Mini Elephant Ears Recipes

ELEPHANT EARS

Steps:

• In small saucepan over medium heat, combine milk, salt, 2 tablespoons sugar and shortening. Heat until shortening melts and sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm, 110 degrees F (43 degrees C). Sprinkle in yeast and let sit until foamy.
• Transfer mixture to large bowl, and stir in flour to make a dough. Knead until smooth, cover and let rise 30 minutes.
• In a large heavy skillet or deep fryer, heat 1 inch of oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Roll out 1 to 2 inch balls of dough into thin sheets. Fry sheets 1 to 2 minutes on a side, until puffed and golden. Drain on paper towels.
• Combine cinnamon and 6 tablespoons sugar. Sprinkle over warm pastries. Serve.

CINNAMON ELEPHANT EARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Combine 1/2 cup of the sugar and kosher salt and pour it over a flat surface such as a wooden board or marble slab. Unfold the sheet of puff pastry onto the sugar mixture.
• Combine 1/2 cup of the sugar and the cinnamon and spread it evenly on the puff pastry. This is not about sprinkling, it's about an even covering of sugar. With a rolling pin, lightly roll the dough until it's a 13-inch square and the sugar is pressed into the puff pastry on top and bottom. Fold the sides of the square toward the center so they go halfway to the middle. Fold them again so the two folds meet exactly at the middle of the dough. Then fold one half over the other half as though closing a book. You will have 6 layers. Slice the dough into 3/8-inch slices and place the slices, cut side up, on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
• Bake the cookies for 6 minutes, or until caramelized and brown on the bottom, then turn with a spatula and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, until caramelized on the other side. Transfer to a baking rack to cool.

4 INGREDIENT MINI ELEPHANT EARS

Steps:

• Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a mixing bowl and set aside.
• I use a frying pan that has approximately 1 ½ inches of vegetable oil. The burner is set to medium-high. If you have a thermometer, heat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. If you do not have one, put the tip of a wooden spoon in the oil, if it bubbles, the oil is ready. You can also see the oil shimmering in the pan a bit.
• The dough should be thin. This allows it to fry quickly and thoroughly without leaving any raw dough in the middle. If you are using the biscuits, stretch each biscuit as thin as it will go without tearing and carefully place it into the hot oil. If you are using pizza dough like I am today, just use something to cut approximately 2-inch circles out of the dough.
• Depending on how big your frying pan is you can put more than one biscuit in at a time. I generally put two or three in at once.
• When the biscuits are golden brown on the bottom, flip them over and fry the other side. I use a tongs to do this; however, you could use two forks to flip them. Be careful not to splash the hot oil.
• It takes approximately 30 seconds to fry on each side. This goes quickly once you start to fry.
• When the biscuits are done on each side, carefully place them on to a paper towel to catch the excess oil.
• Cover both sides with cinnamon sugar and serve warm.
• Optional is to add the pie filling or jam on top.

ELEPHANT EARS

Steps:

• Heat milk with butter until butter melts.
• Set aside to cool to lukewarm.
• Stir yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar into warm water and let stand until foamy, about 5 to 10 minutes.
• In a large bowl, combine milk and yeast mixtures with 2 1/2 cups flour, salt, and nutmeg.
• Stir until smooth.
• Cover and let stand until bubbly, 30 minutes.
• Stir in beaten eggs, then add additional flour to make a soft but not sticky dough.
• Turn dough onto a floured board and knead until smooth, supple, and elastic, about 8 minutes.
• Return dough to bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until dough is doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch down and divide into 4 pieces.
• Divide each piece into 4 or 5 pieces.
• Put several inches of oil in a large, deep pan such as a chicken fryer or heavy dutch oven.
• Heat to about 360 degrees F.
• Work each ball of dough with the hands, shaping into a large disk, about 10 inches long and 6 inches wide.
• Fry one at a time, turning once, until nicely browned.
• Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar or cinnamon sugar while hot.
• Serve at once.

MINI ELEPHANT EARS

Steps:

• Thaw the dough at room temperature for about 2 hours. Heat oil in an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer to 375°. Combine the sugar and cinnamon; set aside. , Stretch each piece of dough into a flat ear shape. Fry, a few at a time, for 1-1/2 minutes per side or until browned. Drain on paper towels. Brush with butter; sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.

ELEPHANT EARS

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in water. Add milk, sugar, salt, shortening and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , On a floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl; turn once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Punch down and shape into 15 ovals, 5-1/2-in. round by 1/8-in. thick. Heat 3-4 in. of oil to 375° in deep-fat fryer. Fry ovals, one at a time, 3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Drain. Mix sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over warm pastries.

MINI ELEPHANT EARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease cookie sheet with shortening. Sprinkle a clean surface with sugar. On sugared surface, roll pastry sheets into 12X9 1/2 inch rectangle that is 1/8 inch thick. Mark a line lengthwise down center of pastry rectangle. Fold long sides of rectangle towards the centerline, leaving 1/4 inch uncovered at center. Fold rectangle lengthwise in half, pressing pastry together to form a strip, 12X2 1/2 inches. Cut strip crosswise into 1/4 inch slices. Mix sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Dip slices in sugar mixture to coat both sides. Put slices about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes, turning after 5 minutes, until cookies begin to turn golden brown. Immediately remove cookies to wire rack to cool. (makes about 48 cookies)

EASY ELEPHANT EARS

Steps:

• Mix sugar and cinnamon together and set aside. If a shaker is available it works great for this.
• Heat oil in a large skillet to about 1 inch and about 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• If drop of water sizzles when dropped into the oil it is hot enough.
• Open biscuits and flatten carefully as large as you can get them without breaking. It is sometimes easier to stretch them in your hands like pizza dough rather than rolling out on the counter.
• Place 1 at a time in hot oil; watch carefully and turn when the bottom starts to brown lightly.
• When both top and bottom are the same color, remove from oil to paper towels.
• Immediately brush both sides with melted butter with pastry brush, and sprinkle each side liberally with cinnamon sugar.
• Eat immediately.