Bacon Wrapped Corn Dogs

 

We haven’t been to a state fair in over 7 years. It’s not because we don’t enjoy them (what's not to enjoy?). When you have little ones, you pretty much spend all day at the midway. But, when you don’t have little ones in tow, then (let’s face it), you pretty much spend all day pigging out on all those fried food favorites you've been craving. Fair food has gotten so competitive in recent years, everyone vying to invent the most unique food-on-a-stick. We’ve seen everything from fried butter on a stick, to deep fried Oreos. Two years ago, the Iowa State Fair made headlines with the debut of its newest food celebrity: double bacon corn dogs. Although Campbell’s Concessions prepared 12,000 dogs ahead of time, they still managed to completely sell out in 3 days. Basically, they introduced a hot dog, wrapped in bacon, deep fried, then dipped in a bacon-bit enriched batter and fried again. Brilliant! So, the other day I decided to take advantage of my state fair nostalgia and try a little experimentation. No, I didn’t go to the extreme of a double bacon corn dog; but I was intrigued with the idea of a bacon wrapped corn dog. I figured that would be challenging enough, especially because I wanted to create one without the need to “double fry.” I precooked the bacon (by baking), then wrapped a slice around the hot dog; secured it, as necessary with toothpicks, then dipped into a thick corn batter, put it on a stick and deep fried it until golden brown. Although, I liked the idea of adding bacon bits to the batter, I was hesitant to try it, as I was afraid the already cooked bacon bits would char after being deep fried and leave a bitter taste to the cornbread crust. Also, I didn’t go overboard with the bacon (although I was tempted). Only one slice of bacon is wrapped around the wiener; just enough to give you a pleasant surprise when you bite into the corn dog. To my total amazement, it worked and was it ever good!

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Place rack on baking pan. Lay 10 slices of bacon on rack. Bake for 15 minutes, or until pretty darn close to being cooked, without crisping. (You still need the bacon to be pliable enough to wrap around hot dog.) Once cooked, remove from oven. Place on paper towel-lined plate and set aside.

Preheat oil on stove (or deep fryer) to 375° F. 

Wipe down hot dogs and bacon with paper towel (to make sure they are totally dry). Wrap bacon around hot dog, securing at ends, if necessary, with toothpicks. (Just remember to remove toothpicks prior to serving.) Repeat until all 10 hot dogs have been wrapped with bacon. Insert skewers into hot dogs (going about 2/3 of the way into dog, but leaving a long enough handle to hold while you eat it). Set aside.

Prepare batter. I knew the batter was going to be the secret to success of this whole bacon wrapped theme. The batter’s texture would have to be thick and sticky enough to adhere to the dog and the bacon. After doing some online searching, I found this batter recipe on Life as a Lofthouse, which I knew would be perfect! The addition of honey to the batter convinced me that this would work (and it did).

In large bowl, add the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk together. Make well in center of dry ingredients. In small bowl, beat egg. Add egg to well of dry ingredients. Then add buttermilk, oil and honey. Stir until thoroughly combined. Batter will be thicker than pancake batter. I added a splash more buttermilk, as batter was getting too thick to stir. (But, don’t add too much milk, as you ultimately want a thick batter.)

Pour the batter into a tall drinking glass.  

Holding by skewer handle, dip hot dog into batter, swirling, to completely coat all of the hot dog. Slowly lift hot dog from batter, allowing some of the excess batter to drip back into the glass. Immediately dip in the hot oil, while still holding the stick (to temper the batter). After about a minute, release hot dog into oil. Using tongs, turn as necessary to brown all sides. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until all sides are a deep golden brown. Remove from hot oil and place on paper towels to drain. Repeat with all hot dogs. 

Remove any toothpicks used to secure bacon. Serve hot with spicy mustard, ketchup, honey mustard, or condiment of your choosing.

