I think we’ve all tried a dessert that’s completely covered in sugar at some point in our lives. There are many desserts like that in the United States, and although they can be bad for your health, I like to eat them occasionally.
Elephant ears are one of those foods, and before coming to the United States, I’d never even heard of them.
I knew there was a plant called elephant ear, so I was quite confused when a friend suggested we eat one. I’m pretty sure it’s a poisonous plant, and we all laughed a lot when I realized that wasn’t what he meant.
Elephant ears, known in Spain as Carnival ears, are very easy to make. This is my favorite recipe for preparing them.
Look at all that sugar!
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Milk | 2 cups |
| Flour (preferably plain wheat flour) | 4 cups |
| Dietary fat (shortening) | ½ cup |
| Brown sugar | 2 tablespoons |
| Baking powder | 1 tablespoon |
| Salt | 1 pinch |
| Cinnamon | 2 tablespoons |
| Sugar | 5 tablespoons |
| Rapeseed oil for frying the ears | as needed |
Preparation
- First, take a medium saucepan and place the stove over medium heat. Then, add salt, shortening, two tablespoons of brown sugar, and milk to the saucepan and stir well. The shortening and sugar will begin to dissolve. Continue stirring until the mixture is smooth. Then, remove it from the heat and let it cool. Add the yeast. It should start to foam within a few minutes.
- When the yeast foams, put the mixture in a larger bowl and add flour. Knead (don’t mix!) the mixture well, cover it with a kitchen towel, and let it rest for half an hour.
- Heat oil in a saucepan. The oil level should be about 2.5 cm deep. Take handfuls of dough and flatten them. Fry each sheet of dough for about 90 seconds on each side. The fritters are ready when they are golden brown. You can drain them on paper towels.
- Elephant ears smell great when they’re frying.
- And now for the sweet part: mix sugar and cinnamon in a cup and sprinkle the mixture over the still‑warm ears. Enjoy!
In some bakeries, elephant ears look like this.
Storage and Presentation Tips
Like most foods, elephant ears are best when freshly made. However, if you store them in an airtight container, like a Tupperware, they’ll keep for up to a week after you make them.
There’s no special way to serve them. Once they’re made, you can eat them just as they are. You can experiment and add Nutella or something else, but I assure you they’re just as good plain.
The sugar already makes them sweet enough, so there’s no need to add anything else.
Nutrition Facts
| Nutrition | Amount per Serving | % Daily Value* |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 310 kcal | 16% |
| Total Fat | 14 g | 18% |
| Saturated Fat | 2.5 g | 13% |
| Trans Fat | 0 g | |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 290 mg | 13% |
| Total Carbohydrate | 42 g | 15% |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g | 4% |
| Total Sugars | 14 g | |
| Protein | 5 g | 10% |
| Calcium | 20 mg | 2% |
| Iron | 1.8 mg | 10% |
Disclaimer: Nutrition estimates are for general guidance only, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Actual values vary with brands, portion sizes, and cooking methods.