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Fried Twinkie could
make fancy dessert

Took the kids to the Hawaii State Farm Fair last weekend and came across something I had thought to be urban legend -- the Fried Twinkie.

I'd read about these, but never actually confronted one. The idea always seemed way too audacious and, well, greasy. But, hey, at the fair you're surrounded by fried things, why not one more? In fact, this particular food stand also had Fried Oreos on the menu, although they weren't available at the moment. Shucks.

In this job, I've learned you must give all edible creations at least one try. This has led to many adventures: veal cheeks (yum), natto (yuck), sea urchin (depends on the circumstances).

Fried Twinkies turned out to be a revelation. Crunchy on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside -- and they don't even taste like Twinkies. Really, if you slice these on the diagonal and dress them up with whipped cream and berries, you could fool a lot of people.

These sentiments were echoed by a lady behind me in line, who wondered out loud if you could make these at home. Probably, I told her, although I wrote her name on the back of a food scrip which I think I spent on grilled corn. Sorry about that; I hope you're reading.

I found this recipe in "Local Style," a benefit cookbook put out by Moanalua High School's Project Graduation 2006 (thank you, Kellsie Kawaoka, mother of Trevan, class of '06). "Local Style" has been written up in this space before, but I figure any group with the fortitude to include Fried Twinkies deserves another mention ($15 by mail; e-mail pg06@hawaii.rr.com to order).

This recipe has been adapted slightly after home-testing. One tip: To decrease the grease, remove Twinkies from the hot pot with tongs and tap the tongs sharply on the side of the pot to shake off excess oil.

Heat oil to 374 degrees.

Combine batter ingredients and mix until smooth. Dip Twinkies in batter and fry until golden brown, about 90 seconds. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Nutritional information unavailable.

Can you help?

Carolyn Kirby is looking for recipes for mountain apples. Anybody got any ideas?