The First Snow of the Season

An unexpected treat yesterday -- a late afternoon snowstorm.  Although the vague forecast called for "a wintry mix" and "snow showers," we were graced with a real storm that left an inch of wet snow in the yard and on the trees.

And so Ron took the girls sledding -- or should I say "saucer-ing" -- in the magical white and purple twilight. 

The sun was bright today but the air was still quite cold, and the three of them played outside again.  Two dignified snow people appeared in the yard -- one with a carrot nose and the other with silk flower eyes, both with fabric remnant scarves.

We always celebrate the first snow of the season with Snowflake Cakes -- my fanciful version of funnel cakes.  They are wildly unhealthy, so we eat them only on this one day each year.  Here's the recipe:

SNOWFLAKE CAKES

1 egg
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1-1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
Vegetable oil
Powdered sugar

Beat all ingredients except the vegetable oil and powdered sugar until smooth.  Batter should be thin enough to pour from a pitcher.

Pour vegetable oil into a cast iron skillet, to a depth of about 1/2- to 3/4-inch.  Heat the oil to about 375 degrees -- sizzling hot.  Drizzle the batter from a pitcher into the hot oil in a swirly, crisscross pattern to resemble a snowflake.

Let the cake brown on one side for about 1 minute, then turn and brown on the other side.  Lift carefully from the oil and drain on paper towels.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Makes 4 medium or 3 large snowflake cakes.