Pancake Puppies

Pancake Puppies 3 cups pancake mix (don't pack into measuring cup just scoop and scrape off excess) 1/3 cup sugar 1 1/2 tsp . ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp . ground nutmeg 2 eggs beaten 3/4 cup milk 2 tbsp . oil plus more for frying cinnamon sugar icing, or maple syrup for dipping Icing: 1 cup powdered sugar 1-2 tbsp . milk 1 tsp . vanilla or maple extract Pour several inches of oil into a deep saucepan. Begin heating it up to 375 degrees over medium-high heat. It's important to use a cooking thermometer to get it to the right temperature and not overheat the oil. In a large bowl, combine pancake mix, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, milk, beaten eggs and 2 tbsp. oil. Give it a good stir until well mixed. Scoop batter up using a spoon or a small cookie scooper and drop into the hot oil. Two things to really remember when making these. Don't make them too big and don't let your oil get out of control hot. A generous teaspoon of the batter is enough. Keep an eye on your oil temperature by using a cooking thermometer. Drop those puppies into the oil. Flip them over once during cooking so the get evenly brown on all sides. Don't try to cook too many at one time. Small batches work best so you have a chance to flip them around as they cook. Continue with this process until they are all done. When they are finished frying, place them onto a paper towel lined tray to drain excess grease. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar as soon as they come out of oil. Or make icing to dip them in. To make the icing, stir together powdered sugar, milk and extract in a small bowl. Stir until smooth - then serve.