Baby Elephant Ears

We all have that one county fair or festival food that we love and look forward to diving into. For many of us, it is with great anticipation and eagerness that we can hardly control our wait, and it may not be until that moment when we can actually touch, smell and taste our delectable food, that those urges subside.

There are so many foods to choose from, most of them being deep fried, while others are a little more on the healthy side, but hey – those crazy fair foods only come once a year – so enjoy!

Do you have a favorite? Cotton candy, caramel apples, French fries, gyros, cheese on a stick, the apple fritter, or how about the Italian sausage sandwich lathered in peppers and onions? These a just a few of our favorites, the list is a long one! Are you hungry yet, and already craving your favorite just by reading this article?

elephant ears

There is one more fair food that many of us are eager for and it tops the list when it comes to the favorites; the Elephant Ear. For those that love Elephant Ears, they get to choose from plain, powdered sugar, or cinnamon and sugar goodness. That warm fluffy piece of dough, deep fried to soft but crispy perfection: yum!

But what do we do when the fairs and festivals have come and gone? You could wait another year to enjoy your favorite crazy fair food, or you can settle for something close to what you truly enjoy! Most fair foods can be made right at home in your own kitchen; you just need the right recipe, along with the right ingredients. our finished product won’t be exactly the same, but it will curb those cravings until the next fair or festival comes along!

At the Great Geauga County Fair, there has been one concessionaire family that has been in attendance for over 40 plus years making most of your favorite deep fried treats: The Burbach family! This local, three generation and still-going-strong concession stand family, knows exactly how you want your food and drink prepared, and they go above and beyond to be sure that is just how you receive it.

The Burbach family

The Burbach family

The Burbach’s stay current with the food trends too. I had the pleasure of trying one of Jody’s deep-fried Oreos’ when they were first introduced, so yummy! Did you know each and every member of the Burbach family at one point or another has made or served up our favorite foods? Some of the family members help in the trailer preparations by doing cleaning and then do setup and breakdown, two very important jobs this family takes seriously and they do so because they want to make sure your food is safe and healthy for your consumption.

The next time you attend a local fair or festival, check out who is making your food. Pay close attention as to who owns and operates those food and drink stands, because with all the traveling this family does, you will probably be noticing a “Burbach Family” sign on the front of each of your favorite fair and festival foods!

This recipe is fun to make and tastes great, not as great as Jody Burbach makes her Elephant Ears, but a great second!

elephant ears

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 box Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
  • ¼ cup butter, melted

Directions:

Heat your oven to 375 degrees.
Place two 12-inch squares of waxed paper on your work surface.
In small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon.
On your work surface, unroll 1 crust. Brush with butter; sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar.
Top the first crust with the second crust. Brush the top of your second crust with butter, then sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar; roll up.
Cut the roll into 12 (1-inch) slices, then press down slightly, and roll (using a rolling pin) each roll up individually between the sheets of waxed paper to 1/4-inch slices. If you need to replace the wax paper during this process of rolling them up then please feel free to do so.
Place them on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 12-15 minutes, just until golden brown and crisp. (depending on your oven)
Cool on cooling rack, serve alone or with vanilla ice cream!

Sheryl Gusler

ENJOY! From: “In the Kitchen with Sheryl!”

Geauga News
Author: Geauga News