How to Make Elephant Ears Carnival Style

Elephant ear pastries resemble an elephant's ear.

A memorable part of festivals and fairs is the food. The aromas of those deep fried treats bring back memories of fair rides and carnival barkers peddling their games. Elephant ears are a pastry similar to funnel cake. Instead of the pastry being poured through a funnel and into the hot oil to cook, elephant ears created using flower, which is turned into dough and stretched out to the shape of an elephant's ear. You can learn to make carnival-style desserts at home, as a special treat.

Things You'll Need

• Saucepan
• Milk
• Water
• Salt
• Sugar
• Shortening
• Yeast
• Flour
• Mixing bowl
• Cooking oil spray
• Cooking oil
• Skillet
• Rolling pin
• Paper towels

Instructions

1. Combine one cup milk and one cup of water in a saucepan. Add one teaspoon of salt, two tablespoons of sugar and three tablespoons of shortening or butter to the milk mixture. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the shortening melts and combines with the other ingredients.

2. Remove the saucepan from the heat and sprinkle two tablespoons of active, dry yeast on top of the warm milk mixture. Leave it to sit for 15 minutes or until the yeast begins to foam on the surface of the milk mixture.

3. Stir four cups of flour into the milk mixture---one cup at a time---until the mixture forms a ball of dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface,and knead it until the dough is smooth---approximately eight to ten minutes.

4. Spray a mixing bowl with cooking oil. Set the dough into the bowl, and turn the bowl so it is evenly coated with oil. Leave the dough in the bowl for 30 minutes or until it nearly doubles in size.

5. Punch down the dough to deflate it, once it has risen. Tear the dough ball into two-inch diameter pieces, and roll these out with a rolling pin, until they are flat and approximately one-eighth to one-fourth of an inch thick.

6. Fill a large skillet with one inch of cooking oil. Heat the oil to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Drop a pinch of flour into the oil; if the oil is hot enough if, the flour will sizzle without smoking, advises Epicurious.com.

7. Slide a rolled out piece of dough into the hot oil. Cook for approximately two minutes on each side, turning the elephant ear over with a slotted spoon. Remove the "ear" from the oil when both sides are golden in color, then drain the elephant ear on a paper towel. Repeat until all the dough is fried.

Tips & Warnings

• Mix and knead the dough in a stand-mixer instead of by hand. A bread machine also can be used for mixing and kneading.

• Top your elephant ears with fruit, powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar. Experiment with different toppings, until you find your favorite.

References

• Taste Of Home: Elephant Ears
• Epicurious: Funnel Cakes