BACON WRAPPED CORN DOGS
Source: Batter from Life as a Lofthouse
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 slices bacon
• 1-1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1-1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1 (8-count) package hot dogs
• 8 wooden skewers (6” size) or chopsticks
• Canola or peanut oil, for frying

DIRECTIONS:
 
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Place rack on baking pan. Lay 10 slices of bacon on rack. Bake for 15
    minutes, or until close to being cooked, without crisping. Once cooked, remove from oven.
    Place on paper towel-lined plate and set aside. 
2. Preheat oil on stove (or deep fryer) to 375° F.
3. Wipe down hot dogs and bacon with paper towel (to make sure they are totally dry). Wrap bacon
    around hot dog, securing at ends, if necessary, with toothpicks. (Just remember to remove toothpicks
    prior to serving.) Repeat until all 10 hot dogs have been wrapped with bacon. Insert skewers into hot
    dogs (going about 2/3 of the way into dog, but leaving a long enough handle to hold while you eat
    it). Set aside.
4. In large bowl, add the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk together. Make well in
    center of dry ingredients. In small bowl, beat egg. Add egg to well of dry ingredients. Then add
    buttermilk, oil and honey. Stir until thoroughly combined. Batter will be thicker than pancake batter. I
    added a splash more buttermilk, as batter was getting too thick to stir. (But, don’t add too much milk, as
    you ultimately want a thick batter.)
5. Pour the batter into a tall drinking glass. Holding by skewer handle, dip hot dog into batter, swirling, to
    completely coat all of the hot dog. Slowly lift hot dog from batter, allowing some of the excess batter to
    drip back into the glass. Immediately dip in the hot oil, while still holding the stick (to temper the batter).
    After about a minute, release hot dog into oil. Using tongs, turn as necessary to brown all sides. Cook
    for 3 to 5 minutes, or until all sides are a deep golden brown. Remove from hot oil and place on paper
    towels to drain. Repeat with all hot dogs.
6. Remove any toothpicks used to secure bacon. Serve hot with spicy mustard, ketchup, honey mustard,
    or condiment of your choosing.

Yields: 10 corn dogs

Jalapeno Corn Muffins

I don’t usually stray away from my go-to recipe for cast iron skillet cornbread, but I had a craving for jalapeno corn muffins, to go along with the Chili with Tortellini. I came across this recipe on Chow.com and it looked really good, so I figured I’d give it a try. It was missing Cheddar cheese; and Mike and I both like cheese in our cornbread; so I added that. I was pleasantly surprised how good these came out. They reminded me of the corn muffins you get at Cracker Barrel; only these were better. That’s saying a lot, because I’ve always been extremely fond of Cracker Barrel’s muffins. Even in a non-stick muffin tin, these came out nice and crispy on the outside and incredibly moist and savory on the inside. The pickled jalapenos added just a hint of heat, without being too overwhelming; and I absolutely loved the kernels of corn distributed throughout. Also, it was a real bonus that I didn’t have to run out and buy buttermilk to make them (as this recipe uses whole milk instead). These would be great alongside any casserole, soup, chowder or one pot meal. Actually, anytime you have a hankering for some good ole’ down-home corn muffins, you can’t fail with this quick and yummy recipe. 

Preheat oven to 425° F. Generously butter the wells of a 12-cup muffin pan. Do not use paper liners. The muffins will stick to the paper and you won’t get crispy brown edges. Set aside.

In large bowl, combine cornmeal, 1/2 cup of the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine. Set aside.

In small bowl, add corn, jalapenos and remaining Tablespoon of flour. Toss to combine. Set aside.

In another medium bowl, add milk and eggs. Whisk until the eggs are broken up. Pour the milk and egg mixture into cornmeal mixture. Add melted butter. Using a rubber spatula, stir just until incorporated and no streaks of butter remain. Do not over mix. 

Add the corn, jalapenos and Cheddar cheese. Stir just until combined.

