Here we sit in mid-summer (at least for those of you parents with school kids!) and if your house is anything like mine it is a constant revolving door of kids — most running in and shouting out "I’m hungry! Is there anything to eat?". Now, I try to keep my pantry stocked with healthy snacks and the fruit bowl piled high with a wide assortment of apples, pears, peaches, oranges, etc. but every once in a while I like to look for quick solutions to the "I’m hungry" summertime dilemma. One solution is corn dogs! Perhaps not the healthiest snack or lunch item, but certainly an all time favorite of many kids…and they are quite simple to make — even gluten-free! This month we’d like to share our method and recipe of making perfect homemade gluten-free corn-dogs along with simple tips on how to store and re-heat leftovers (if any!).

Let’s Get Started!

Corn Dog Ingredients

• 8 hot dogs (we use Ball Park Franks — yes, they are gluten-free)
• 1 cup gf flour *
• 2/3 cup cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2/3 + 1/4 cup milk
• 1 Tablespoon canola oil or vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• Peanut oil for frying

*We use The Gluten Free Pantry’s Country French bread flour mix for the gf flour in this recipe. We use this flour mix because it consistently performs the closest to all-purpose wheat flour.

Step 1: Insert sticks into 1 end of each hot dog. Hold the dog firmly to make sure that the stick goes into the center of the dog.
Step 2: Dry the hot dogs thoroughly with a paper towel. This step is very important! The hot dogs must be dry in order for the batter to stick.
Step 3: In a small bowl mix together the gf flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar and salt.
Step 4: In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk and canola oil.
Step 5: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Transfer batter to a baking dish.
Step 6: Heat peanut oil in a deep fat fryer or if you don’t have one, heat about 1 inch of peanut oil in a large deep skillet. When oil is hot 375°F reduce the heat to maintain a temperature of about 350°F.
Step 7: Place the cornstarch on a plate and roll the hot dogs in the cornstarch. Dust of excess cornstarch.
Step 8: Roll the hot dogs in the batter. This part is a little tricky…you may need to use a spoon or knife to smooth the batter on and even it out over the hot dog.
Step 9: Carefully place the battered hot dog into the hot oil. I have found I like to put the batter on and then immediately place into the oil instead of battering them all first…this way the batter stays nice and uniform. Fry the corn dogs in the hot oil until lightly browned on all sides, about 3-4 minutes total. Remove the corn dogs from the oil and drain on paper towels.

Storage & Reheating Tips:

If you are lucky to have any leftovers, these freeze great!! Place the fried corn dogs in a zip lock bag (try to remove as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn). To reheat, place in an oven at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until hot.

-Glutenfreeda