Fried Jelly Sandwiches

My sweet, loving roommate often likes to accuse me of remembering her childhood better than she does. I do--mostly because some of what I remember is what she wouldn't. Miss B had a few semi-sibling inspired accidents as a kid. Once while Nathan or I were supposed to be watching her, she grabbed Mom's curling iron and burned her poor little hand to nearly a crisp. The weekend after, we visited friends of my parents (whose name for the life of me I cannot remember). That trip included a visit to the local dump to watch the local bears dine, multiple walks in the woods (which you don't get a lot of in the Midwest--B's first comment on my first apartment here in Chapel Hill? "It is like living at camp!"), and an explosion of delicate flavor on my tongue as I tasted these amazing creations for the first time.

Years later, in my second year at girls' camp, one of the extra goals to pass off was "bring a recipe and prepare it." Being the overachiever that I was, I decided to bring this delicious recipe. Yep, in a cast iron skillet, I deep fried jelly sandwiches. They were such a hit, that the next two years, the other girls in my year begged that I make them again--and I did.

Ruth's Birthday Jubilee has been happening now for a few years. If you know Ruth, one of her favorite events is the North Carolina State Fair. The girl could give tours of the best food places at the fair with a map of what order to eat them in (deep fried Oreos, Methodist ham biscuits, a pineapple whip halfway through to cleanse the palate in order to keep going). In order to bring October's State Fair to February, fried jelly sandwiches have made another appearance.

The entire house smells like the fair when you make them (It is how Evelyn found the house this year), but biting into a golden, fried triangle made with homemade, Bear-Lake-Idaho-raspberry jam and sprinkled with powdered sugar, brings heaven a little closer. They are a little rich, but you don't have to make a lot.

The basic recipe:

• Make Jelly Sandwiches - 2 slices of white or wheat with your favorite jam or jelly smeared in between.
• Mix up some kind of pancake or waffle batter (adding a little more water--or milk depending on the recipe--to make it more liquid than regular batter).
• Heat vegetable oil, canola, or Crisco (butter-flavor adds a little extra flavor) in a deep pot or deep fryer (enough to cover the sandwich pretty well).
• Dip sandwiches in the batter and fry until golden - either hold it under with tongs or flip halfway through.
• Place sandwiches onto napkins or paper towels to blot off excess oil.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into fourths.
• Eat warm if possible, but cold is great, too.

I know this is pretty much the opposite of a healthy post, but what can you do--sometimes you just need a little of the fair.