Healthy Corndogs!

'Healthy corndogs' seems like a total oxymoron, but I have figured out a way to make the kid friendly food good for you, and still taste delicious!

I have never, NEVER liked corn dogs.  I probably could have gone the rest of my life without ever having another, especially when faced with the greasy, glistening ones staring at me through a lit window in a convenience store.  Do those things even qualify as food?  Maybe fud.

This week I was planning out meals before heading to the grocery store.  I always ask my family for input, and my son asked for corn dogs.  Ugh.  I pictured the boxes of frozen grocery store ones, and just couldn't do it.  Surely I could come up with something better than those, a version that is nutritious, tasty, and still appealing to children.  I wanted to surprise my son (he knew even by asking for them that he wouldn't get the regular ones!).

I took a whole grain biscuit recipe and revised it to be wrapped easily around organic, nitrate-free hot dogs.  They turned out to be nicely shaped, and tasted great.  I even enjoyed them!  My kids were so excited they actually jumped up and down!

Corn Dogs

3/4 cup whole grain barley flour
3/4 cup stone ground cornmeal*
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
8 hot dogs (preferably organic, nitrate-free, or veggie dogs)
1 tbsp melted butter
8 popsicle or lollipop sticks

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the barley flour, cornmeal, all purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Whisk together the buttermilk, oil, and egg.  Pour into the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Turn onto a well floured cutting board.  Pat into a rectangle and cut into 8 squares. 

Insert sticks into each hot dog, about halfway up.  Pat one square into a thin rectangle and wrap it around one hot dog, pinching and smoothing seams.  Place on the prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining hot dogs and biscuits.

Brush each corn dog with the melted butter.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove to a wire rack to cool about 5 minutes before serving.

*Stone ground cornmeal is different than the cornmeal found in the regular baking aisle, which has had the bran and germ removed, resulting in a less nutritious product.  Stone ground means that it's whole grain, and is most often found in the natural foods section.  Bob's Red Mill makes an excellent, dependable brand.  You may even substitute stone ground blue cornmeal for a different flavor and fun color option!