If you’re around the Toronto area, you know about the C.N.E., which stands for Canadian National Exhibition. But it really stands for Caker National Exhibition because if there’s anything that cakers love more than hot mini donuts, it’s going on the Tilt-a-Whirl and then vomiting up those donuts into the nearest trash can while a friend holds your hair back.
Like most cakers, I go to the C.N.E. every year but I don’t go for the rides. I go for the food. You’ll find me hanging out at the ice cream waffle stand, flirting with the fudge ladies or trying to tackle a pogo dog without looking like I’m in an adult movie. I also visit the Home Building and watch people wearing headset mikes try to convince me that this mop will change my life forever.
I’ll be heading to the C.N.E. this week and might post some of my observations. In the meantime, enjoy these colourful – and delicious! – carnival cookies, made with the wholesome goodness of Froot Loops. Which means you can totally eat them for breakfast.
2 cups Froot Loops
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup soft shortening
½ cup soft butter
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
½ cup orange juice
½ cup chopped walnuts
Crush Froot Loops into fine crumbs using rolling pin. Set aside. Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Beat shortening, butter and sugar together. Add eggs and orange juice. Beat well. Add dry ingredients, crushed Froot Loops and walnuts. Mix well. Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes. Makes 5 dozen.
That's totally a nutritious breakfast right there. I might actually make those.
ReplyDeleteI think a blog post about 'My trip to the CNE' is a great idea. Complete with pictures. You with your arm around one of those scary, tattooed carnie people.
Tim, you should totally make these. Just don't hold it against me if a toucan shows up at your house.
DeleteI'll do what I can about getting a photo with one of those tattooed carnie folk, but they can be temperamental at times.
Hey Brian, That's a smashing idea. You should totally do a feature "a caker at the fair" and feature the various foods you tried, the rides you got sick on, and the large foam hammer you won at the whack a mole booth! Don't forget to try a cronut burger http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2013/08/14/toronto-cne-extraordinary-foods.html
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the fact that you think I have the skill set to win a game of whack a mole, but I assure you, I don't. It's too complicated for me and those mole heads pop up so darn fast! If I see a cronut burger, I'll give it a taste. But only AFTER the Tilt-a-Whirl. I've gotten wiser about these things over the years.
DeleteAll you need to do is cry after loosing repeatedly at Whack a mole. I've seen it work even on a hardened carnie, mind you that was my four year old nephew.... He did end up with a very nice prize though.
DeleteThese sound like a really good idea! And now I'm wondering what else I could put crushed Froot Loops into.
ReplyDeleteOh, and add my vote for a "Caker goes Carny" post. I'm guessing a Pogo Dog is what we call a corndog and yes, we want pictures.
Lots of pictures.
And what about the hubs? I don't think we've heard any opinions from the Italians lately.
I sometimes use crushed Froot Loops as part of my beauty regime. They make a great exfoliator.
DeleteTrust me, no one wants to see pictures of me going to town on a corndog. If they did, I'd be selling them.
The Eyetalian (as I refer to him) and I are on shaky ground these days. He keeps screaming, "Stop making caker food!" And I keep screaming, "You created this monster!" Needless to say, we're in therapy.
In the Midwest, we call C.N.E's County or State fairs. You can go to the tractor pull, check out the cows in the 4H building, see a concert, and get just about anything from a snickers bar to a stick of butter deep fried. It'll be interesting to see what a Canadian fair is like.
ReplyDeleteThe US and Canadian fairs are probably more or less the same, Polly. But you likely don't have beaver wrestling matches like we do. They can get pretty violent!
DeleteBy the way, I made something "chipper" the other night - and it was delicious. I'll let you know when it's going up.
I really think those lovely coloured cookies could do double duty! As soon as I laid my eyes on them I thought " Christmas", what with the pink and green 'highlights' of the fruit loops.
ReplyDeleteChristmas Morning Breakfast here I come!
By the way, our PNE is so much cooler than the CNE, which is so elitist and so Rob Ford . We've got cool hipsters, zero emissions tractor pulls and only vegan food. Feeling sorry for you in Toronto.
Wish you were here in fabulous Leftcouver BC.
You just gave me a terrific idea-what if you took slices of leftover Christmas pudding, dipped it in egg, then dredged it in crushed Fruit Loops before frying it in butter?
DeleteThat's Boxing Day breakfast, sorted.
Look at the two of you, taking Christmas to new heights of saturated fat! I feel like a proud papa.
DeleteI *love* the C.N.E. It has been so many years since I lived in Toronto. It's the one Toronto summer ritual that makes me so very homesick. I also skipped the rides and went to food and craft pavillions. So many Tiny Tom donuts. So little time.
ReplyDelete2 memories really stand out for me from the C.N.E. 1. At age 9 riding the giant swing ride while listening to Eddy Grant's "Electric Avenue" and 2. The jingle "Let's go to the EX. Oh baby. Let's go to the EX! So much at the EX oh baby. Let's go to the EX. There's to much to see at the C.N.E. It's the EX!"
I went to the C.N.E. tonight, Laura. And believe me, I ate enough for the two of us.
DeleteOh my! Hope you didn't try the cronut burger after all. Just saw this headline that 12 people got food poisoning at the CNE yesterday after eating one!
Deletehttp://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/12-fall-ill-toronto-cne-eating-cronut-burger-134454796.html
I managed to escape the cronut burger! I was going to get one, but the lineup was too long. So I passed. Good thing.
DeleteWe'll be heading next week - can't wait to get a look at a cro-nut. Not sure I will actually eat one but I'll try to get a picture of somebody else eating one.
ReplyDeleteAnd the cookies look great- I've been looking for a good breakfast cookie recipe.
Why have a cronut when you can eat a S'mores chicken wiener? Yep, it's true. I'll be posting all of my food findings this Friday.
DeleteThis recipe comes from the back of the cereal box in the 60s or 70s! I have a photocopy of the original recipe. It also includes a frosting made with utter, orange juice and confectioners sugar. The you use front loop pieces to make faces in the frosting. We’re making them right now!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to see these wholesome, nutritious recipes live on. Why deny the children of today the chance to develop a mouth full of cavities of their very own?
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