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Muffin cups will be very full. Bake until golden brown around the edges and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 15 to 17 minutes.

Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. 

  
Remove from pan and serve warm, or at room temperature.

JALAPENO CORN MUFFINS
Source: By Christine Gallary, Chow.com
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 1-1/2 cups finely ground yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup, plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/4 teaspoons fine salt
• 2/3 cup corn kernels, thawed if frozen   
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pickled jalapenos
• 1-1/2 cups whole milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, melted, plus more for coating the pan

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the oven to 425°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat the wells of a 12-cup muffin pan
    generously with butter; set aside. Do not use paper liners. The muffins will stick to the paper, and they
    won’t develop crispy brown edges.
2. In large bowl, combine cornmeal, 1/2 cup of the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine.
    Set aside.
3. Place the corn and jalapenos in a small bowl, add the remaining tablespoon of flour, and toss to combine. 
    Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, place the milk and eggs and whisk until the eggs are broken up. Pour the milk
    mixture and melted butter into the cornmeal mixture and, using a rubber spatula, stir until just
    incorporated and no streaks of butter remain. (Do not over mix.) Add the corn, jalapenos and Cheddar cheese.
    Stir just until combined. 
5. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups (they’ll be very full). Bake until golden brown
    around the edges and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15 to 17 minutes.
    Let the muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and serve warm
    or at room temperature.

Cheddar Cornbread

Cornbread is considered to be of America’s favorite quick breads. It is categorized as a quick bread because, due to natural components in corn, yeast is not required to get the bread to rise. It’s such a perfect accompaniment to so many “one-pot” meals, such as chili or Cajun/Creole dishes. It wasn’t until I discovered “cast iron skillet” cornbread, when I really learned to appreciate it.  A good, hot cast iron skillet sears the batter, giving the bread a crisp and crunchy crust, yet the interior remains moist and delicious. Mike not only loves cornbread, he’s extremely fussy about his cornbread. It took me years to find the recipe that would finally win him over. This is it….Cheddar Cornbread (a Martha Stewart recipe). Mike won’t settle for anything else now. I had a slice of this cornbread in the photo from my posting yesterday for Red Beans & Rice with Kielbasa, as cornbread was just the perfect side for that meal. Of course, I’m including additional photos in today’s posting. One look at the photos, and you’ll understand why this is now our “only” recipe for cornbread.

Preheat oven to 425° F.

In large bowl, sift flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, salt and pepper. Make a well in center of flour mixture. Add buttermilk and eggs to well. Whisk to loosen eggs. Gently incorporate dry ingredients, then mix in cheddar cheese.

Place butter in a 9-inch cast iron skillet. If you don’t have one, you can substitute a square 8x8 metal baking dish (but crust won’t be as crispy). Place skillet with butter in preheated oven, until butter is melted. Using at least a double layer of pot holders (as skillet is HOT), remove skillet from oven. Tilt to coat bottom and sides of skillet with the melted butter.

Pour batter into skillet. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Check at 15 minutes, as I find it bakes fast, and doesn’t really require the full 18 to 22 minutes. Let cornbread cool in skillet at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Serve warm, or at room temperature. See all the cheddar throughout? Mmmmm.....

CHEDDAR CORNBREAD
Source: Martha Stewart
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 Tablespoons butter

            
DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425° F. In a large bowl, sift flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, salt and pepper. Make
    a well in center of flour mixture. Add buttermilk and eggs to well, and whisk to loosen eggs. Gently
    incorporate dry ingredients, then mix in cheddar cheese.
2. Place butter in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet. Put in oven until butter is melted. Remove from oven, and tilt
    to coat bottom and sides. (CAREFUL, skillet is very hot!!!)
3. Pour batter into prepared skillet; bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out
    clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Let cornbread cool in skillet at least 15 minutes before cutting. Serve warm or
    at room temperature. Wrap completely cooled bread in plastic, and store at room temperature up to
    1 day.