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Attending a small-town “Olde Fashioned Fair” this weekend, I stepped out of the car and onto the curb, only to be transported by a redolent aroma.

Suddenly, through a barrage of nostalgia, I was transported to my early teen years when I attended state fairs and the only thing on my mind was how many rides I could purchase (my favorite being the Flying Bobs or Snowball Express or the Spider — spinning rides were highly favored over upside down rides). And, of course, which cute boys from school I might see while I pretended I hadn’t.

I’m confidant you can relate.

What aromas conjure state and county fair memories for you?

Probably the same as for me.

Top of the list? Pronto Pups, Elephant Ears, and the Oregon State Fair had the most amazing homemade scones filled with strawberry jam I’ve ever eaten. In fact, they may be my favorite fair food. I was not a fan of cotton candy.

You don’t have to wait for your local, county or state fairs to bring back those youthful loves.

Over the next couple of weeks, we’re gathering our favorite State Fair Food recipes and passing them along to you. If you have a favorite state fair food… we’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

Before the summer is over — indulge in at least one of your favorites.

We’ll start with one of mine…

State Fair Corn Dogs (Pronto Pups)

What makes this recipe special is that it’s from renowned Seattle area chef and restaurateur Tom Douglas.

CORN DOG BATTER, from Seattle-based, Allrecipes

Ingredients

1 cup yellow cornmeal·
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, sugar and baking powder. Stir in eggs and milk.

 

STATE FAIR FAVORITE FOODS ARTICLE SERIES

• Fisher State Fair Scones and Raspberry Jam
• 10 Award Winning Pies To Make This Summer
• State Fair Corn Dogs Recipe from Renowned Chef