Homemade Corn Dogs or is it Corny Dogs

When I think of corny dogs as my kids call it, I think of the State Fair of Texas. What is a visit to the fair without getting one of their wonderful corn dogs. When it comes to the fair it's all about the rides and games for the kids. Now for me, it is all about that yummy food you can only get that one time of the year. I have to say that some of the food you find at the fair is a bit far fetched for me. Fried Twinkies, Fried Banana Splits, Fried Cake on a Stick Ugh! none of that is for me. I like to stick to the old favorites. Turkey Legs, Sausage on a Stick, Corny Dog's, Funnel Cakes and Fresh Lemonade now those are the bomb. My youngest son Carson loves to get the corn dogs at the Fair or at Canton Trade Days, so that is the first thing we have to hunt down when it is time to stop for lunch.

I saw this recipe for Homemade Corn Dogs at The Hillbilly Housewife. I thought it would be neat to surprise my son with homemade corny dogs, plus I wanted to see if they actually turned out using this recipe. Can you believe I have never made homemade corn dogs, I always thought it was pretty difficult so I never attempted it. You can imagine my excitement when the corn dogs were done and they turned out. I couldn't believe how easy it was, plus they taste so much better than the ones you buy at the store. The true test was Carson he is so picky, but no worries he gave our corn dogs a thumbs up and so did Mackenzie. The left over corn dogs store in the freezer nicely, so you can warm them up for another day. I just added mine to a large ziplock bag, when I want to use them i just defrost in the microwave and add them to the toaster oven. Do you make any homemade convience food? I would love for you to share any recipes.

See thumbs up from the kid's. Well Carson is trying to get his thumb up.



These are the ingredients you will need:
Buttermilk, eggs, sugar, salt, baking powder, yellow corn meal, all purpose flour, hot dogs, vegetable oil and wooden sticks (Popsicle or Chopsticks)



In a large bowl combine the buttermilk, eggs, oil, sugar and salt. Mix it very well.



Sprinkle in the baking powder, corn meal and flour. Stir it all up to make a slightly thick batter.




Take your hot dogs and dry them off on paper towels.



I used chopsticks




Dust the hot dogs with flour, coating them completely. The cornmeal batter won't stick to the hot dogs unless they are coated in flour. The batter just slides right off of the wieners naturally slick outsides. Shove Popsicle sticks into the flour coated hot dogs.




Set the hot dogs aside.




While all of this is going on, it's a good idea to get the oil heated up. You want the temperature to be about 375 degrees. Allow the oil to preheat so it is almost smoking by the time you are ready to add the corn dogs. Scoop some of your corn meal batter into a narrow jar or cup which is as tall as your hot dogs are long. Fill the jar or cup about 3/4 of the way full. I used the largest mason jar I had on hand. A large cup will work just as well.




Dip your hot dog into the batter while you hold onto the stick. Swirl the hot dog to coat it evenly. Be careful or the batter will overflow. Raise the wiener above the cup and let any excess batter drip off.



Quickly place the battered dog into the hot oil. The fat (oil) will bubble up and cook the outside of the batter, making the corn dogs the exact same shape as the ones you buy at the store. This was the part of the recipe that my husband and I were skeptical on. We just could not imagine how it would puff up around the hot dog and look just like a corn dog that you buy.




Only fry a few corn dogs at a time. If the corn dogs crowd each other they don't fry very well. I only fry 2 or 3 at a time. Turn the corn dogs when the bottom side is well browned.



Use tongs to remove the cooked corn dogs from the fat. Allow them to drain on paper towels. Repeat the process, coating and frying a few at a time, until all of the corn dogs are cooked. Refill the narrow jar or cup with batter from your bowl as necessary. Continue until all the hot dogs are coated or until you no longer have enough batter to coat the hot dogs efficiently. I used a pack of 10 Oscar Mayer hot dogs. We still had some batter left over, so we saved it in the refrigerator in a plastic container and made mini corn dogs for lunch the next day. I just cut the hot dog into 3rd's and dipped them in the batter and dropped them in hot oil. The kids were so excited the next day to have mini corn dogs.




Homemade Corny Dogs

1 cup buttermilk
2 medium eggs
1/4 cup oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/3 cups corn meal
2/3 cup flour
1 to 1-1/2 pounds hot dogs
flour for dusting (about 1/2 cup)
Oil for Frying ( I used Vegetable Oil)
Popsicle sticks, Chop Sticks or Wooden Meat Screwers

In a large bowl combine the buttermilk, eggs, oil, sugar and salt. Mix it very well. Sprinkle in the baking powder, corn meal and flour. Stir it all up to make a slightly thick batter. Take your hot dogs and dry them off on paper towels. Dust the hot dogs with flour, coating them completely. The cornmeal batter won’t stick to the hot dogs unless they are coated in flour. The batter just slides right off of the wieners naturally slick outsides. Shove Popsicle sticks into the flour coated hot dogs. Set the hot dogs aside. While all of this is going on, it’s a good idea to get the oil heated up. You want the temperature to be about 375°. Allow the oil to preheat so it is almost smoking by the time you are ready to add the corn dogs. Now, to coat the floured hot dogs with batter you have two choices. You can swirl the hot dogs in the bowl of batter until they are coated, and then drop them into the hot fat. If this is a little difficult I know of an easier way. Scoop some of your corn meal batter into a narrow jar or cup which is as tall as your hot dogs are long. Fill the jar or cup about 3/4 of the way full.

Dip your hot dog into the batter while you hold onto the stick. Swirl the hot dog to coat it evenly. Be careful or the batter will overflow. Raise the wiener above the cup and let any excess batter drip off. Quickly place the battered dog into the hot oil. The fat (oil) will bubble up and cook the outside of the batter, making the corn dogs the exact same shape as the ones you buy at the store. Only fry a few corn dogs at a time. If the corn dogs crowd each other they don’t fry very well. I only fry 2 or 3 at a time. Turn the corn dogs when the bottom side is well browned. Use tongs to remove the cooked corn dogs from the fat (oil). Allow them to drain on paper towels. Repeat the process, coating and frying a few at a time, until all of the corn dogs are cooked. Refill the narrow jar or cup with batter from your bowl as necessary. Continue until all the hot dogs are coated or until you no longer have enough batter to coat the hot dogs efficiently. If you don’t want to waste any unused batter, it can be dropped by small spoonfuls into the hot fat (oil), and fried until brown. Serve these along side the corn dogs.

If desired, you can make small corn dogs by cutting hot dogs into thirds, or quarters. Poke a toothpick up into the end of the hot dogs. Coat and fry them as described above. These are nice for fancy days, and for kids parties. Provide plenty of ketchup and mustard for dipping.
This recipe makes about 12 to 14 corn dogs.


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