In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, gently combine the warm milk with the yeast. Let sit for 8 minutes to bloom.

Once the yeast has bloomed, add the light brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons canola oil, melted butter, salt, and vanilla. Whisk until combined.

Add the egg, whisk until combined.

Sift in the flour, half at a time. Mix by hand or with a dough hook until flour has been incorporated. Dough should be soft, but not overly sticky, add additional flour if needed 1 Tablespoon at a time.

Cover and let rise in a warm location for 45 minutes or until doubled in size.

While the oil is heating up, turn the dough out onto a clean and lightly floured surface. Slice the dough into 12 pieces.

Take each piece of dough and form into a ball by pulling the outer edges to the bottom center of the dough ball. Let the balls of dough rest, covered, for 15 minutes.

Fill a shallow dish with 2 cups of sugar and 2 Tablespoons of cinnamon, mix. Set near your frying station along with a wire rack over a baking sheet or paper towels to set the finished fried dough on.

Once the dough has rested and oil has come to temperature, use a rolling pin to flatten a few of the dough balls into oblong shapes, similar to a beaver’s tail. These should be very thin ¼” or less.

When cooked, pull the beaver tail out and let the excess oil drip for just a second before immediately dunking into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Cover completely, turning over as needed. Set on the wire rack to cool. Give this first one a taste and adjust cooking time or temperature as needed.

Continuously check the temperature of the oil to make sure it is not getting too hot or too cold.