Funnel Cake Fries with Strawberry Dipping Sauce

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Thick, vanilla-scented pancake batter piped straight into hot oil in short sticks, fried until the outside shatters and the inside stays custardy, then buried in powdered sugar while still steaming. A quick smashed-strawberry dip and an optional cream cheese glaze turn a state-fair snack into a shareable dessert you can pull off in half an hour.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp fine salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 6 cups neutral oil, such as canola or peanut
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, for dusting

• 12 oz strawberries, hulled and chopped (fresh or frozen)
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 pinch salt

• 3 oz cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp milk, plus more as needed
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Make the strawberry dip first: combine the chopped strawberries, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook 8–10 minutes, mashing with a fork, until the fruit breaks down and the sauce coats a spoon. Scrape into a bowl and let cool to warm room temperature while you fry.
2. If making the glaze, whisk the softened cream cheese smooth in a small bowl, then whisk in the powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, and vanilla until pourable but thick. Add milk 1 teaspoon at a time if needed. Set aside.
3. Whisk the flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. In a second bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth.
4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and whisk just until no dry flour remains, about 20 seconds. The batter should be thick like pancake batter and fall from the whisk in a heavy ribbon — if it feels stiff enough to mound, whisk in milk 1 tablespoon at a time. Let it rest 10 minutes while the oil heats.
5. Pour the oil into a heavy 4- to 5-quart Dutch oven to a depth of about 2 inches and clip on a deep-fry or instant-read thermometer. Heat over medium until the oil reaches 350°F. Set a wire rack over a sheet pan next to the stove.
6. Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip, or to a quart zip-top bag with 1/2 inch snipped off one corner. Twist the top closed so the batter is pushed toward the tip.
7. Working close to the oil surface, pipe 3- to 4-inch sticks directly into the oil, snipping each one off with kitchen scissors or pinching the flow with your fingers. Fry 5 or 6 sticks at a time — crowding drops the oil temperature and makes them greasy.
8. Fry 60–90 seconds, until the undersides are deep golden and the sticks float, then flip with a slotted spoon or spider and fry another 60–90 seconds. Total time is about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes; break one open on the first batch to confirm the center is set and cakey, not wet.
9. Lift the fries to the wire rack, let them drain for 15 seconds, then immediately sift powdered sugar generously over them while they are still steaming — that is when the sugar clings and melts slightly into the crust.
10. Let the oil come back up to 350°F between batches, about 1 minute, and repeat with the remaining batter. Pile the finished fries on a platter, give them one last snowfall of powdered sugar, and serve hot with the strawberry dip and cream cheese glaze alongside.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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