Many years ago, when my kids were little, I tried to make corn dogs. Emphasis on the word, tried.
Tried and failed.
What happened?
The batter just wouldn't stick. I tried drying off the hot dogs and got some of the batter to stick.
As soon as it hit the hot oil, the batter just sliiiiiiiid off and left the naked hot dog to cook on its own.
Enter the Internet.
I searched high and low to find the perfect corn dog recipe. There are SO many variations. I read every recipe, review, and wrote down copious notes.
So here ya go, folks! The perfect corn dog!
If you are lucky enough to have a wheat grinder, use it to grind UNpopped popcorn kernels on the coarse setting.
Fresh cornmeal. Nothing like it. Don't worry, packaged cornmeal works great too.
Though the original recipe did not include it, I used honey as part of my sweetener. Tip: spray the inside of your measuring cup/spoon with oil, measure the honey, and it will sliiiiiiide right out. Cool!
Kids don't like a gritty corndog, so I let this mixture sit for a good 30 minutes or so. This also allows the flour to absorb all the wet ingredients.
Use all beef dogs. Yes, you will pay a little more, but it makes a GREAT corn dog. You won't regret it.
You will want your dogs room temperature....these fry up pretty quickly and no one wants a hot corn dog with cold insides. They can sit out safely for the 30 minutes that your cornmeal is soaking.
Dry them off with a paper towel.
Coat them with all purpose flour. Some recipes call for cornstarch. I used all purpose flour. After some trial and error, I discovered that cutting the hot dogs in half fit better in my fryer and were easier to cook.
This batter looks too thin. I was right. It slid off and this is what I got.
I added more flour till I got this consistency:
Bamboo skewers were cut in half (remember to cut the pointy end off!) and stuck into the floured dog. They are then dunked into a glass filled with batter, lifted up and "swirled" slightly to help the batter stop dripping.
I have seen posts where corn dogs are fried in a heavy cast iron skillet, being turned as they cook. Make sure you can fill it with 2"- 3" of oil.
I used my deep fryer, with and without the basket.
Without the basket, it sank and stuck to the element, creating burn marks on it. I was more successful with the basket, QUICKLY turning the corn dog with a fork. If I didn't turn it, it would stick to the basket and stay stuck there. The dogs will float to the surface and are easily turned there, as well.
Put them to drain on a paper towel lined rack, and cut one open.
Woot!
How did they taste?
Crispy outside, and juicy inside. Perfect!
This recipe covered 16 full hot dogs, which made 32 doggies. These freeze really well and warm up in the microwave nicely for a quick meal.
You can even cut them in fourths, omit the sticks, use tongs to dip and fry...
Corn dog bites! A great appetizer, don't you think?
Give 'em a try. It'll bring out the kid in ya.
Perfect Corn Dogs
(4x6 recipe download) (full page printable recipe)
My hubby LOVES corn dogs ...and cheese on a stick ;)....I will have to give these a try!
ReplyDeleteI've lost my corn dog recipe. we had store bought ones two nights ago and I swear I had an allergic reaction to the preservatives or something in them. Because of that I have a "cleaner" eats version that I'm thinking up but I needed a base to start from...thanks Frieda.
ReplyDeleteIt is scary to think what goes into store bought foods! I'm sorry you had a reaction ~ that's the one great thing about making your own ~ you KNOW what goes in them. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI never thought about grinding corn meal. Great tip. They do look like perfect corn dogs.
ReplyDeleteThese look great! I'm going to try them for the kiddos this weekend. =)
ReplyDeleteSo great Frieda, they look perfect! I don't eat hotdogs anymore but occasionally I'll sneak a corn dog because they were my favorite as a kid. Great tutorial on how to get it to work out too. This would be a fun recipe that my kids would love :)
ReplyDeleteThose look great! I think I might have to try that out this weekend for the kids.. the little one will go nuts for the bite sized ones! I might even invite some of the grown ups to eat with us.. LOL (key word is "might")
ReplyDeleteThanks!
They look good! I am going to try these this summer for the kids. Thank you for posting!
ReplyDeleteLiz
Wow these look great! I haven't had a corn dog in years, but after seeing these I am totally craving one :)
ReplyDeleteThose look just terrific. Bring on the mustard!!!
ReplyDeleteoh wow .. thanks for sharing it . I love corn dogs but I never thought of making at home. Seeing this I am getting motivated :) Have to try and surprise hubby :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for figuring out the best way to make these. I've been wanting to make these for my kids for some time- don't want to spend the money to buy them in the store. I've bookmarked this to try soon. Thanks.
ReplyDeletehttp://homestyleworldcook.blogspot.com
Hi, thanks for this, I too would rather make anything I can from scratch. Is their a recipe for these or just the two things? Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous...you can find the recipe links at the bottom of the post, just above my signature. Click on either one and you will be directed to the recipe. Good luck!
ReplyDelete