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Back for seconds, are we? Oh well, at least these articles
are almost as big a hit as the actual product. BabyPowdr here, bringing you a
straight up order of deep fried grease balls (as muv calls them). So, first off,
what on Earth posses someone to toss a Twinkie in a deep fryer? Well, here's the
scoop (want one or two?):
Shortly after opening his shop (ChipShop, Brooklyn, NY) some 14 months ago,
Christopher Sell (from Rugby, England) and his cohorts did what any red-blooded
Brit would do with an industrial deep fryer: they began frying everything they
could get their hands on. And then ate it. Fried Mars Bars, long a Scottish
delicacy, were a no-brainer for the crew. M&Ms fell through the fry basket and
burned to a crisp. Peppermint Patties were a disaster that Sell can't even bring
himself to think about. Then someone suggested tossing Twinkies, a peculiarly
American snack Sell had never before encountered, into the vat of 400-degree
oil. And fried Twinkies turned out to be a revelation.
Nicely enough, I can tell you what they taste like. They actually taste very
good. The white vanilla filling inside the Hostess treat infuses into the golden
sponge cake and lends a surprisingly delicate, banana-like (I think that,
anyways) flavor. On the outside, the batter you dip the Twinkies in becomes
crispy while the inside becomes soft and somewhere between fluffy and
pudding-like. They are served with chocolate topping, berries, icing sugar, and
basically any other topping that is acceptable to eat with dessert. Mmm...
yummy.
How on earth did this thing get 'discovered'? Well... a New York Times food
reporter was eating there, and she ate one. She reviewed it, and it became
pretty popular pretty fast. Mr. Sell says he put it on the menu as a joke, but
look at where it's gotten him. Sold at $3 American (!!!) each, with over 28,000
sold in the first 18 days... whoa! Mr. Sell, however, is afraid he'll be forever
known only for his fried Twinkies. Hm... this may be the peak of your career,
but if you're forever known for the Twinkies, that's gotta tell you something
about your fish and chips.
But what does this little crispy thing do to us? First, let's look at a Twinkie
*looks admiringly into package in hand* *sigh*... they're beautiful...
Anyways... the Twinkie's storied history began 71 years ago in Chicago when
baker Jimmy Dewar concocted the cream-filled golden snack cake. (Originally, it
was banana cream.) The name came from a billboard advertising the Twinkle Toe
Shoe, and Dewar called his sweet treat "the best darn-tootin' idea I ever had."
Of course, that was before somebody thought about battering it and throwing it
in hot oil. From those humble beginnings, the Twinkie became an American
cultural legend. Kids clamored for the spongy cake in their lunch boxes and many
still recall licking Twinkie remains from the white cardboard in the twin-pack.
Today, Hostess bakes 500 million Twinkies in bakeries across the country. We're
pretty sure that Dewar never imagined this sort of success or that something
called the Internet would perpetuate dastardly scientific experiments on the
innocent sweet. (Go to www.twinkiesproject.com/index.html for a
look.)
Now, these things are delicious, and Oh, yeah, and totally disastrous for your
health. Why? Because the fact is that a deep-fried Twinkie -- before toppings --
has roughly three times the calories and six times the fat of a regular one.
This however, does not seem to bother customers. But just how bad are they for
your health? After deep-frying, a Twinkie packs an estimated 400 calories and 28
grams of fat. Yeowza! (To quote the Times Editor.)
But still. Deep-fried Twinkies. Sort of takes your breath away, doesn't it? I
mean, look at the little innocent slug shaped cake in front of you. It has
created a craze, that has swept the nation. What is that line from an old song?
The dance sensation of a new generation that has swept the nation? So, that
would make this, the new cake sensation of our generation, that is sweeping the
nation. UGH! I just was thinking about how we don't have this is Canada, and I
am now praying that they don't start deep frying maple donuts like this to
disguise them. Trick us into eating them... ugh! YUCKIEZ!!! Anyways, I found
this for you:
If you find yourself in Brooklyn and need a Twinkie fix, or maybe some fish and
chips, the ChipShop is at 383 Fifth Ave. in the Park Slope neighborhood; (718)
832-7701. Check it out online at www.chipshopnyc.com. Or here's a handy
dandy recipe!
Deep-Fried Twinkies
6 Twinkies
Popsicle sticks
4 cups vegetable oil
Flour for dusting
For batter:
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Chill or freeze Twinkies for several hours or overnight.
Heat 4 cups vegetable oil in deep fryer to about 375 degrees.
To make batter: Mix together milk, vinegar and oil. In another bowl, blend
flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk wet ingredients into dry and continue
mixing until smooth. Refrigerate while oil heats.
Push stick into Twinkie lengthwise, leaving about 2 inches to use as a handle,
dust with flour and dip into the batter. Rotate Twinkie until batter covers
entire cake. Place carefully in hot oil. The Twinkie will float, so hold it
under with a utensil to ensure even browing. It should turn golden in 3 to 4
minutes. Depending on the size of your deep fryer, you might be able to fry only
one at a time, two at the most.
Remove Twinkie to paper towel and let drain. Remove stick and allow Twinkie to
sit for about 5 minutes before serving.
Makes 6.
Variation: Slice Twinkie into 4 pieces. Flour and batter each before frying.
With this treatment, one Twinkie will serve two people if accompanied by a
sauce.
-- Source: Janet K. Keeler, Times food editor (that is the New York Times,
folks)
Berry Sauce
1 10-ounce jar of seedless raspberry preserves
1 cup fresh or frozen mixed berries
In a saucepan, heat preserves over low heat until melted. Add 1 cup of fresh or
frozen mixed berries. Heat until sauce just simmers. Cover; refrigerate until
served. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
Source: www.pastrywhiz.com.
There you have it. That's all I know about the deep fried Twinkies. Hopefully
you get a chance to try one or two! See you later folks, I've got to make myself
some tasty mashed potatoes! (I swear I live offa potatoes.)
BabyPowdr
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