Elephant Ears: Concession Trailer Style Recipe

For those living in the US, especially Indiana and Michigan, saying the words I want an Elephant Ear this time of year has impact. With Festivals, starting up, you will see food booths/concession stands popping up. I worked in Weaver’s Kitchen from 1983-2004, our main food was the Elephant Ears and I helped make thousands upon thousands. At the famous Blueberry Festival alone, we fried approximately 3000 elephant ears in one Labor Day weekend.

OK, not to keep you in suspense any longer, this is NOT the animal, the elephant, and NO, we did not cut off his ears. It is a pastry, usually covered in cinnamon and sugar. Some prefer confection sugar or even apple topping. It did not matter to us; if you wanted it we tried to have it, mom was funny like that.

Once mom passed away, I felt free to make my own here at home and share the recipe. We personally liked our elephant ear thicker like a roll while others prefer them larger and thinner, crispy like a chip.

Our oldest grandson liked them so well one year he requested an elephant ear for his birthday cake. No problem I can do that, however, the recipe makes a large batch therefore many people benefited from that. I also put some ears in the freezer, when they came over; I could pull some out, and fry them up.

Let’s get started, let me show you how to make Mom's Elephant Ear recipe.

 

Ingredients to make an Elephant Ear Concession Trailer Style Recipe:

• 5 lbs raised donut mix
• 10 lbs cheap flour
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 small (8 oz) bottle vanilla
• 3 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup yeast
• 5 lbs sugar to 1 cup cinnamon for Topping your elephant ears
• 5 gallon plastic bucket and big hook 

Instructions to make an Elephant Ear Concession Trailer Style Recipe: 

1.     In a large bowl, measure out the sugar, salt and yeast. Add in 19 1/2 cups of medium hot water, and the vanilla.

2.     You will have to work with a large container we used a new and clean 5-gallon plastic bucket. Put your water mixture in the bucket. Put in 5 lbs flour and 5 lbs raised donut mix. Add in, another 5 lbs of flour. Mix it well until all is moist, beat until the dough is glossy.

3.     Put in a warm place and let it rise in the 5-gallon plastic bucket until double in size. Be careful, as it will run over.

4.     Punch it down and start measuring out into 3-ounce balls, oil your hands good so dough balls don't stick to your hands. Place them on a well-greased counter-top, and let rise and double again.

5. On an oiled, counter top, pat out a 10-inch elephant ear, however, make your elephant ears the size you needed to fry in the skillet you will be using.
   **We had a huge deep fryer in the concession trailer so we didn't have to worry about that.

• Deep-fry the elephant ear, until golden brown, in oil that is 370-400 degrees. Watch the temperature on the oil and do not let it get too hot. Also, be careful so you do not over fry the elephant ear, as it will get too crispy. The idea is to be golden brown and soft like a breakfast roll.
  Brown it lightly on one side and take the tongs, turn it over and fry it on the other side.
• Take the tongs and hold the elephant ear up to drain the excess oil off, then lay it on paper towel to finish the process. 
• Sprinkle the hot elephant ear with either powdered sugar or cinnamon/sugar for the traditional ear.  Elephant ears are also fantastic topped with fruit pie filling sprinkled with cinnamon/sugar. Another great choice is to top them with chocolate pudding and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Make your elephant ear with your favorite topping.