RECIPE: Make Mini Corn Dogs Baked In A Muffin Pan
[1] Mini corn dogs are a comfort food treat (photo and recipe © Pampered Chef).
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We know otherwise sophisticated gastronomes who go out of their way to visit hot dog joints that sell corn dogs. A corn dog is a hot dog coated in a thick layer of cornmeal batter, deep fried, and served on a stick (photo #2). While it’s not fried food on a stick, we were attracted to this mini corn dog recipe from PamperedChef.com (photo #1). It’s good Super Bowl finger food. All you need is a box of corn muffin mix, hot dogs, and a mini muffin pan. Different dates can be found for National Corn Dog Day. However, according to Wikipedia, on March 16, 2012, Oregon Governor John A. Kitzhaber issued a Proclamation declaring March 17th to be National Corndog Day (spelled as one word). This engendered several corndog songs by fans. You can find them on YouTube, but we didn’t find one worth linking to. > July is National Hot Dog Month, and the third Wednesday of the month is National Hot Dog Day. > The history of corn dogs is below. > The history of hot dogs. Ingredients |
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Preparation 1. PREPARE the corn muffin batter according to the package/recipe directions. 2. PREHEAT the oven to 375°F. 3. SPRAY mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. 4. SLICE hot dogs into 1–inch pieces. Place one piece in each muffin cup. 5. BAKE 10–12 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the centers comes out clean. When cool enough to touch, remove the corn dogs to a serving plate. Serve with mustard or dip (we mix Dijon mustard with Greek yogurt). Like the hot dog (sausage) in a bun, the corn dog is an American invention, enjoyed plain or with hog dog condiments such as ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, and relish. Food historians note that corn dogs on sticks were around in the 1920s; patents were filed for cooking apparatuses to make them. Various people claim to have invented the corn dog way after then, as popularity grew in the 1930s and 1940s and corn dogs became street fare and county fair fare. The best corn dogs are fried just before serving to get that crispy crust. Heat-and-eat frozen versions are available in supermarkets—and we’d opine that Disneyland uses frozen corn dogs (they were bland and uninteresting). Some corn dog purveyors sell these pre-made frozen corn dogs which have been thawed and then fried again or browned in an oven. If you care, ask before you buy from a vendor (and hope for an honest answer). In 2012, Oregon Governor John A. Kitzhaber issued a Proclamation declaring March 17, 2012 to be National Corndog Day. Corndog was spelled as a compound noun. Since hot dog is two words, we prefer the same for corn dog. The first celebration was informal and involved corn dogs and basketball. In subsequent years, National Corndog Day fare expanded to include Tater Tots and beer. The holiday gradually spread across the U.S. and beyond. According to Wikipedia, operations for National Corndog Day are governed by a board of directors consisting of event hosts (or “city captains”) in participating cities in the U.S. Here’s another origin story from Oregon, where the corn dog is called the Pronto Pup. |