You’re Doing It Right If You’re Wearing Powdered Sugar

A state-fair classic is easy to make at home

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This state-fair classic has to be one of the more joyful desserts out there, both in the cooking — you get to wildly swirl the batter into hot oil through a funnel — and in the eating — if you don’t wind up with powdered sugar all over your face, you’ve done something terribly wrong.

It’s also synonymous with summer, requires no hard-to-find or expensive ingredients, and is a spectacularly effective and easy way to entertain bored children for a few minutes. Not to mention that you don’t have to turn on the oven, which is always a plus on a hot afternoon.

I know life isn’t a carnival right now, but making these can bring carnival-level fun home, at least for a little while.

Funnel Cake

Makes: About 8 servings
Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• Neutral oil (like canola or vegetable) for frying
• 2 eggs
• 2¼ cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups flour
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder