Great Success! Fried Dough!

I made this a couple months ago for a special Halloween Treat, but I'm very tempted to try it again. It's something that is warm and delicious, and great for an evening in when you just want to drink hot chocolate and munch on something delicious and festive. To be honest, I can't remember if I got the recipe from Food Network or Epicurious, but they have since taken the recipe down, and I can't give either proper credit. The recipe for the fried dough had maple syrup and cinnamon, which was a great alternative to the usual sugar. It was a delicious fall treat! I made the batter and tried to create a make-shift piping bag, but was pretty bad at it. I need more practice in that department.

Here is what I learned:

The fried dough works better when piped in thin pieces. You should remove excess oil well, and put LOTS of confectioner's sugar on top. Also, be sure to serve hot. They're far better when warm, but I also served them cold to some PRSSA kids, and I got some great reviews.

As you may have gathered by now, I'm a proud New Jerseyan, and I always remember Zeppoles from the church fairs and street festivals. This is basically the Italian fried dough, placed in a brown paper bag with confectioner's sugar, and then shaken up for a delicious warm and sugary bite. I can never turn down a visit to a Zeppole stand, and you really shouldn't either. Do you have any great fried dough memories or recipes?