Though I’m not a fan of store-bought corn dogs, this homemade version is quite good when I use the best ingredients. Since hot oil is very dangerous, I recommend kicking the small children out of the kitchen for this one. —Jaime Richardson, author of Celebrate Every Day: Recipes for Making The Most of Special Moments with Your Family
Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cups flour
- ½ cup cornmeal
- 1⁄4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- â…” cup milk, or as much as needed to make a smooth, thick batter
- 8 very good-quality hot dogs
- 8 cups vegetable oil, for frying
Directions:
- In a medium high-sided bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, salt, and baking powder. Whisk eggs and half of the milk into the flour mixture. Slowly whisk in remaining milk a little at a time until it makes a smooth, thick batter.
- Dry off hot dogs with a paper towel, and insert each with a skewer or a thin wooden dowel that measures about 4 inches shorter than the diameter of the pot.
- Pour oil into a heavy-bottomed stockpot, and set over medium-high heat. When the oil reaches 350°F, coat a hot dog in the batter and slowly lower into the hot oil. The corn dog should turn itself over in the oil, but use a good pair of tongs to help it along as necessary to ensure even cooking. Cook until dough is golden brown and cooked through, about 3–4 minutes. Repeat with remaining hot dogs.
- Serve with mustard.
Reprinted with permission from Celebrate Every Day: Recipes for Making The Most of Special Moments with Your Family by Jaime Richardson (Globe Pequot Press, 2013).
