Celebrating My Independence from Gluten
Summer is a great time for traveling. Many spend time outdoors attending fairs and festivals enjoying the nice weather with family and friends. But smelling the fair food can really make me feel like I am missing out on some of the fun. While we are all watching our waistlines, we definitely give in to temptation occasionally when we are out celebrating with family. Part of the fun of going to a carnival is getting to dine on your favorite greasy treat, be it a corn dog, ribbon chips, fried Twinkie or the classic funnel cake.
I have just returned home from visiting my younger brother, Justin, who is now living with his wife in Colorado Springs. Traveling from Indiana by car with my husband and son, we saw many sights and had a wonderful trip. Of course I still packed my cooler full of gluten-free goodies because I had no idea what to expect along the way. When we finally arrived in Colorado, I dined on the best gluten-free pizza I’ve ever had from a take-out restaurant. Plus the grocery stores were fully stocked with organic whole foods and gfree options. I can attest to the area being a gluten-free mecca and would happily move there, if I could convince the rest of my family.
My dad unfortunately passed away this year, so I didn’t get to visit with him on Father’s day or the 4th of July. So my trip to Colorado to see my baby brother was a much needed visit. All of us went on a day trip to the Royal Canyon Gorge park. Not only did we get a gorgeous view, but there was an incline railway, a petting zoo, a few rides, along with the typical fair food. My brother bought a funnel cake, and I reminded him to eat slowly and to chew his food properly. You see, the last time he ate funnel cakes he almost choked to death.
Gluten-Free Funnel Cake
My mom is a bit of a spendthrift and as she didn’t like spending $5 on a small funnel cake at the local Forest Festival. She thought, “Why not have funnel cakes anytime we want?” So she bought a funnel cake kit. My dad would mix these up and my younger brother would practically inhale them. One night, Justin ate one too many and it upset his stomach. In a late night run to visit the porcelain god, his stomach in angry protest began returning the food from whence it came. Unfortunately, Justin didn’t chew his food properly and some funnel cake lodged in his throat. Luckily my dad was up late that night, probably having problems sleeping. He heard Justin being sick in the bathroom and was able to give him the Heimlich Maneuver. Dad saved Justin’s life that night, true story. So after this happened to my little bro, he is able to eat funnel cake, so why can’t I? Oh the Gluten.
What if I told you there is a super easy way to make a gluten-free funnel cake, easy enough that even I can make it? So easy I made two pretty perfect ones my first time trying. The idea came to me when I was telling my mom about my brother risking eating a funnel cake again. I was reminiscing with mom about how dad use to make them. I asked her if the batter was anything like pancake batter and when she said yes, I instantly thought about Pamela’s Products. After I got off the phone, I whipped up a batch. I’ll warn you though, they are a bit dangerous. Please chew them properly. Eat slowly and enjoy!
Gluten-Free Funnel Cake Recipe
(Follow the directions on the Pamela’s Products Pancake and Baking Mix for Waffles)
1-1/2 cups Pamela’s Mix
3/4 cup water
2 eggs separated
2 TBSP oil
You will also need clean vegetable oil for frying. You don’t want your funnel cake to taste like onion rings. For the topping you will need enough powdered sugar or brown sugar & cinnamon mix to dust on top.
To make the batter, first whip the egg whites until they are stiff. In a separate bowl combine Pamela’s Mix, egg yolks, water and oil until there are no lumps. Fold in stiff egg whites.
I mixed my batter in a large Pyrex measuring cup with a spout. I filled a medium size pot with vegetable oil. Once the oil was up to temperature, I drizzled the batter into the hot oil in circular and criss-crossing motion. I let the funnel cake fry until the bottom was golden, then flipped it to brown the other side. When it looked golden and delicious I placed it on a paper plate and tossed powdered sugar all over it. Another option would be to top them with brown sugar and cinnamon, which would taste more like an elephant ear that you would purchase at a carnival.
Upon tasting my deep fried treat, I thought it must taste so good because it has been so long since I have had one. So I had my hubby taste it and he thought it was pretty close to what you might get at a fair. Unfortunately it doesn’t reheat well, so just make as much as you can eat in one sitting. Using 1-1/2 cups of Pamela’s Mix yielded two good sized funnel cakes.
