The Saga of the 37 Pumpkins - Installment No. 24 - Pumpkin Funnel Cakes

How could those pumpkins be cheering right now? How could they smile, wave their stalks about, and beg to be the next to go? Did they really even understand what they claimed to love so much? Was this presumed ascension to greatness truly more meaningful than friendship and kindness?

Their intellectualism and holiness had stripped them of their pumpkinity.

"My predecessors thought that the keepers were evil, and my brother thought that Cucurbita was, but these intellectual holy pumpkins are the real monsters in this world," Patch thought.

He curled his stalk around the tiny book and wandered away from the crowd of pumpkins. They didn't notice him disappear. They were too elated to pay attention to their surroundings: another one of their flock was lifted up and toted away.

And then there were 12...

For the complete Saga archives, click here.

Pumpkin Funnel Cakes

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 3 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon 
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• vegetable oil, for frying

Cinnamon Sugar Topping:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Instructions:

Beat together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Slowly add the milk and then the pumpkin puree. Blend until thoroughly mixed. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients and then gradually add them to the wet mixture. Beat until smooth and creamy and set aside.

Now it's time to get the skillet ready with the oil for frying. Add about an inch of vegetable oil to a skillet and heat it on the stove until the temperature reaches the deep fry stage, between 365 to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. A candy thermometer is helpful in this step. If you don't have a thermometer and the oil starts to smoke, your temperature is too high. Reduce the heat.

When oil is hot, add a small amount of batter to a funnel and drizzle batter into the oil. There is no exact science to this, just squiggle the batter around in the oil. It may take a few practice cakes to get them the way you want. If you don't have a funnel, you can use a freezer bag with one corner cut out, and squeeze the batter through the hole into the hot oil. 

Fry until golden brown, then remove from oil and dry on paper towels.

When cool, sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon mixture.

Enjoy!