Fried Coke

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Coca Cola, plus 1/3 cup for fritters
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 quarts canola oil for frying
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup Bisquick mix
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting surface
• 4 maraschino cherries

Directions

1. Pour 1 1/2 cups of Coca Cola into a small saucepan and cook it over medium high heat until it has cooked down to 1/2 a cup of concentrated cola, about 15 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let the concentrate cool.
2. As the cola cooks down, beat the cream with the granulated sugar, either in a stand mixer or by hand, until it holds stiff peaks. In a large bowl, mix together the confectioner's sugar and cinnamon, then put it aside.
3. Warm the oil in a large Dutch oven to 360 degrees F, adjusting the flame as needed so the temperature stays steady. While the oil heats, make the fritter dough.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the remaining 1/3 cup of Coca Cola with the vanilla. Add the Bisquick and stir until you have a sticky dough. Dust the top of the dough with flour until it becomes softer to handle and less tacky.
5. Move the dough onto a generously floured surface. Press it into a large square about 1/2 inch thick, then cut it into 3/4 inch squares. Shape each small square into a ball.
6. Working one at a time, set the balls into a shallow heat-resistant strainer and carefully lower them into the hot oil, frying no more than 4 at a time. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the undersides are golden. Use a heat-resistant strainer or tongs to gently flip them, then fry the other side until golden brown, about 1 minute longer.
7. Lift the fritters out of the oil with the strainer and place them on a wire cooling rack lined with paper towels. Continue frying the remaining dough balls in batches until they are all cooked.
8. Toss the fritters in the cinnamon sugar. Portion them into four low ball glasses, spoon the Coke concentrate over the top, then finish each with whipped cream and a cherry. Serve immediately.