1 cup water
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch salt and pinch nutmeg
canola oil for frying
spiced sugar (see below)

Add together water, brown sugar and butter to pot. Bring to boil over medium heat and dump in flour. Keep pot on heat, and using wooden spoon, stir quickly. Flour will clump together. Remove pot from heat and allow to cool slightly. Add together the egg, vanilla, the salt and the nutmeg and mix well with flour mixture. Then allow this mixture to cool completely.

Heat about 1/2-inch oil in deep saucepan until hot. (A drop of water added to hot oil will sizzle.) Roll a few tablespoon - sized scoops batter into balls. (You may need to add more flour if batter sticks.) Flatten each ball between your hands or with flat spatula until about 1/2-inch thick. Craggy sides are fine. Drop each round into oil and fry until brown and crisp,about 1 to 2 minutes on each side. You may fry about 3 pucks at one time but do not crowd. Remove them from oil and drain on paper towels.

Spiced Sugar:

1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
cayenne pepper
cocoa powder

For spiced sugar, whisk together 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, small shake cayenne pepper (a little goes a long way) and shake of cocoa powder in shallow bowl. While fried rounds are still hot, shake and turn them to coat both sides with spiced sugar.

Submitted by: Eileen