Christina's Favorite Buffalo Wings

Ingredients

Wings:

• 1 (12-ounce) can beer
• 3 tablespoons hot sauce
• 2 pounds chicken wings
• Vegetable oil or shortening, for frying
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cayenne

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 5 tablespoons hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar

Blue Cheese Dip:

• 1 cup blue cheese, crumbled
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons minced onion
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Serving suggestion: carrot and celery sticks

Directions

To make the wings: In a large bowl, whisk together the beer and hot sauce. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.

To make the sauce: Combine all ingredients and set aside.

To make the dip: Combine all ingredients, place in a serving bowl and refrigerate until needed.

Add oil or shortening to a large pot or deep-fat fryer to make a depth of 1-inch. Heat to 375 degrees F.

Meanwhile, in a medium-size bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and cayenne. Strain the chicken wings and pat them dry. Lightly dust in the flour mixture. Fry the wings, in batches as necessary, turning every 3 minutes until crisp and brown, about 12 minutes (adjust the heat as needed to maintain temperature). Drain wings on paper towels and toss with butter sauce.

Serve immediately with blue cheese dip and carrot and celery sticks.