Spicy Chicken Corn Dogs with Homemade Chili Sauce

Ingredients

• 1  ancho chili pepper 
• 2 large prune- cut to pieces pitted
• 1 cup beef broth low-sodium
• 1 cup canned tomatoes 
• 0.3 cup tomato paste 
• 1 small onion peeled cut into quarters
• 1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses 
• 2 cloves garlic peeled
• 0.3 cup pumpkin seeds raw unsalted
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin 
• 1 teaspoon oregano fresh
• 0.5 cup i would have liked to use an version of masa but i couldn't find one at the time of making the tamal (see Kitchen Tip #1)
• 0.3 cup cornmeal stone-ground
• 1 cup rice flour divided
• 1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder 
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar 
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar 
• 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1  juice of lime 
• 0.5 cup rice milk 
• 5 cups canola oil 
• 4  mild chicken sausage cooked

Equipment

• food processor
• bowl
• paper towels
• sauce pan
• ladle
• mixing bowl
• pot
• kitchen thermometer
• skewers
• immersion blender

Directions

1. Soak 8 bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes. Set aside.
2. Cut the top of the dried chili and shake out the seeds.
3. Transfer them into a saucepan along with the prunes, broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, onion, molasses, garlic, pumpkin seeds, cumin, and oregano. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat and cook for 2 minutes; then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes more.
4. Using an immersion blender, puree the mixture until completely smooth. Return to the heat and simmer, uncovered, for another 15 to 20 minutes. (If you dont have an immersion blender, carefully ladle the sauce into a food processor, and process until smooth, working in batches; then return to the pot.) Set the sauce aside until ready to serve with the corndogs, or if you are making this ahead of time, once the sauce has cooled, transfer it to a container and refrigerate.
5. In a mixing bowl, combine the masa harina, cornmeal, cup of the rice flour, baking powder, brown sugar, and salt and mix to combine.
6. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well to combine.
7. Add the rice milk and lime juice and mix to combine. The mixture should resemble a thick pancake batter; if more milk is needed, add by the tablespoonful. Cover and refrigerate the mixture if you are not going to be frying right away.
8. When you are ready to cook, heat the oil in a saucepan until it registers 350F on a deep-frying thermometer. While the oil is heating, place the remaining rice flour on a paper plate and set aside.
9. Cut each chicken sausage in half crosswise, to make eight pieces.
10. Roll each piece of sausage in the rice flour to lightly coat. Thread the moistened bamboo skewers through the sausage pieces, so that the tips of the skewers are not quite poking out the top. Holding it by its skewer, dip a floured sausage piece into the batter, until it is completely coated. Carefully lift the stick and hold it over the bowl for a few seconds, allowing any excess batter to drip off. Repeat with another skewer. Carefully place two corn dogs into the hot oil and cook until they are crusty on the outside, and dark golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
11. Drain on paper towels and keep warm. Repeat with each skewered sausage, allowing the oil to return to 350F in between.
12. Serve immediately with the chili.