spoon out over funnel cake.

What's your favorite funnel cake topping?