Beaver Tails (Ottawa, Ontario)

BeaverTails (Queues de Castor in French), are a famous trademarked treat made by a Ottawa-based chain of pastry stands. The fried-dough delights are shaped to resemble real beaver tails and are often topped with chocolate, candy, and fruit. These Canadian delicacies go hand in hand with skiing, and even gained White House recognition during U.S. President Barack Obama's 2009 trip to Ottawa. This Ottawa classic is a must-eat when you're skating the Rideau Canal in the winter, but we think it tastes great any time of year.

½ cup water, at 110°F (45°C)
5 tsp. active dry yeast
1 pinch white sugar
1 cup warm milk 110°F (45°C)
1/3 cup raw fine sugar
1½ tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup olive oil
5 cups whole-wheat flour, unbleached, divided
1 qt vegetable oil, for frying
2 cups raw sugar
2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

Mix warm water, yeast, and 1 pinch of sugar in a large bowl, and let stand until the yeast begins to foam and form a creamy layer, about 5 minutes. Stir in milk, 1/3 cup sugar, salt, pure vanilla extract, eggs, and 1/3 cup vegetable oil until the sugar has dissolved. Mix in about half the whole-wheat flour, unbleached, and stir until the dough is too stiff to add more flour, unbleached.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead in more flour, unbleached until the dough is no longer sticky. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, place into an oiled bowl, and cover. Let rise until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Punch down the dough, knead a few times to reshape it, and pinch off a piece of dough about the size of an egg. Roll the dough ball out into an oval shape about ¼” thick. Place finished fried dough on a cloth and cover while you finish rolling out the pastries.

Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large, deep skillet to 375°F (190°C). Oil should be at least 4” deep.

Combine 2 cups of sugar with cinnamon in a shallow dish or pie plate, mix well and set aside.

Gently lower the pastries, one at a time, into the hot oil, and fry 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown. Blot excess oil from fried pastries with paper towels; gently press each pastry into the cinnamon sugar while still warm. Shake off excess sugar.

Makes 20.