Hushpuppy fever

I love, no I Love, no I LOVE hushpuppies, but I used to never make them because I thought it would be too labor intensive and messy, so I always bought the frozen kind. Until I found this recipe on Allrecipes - so much better than the frozen stuff! I've tweaked the recipe each time I've made them and now, I think I've finally gotten it right.  Here's the recipe as it is shown on the website:

Vickie's Hushpuppies

Ingredients

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 1 cup self-rising cornmeal
• 1 quart oil for frying

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, sugar, and onion. Blend in flour and cornmeal.
2. Heat 2 inches of oil to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C). Drop batter by rounded teaspoonfuls in hot oil, and fry until golden brown. Cook in small batches to maintain oil temperature. Drain briefly on paper towels. Serve hot.

Here's the oh-so-addictive tweak I've found:
1. I halve the recipe, but, I DO NOT halve the amount of sugar. A half recipe will still feed 4 people.
2. I use Splenda instead of sugar, just a personal choice.
3. I add Garlic Powder, Salt and Pepper to taste - a few tosses of the shaker, for me.
4. I grate the onion instead of chopping it. This will allow you to get all the juice out of the onion.
5. I add chopped jalepeños. Don't worry about coring, seeding and burning your skin and eyes, just buy a jar of chopped jalepeños and toss in a few Tablespoonfuls.
6. If you don't have any self-rising cornmeal, use regular cornmeal and add 1/2 teaspoon of Baking Powder to the halved recipe.

If you read some of the reviews of this recipe, you will see people adding milk or buttermilk because they didn't think the consistency of the batter was right. Add some if you must, but remember, the batter should be a doughy, not soupy. I added milk the first few times I made these, but really, I promise, you don't need to. I love serving these with Salmon Patties or Crab Cakes, but I could make a meal out of them alone! Try this recipe and let me know what you think! :)