The Old-School Cowboy Dessert For Donut Fans

A cowboy's typical diet was strange and not-at-all fancy, but they survived on more than beans, bacon, and biscuits in the Old West. They would travel miles and miles for a sweet treat that was one of the first iterations of the modern donut. Called Bear Sign, these fried dough confections had a permanent spot around open campfires after a long cattle drive. And any ranch Cookie who wanted to keep that title knew how to whip them up in cast-iron skillets. These rustic treats were little balls of sweetened dough, made with buttermilk, eggs, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and flour. Of course, they needed plenty of lard to fry them up. Enjoyed with a piping hot cup of black coffee, of course.

The early donuts earned the name Bear Sign because they looked like bear scat, having been dropped into hot grease with a big spoon. Unlike today's donuts, the sugary treats didn't have a hole in the middle. The first mention of a Bear Sign appears in a 19th-century cowboy's autobiography. They are also discussed in the fictional 1903 memoir, "The Log of a Cowboy" by Andy Adams. Western novelist Louis L'Amour also mentioned the treat in many of his frontier fiction books.

While there don't seem to be any restaurants, diners, or watering holes that currently serve Bear Sign, you can eat like the cowboys on the open range by whipping them up at home. This recipe from Petticoats and Pistols is an authentic version and makes enough for everyone, so you don't end up in a gun-slinging duel fighting over them. You can customize them to your liking with powdered sugar, molasses, or icing. Fresh fruit or nuts and a scoop of vanilla ice cream would also be tasty additions. And this homemade donut recipe is perfect for those looking to enjoy the more modern treat.

Bear Signs weren't the only sweets ranchers enjoyed along the trail. Dried fruit and canned peaches were commonly found in the chuck wagons if there was room. On the rare occasion cowboys did have molasses or sugar, they would use it to sweeten biscuits or even pour it over their beans.