Jamaican Festivals recipe (with a twist)

I hope (in 2016) to experiment with the kids in the kitchen a lot more. I am still putting the plans into place, but this will hopefully allow us to try different types of foods from all over the world. This week we tried a different recipe. This recipe is a favorite in our home. It is one that we turn to for special occasions.

On our last baking session, I noticed how fast the little ones are growing up. It's amazing to see how they pass milestones and grow into their own, They are really excelling in the kitchen as well; trying different ingredients, experimenting with textures and consistencies of the foods they are cooking. It's a nice thing to see.
Let's get on with the recipe details, shall we?

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
 3 tablespoons cornmeal
 1 cup water
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 3 tablespoons sugar
 1 teaspoon baking powder
 1 teaspoon vanilla 
*sugar crystals of various colours -optional* We bought ours at Dollarama.

Directions

1. Sieve the flour in to a bowl and stir in the cornmeal, salt, sugar and baking powder.
2. Add the teaspoon of vanilla to the cup of water
3.  Add a small amount of water in to the mixture, work the water in to the mixture with your fingertips.
4.  Keep adding small amounts of water to the mixture, when half of the cup has been added the mixture should resemble breadcrumbs.
5.  If the mixture gets too sticky to work with, add more flour
6.  Knead each portion and roll it in to a small sausage shape
7.  Keep adding water until the mixture becomes a firm dough which is only slightly sticky (you should not need to add the whole cup)
8. Cover the mixture and leave to stand for half hour
9. Divide the mixture into small portions
10. Cover each festival in a mixture of flour and cornmeal
11. Sprinkle sugar crystals on a clean surface and roll dough (with a bit of pressure)
12. Shape festivals (you like) & deep fry in oil of your choice. 
13. Remove from oil and place on paper towel/napkin to soak oil
14. Enjoy!

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