Where To Find The Big Tex Choice Award Deep Fried Goodies At The State Fair Of Texas

Those are the Big Boots of Big Tex, standing guard at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas.

Early last month Big Tex gave out his 2009 Big Tex Choice Awards.

There were 8 finalists with the Best Taste Award going to Fernie's Deep Fried Peaches & Cream, with the Most Creative Award going to Deep Fried Butter.

The 6 Deep Fried Concoctions that did not win sound equally tasty and creative.

Below is a list of the 8 Finalists and where you can find them at the fair.

2009 Big Tex Choice Awards Finalists

Green Goblins – Cherry peppers are hollowed out, stuffed with spicy shredded chicken and guacamole, then battered and deep fried. Served three to a skewer and topped with queso. Located at the entrance to the Thrillway.

Deep Fried Butter – 100% pure butter is whipped till light and fluffy, then specially sweetened with a choice of several flavors. The tantalizing mixture is surrounded by a special dough and quick fried. Located on Nimitz Drive. Winner of Most Creative in the Big Tex Choice Awards competition.

Twisted Yam on a Stick – A delicious, towering, spiral-cut sweet potato on a 13” skewer is fried to a delicate crispy texture, then gently rolled in butter and dusted with cinnamon and sugar. Located near the Exposition/Parry Avenue entrance.

Fernie’s Deep Fried Peaches & Cream – Sweet juicy peaches are coated in a delicious batter of cinnamon, ginger, coconut, graham cracker crumbs, eggs & milk, then deep fried to a crunchy golden brown on the outside, while luscious and sweet on the inside. Served on a plate drizzled with raspberry sauce, lightly dusted with powdered sugar and topped with a cool dollop of whipped cream. A side of vanilla butter cream icing is provided for dipping. The Dock Restaurant inside the Embarcadero Building. Winner of Best Taste in the Big Tex Choice Awards competition.

Texas Fried Pecan Pie – A mini-pecan pie is battered and deep fried to a golden brown. Served drizzled with rich caramel sauce, then topped with whipping cream and chopped candied pecans. Located on Nimitz Drive near the entrance to the Creative Arts Showplace Theater.

Country Fried Pork Chips – Thin sliced pork loin is seasoned, surrounded by a tasty corn meal batter and deep fried. Served with sides of ketchup or cream gravy. Located on Nimitz Drive at MLK and the Hans Mueller Booth on Cotton Bowl Plaza.

Sweet Jalapeno Corn Dog Shrimp – Shrimp on a stick is coated with a sweet and spicy corn meal batter, then deep fried to a golden brown and served with a spicy glaze. Located at the Belgian Waffle stand on the NE corner of the Esplanade.

Fried Peanut Butter Cup Macaroon – A peanut butter cup is wrapped inside a coconut macaroon fried and dusted with powdered sugar. Also available with a scoop of Blue Bell ice cream. Located near the Texas Star.

Deep Fried Butter Wins 2009 State Fair Of Texas Big Tex Choice Award

That is Twisted Yam on a Stick looking tasty in the picture. The Twisted Yam did not win the 2009 Big Tex Choice Most Creative Award. That honor went to Abel Gonzales and his Deep Fried Butter on a Stick.

The Twisted Yam on a Stick would seem to be a more nutritious choice, but the Deep Fried Butter likely tasted better. Who does not like butter on toast?

Fernie's Deep Fried Peaches & Cream won the coveted Best Tasting Award. One judge wanted to kiss the Deep Fried Peaches because it looked so good. This delicacy is made by frying peaches that have been dipped in a batter flavored with ginger, cinnamon and coconut, topped with raspberry sauce with a scoop of vanilla frosting on the side for dipping purposes.

The Deep Fried Butter comes in 4 flavors. Just plain ol' butter. Or butter seasoned with garlic, grape or cherry flavors. Yum.

Deep Fried Butter is not the first time Abel Gonzales has won a Big Tex Choice Award. He has also won Best Tasting titles for Texas Fried Cookie Dough and Deep Fried Peanut Butter, Jelly and Banana Sandwich. He has previously won the Most Creative title for Deep Fried Coke.

It was win #1 for Fernie's Deep Fried Peaches & Cream creator, Christi Erpillo. The Peaches & Cream were her 5th attempt.

The State Fair of Texas starts up in Fair Park in Dallas in a couple weeks, running from September 25 through October 18, giving you plenty of time to pack on plenty of pounds eating plenty of the Big Tex Choice Awards goodies.

Deep Fried Butter & Other Big Tex Choice Award Delicacies Available At The State Fair Of Texas

The 2009 Big Tex Choice Awards 8 finalists were revealed this morning. The winners will be named on Labor Day.

You can start eating these wholesome, tasty treats when the State Fair of Texas starts up September 25. You'll have til October 18 to do some exotic food sampling.

Of the final 8 goodies, the Deep Fried Butter concoction seems, to me, the most, uh, interesting. The fryer's name is Abel Gonzales. Abel whips butter til it gets all fluffed up, then he sweetens it before wrapping it in dough. Then the dough is dropped into the boiling oil and stuck on a stick.

Butter on hot bread is tasty. So I can see where this might taste good. But, when you bite into the dough, it seems like butter is going to be squirting out. Messy.

Nick Bert figured he could improve a Texas Pecan Pie by deep frying. So, he batters up a piece of pecan pie, tosses it in the boiling oil, puts some caramel sauce on it and calls it Fried Texas Pecan Pie.

That is too much sweet for me.

Sweet potatoes and yams are very nutritious. So much so, they are known as superfoods. Milton Whitley takes the superfood, spiral cuts it, deep fries it, then sticks the sweet spud on a skewer after which he rolls it in butter, sprinkles sugar and cinnamon on top and hands you Twisted Yam on a Stick.

I like sweet potatoes and sweet potato fries. I'd eat the Twisted Yam on a Stick. Maybe.

I have had what is called a State Fair Corny Dog at the State Fair. I like corn dogs. I also like seafood. Mark Zabel has figured out a way to combine seafood with a corn dog with his Sweet Jalapeno Corn Dog Shrimp. The shrimp dogs are coated with spicy, sweet corn meal before hitting the fryer. Instead of mustard these dogs have a spicy glaze.

The shrimp corn dog sounds good.

I like pork. Glen Kusak thinly slices pork loin into chips, batters the chips in corn meal, then fries them before serving up his Country Fried Pork Chips with ketchup or cream gravy.

I'm thinking no on the battered fried pork.

Fernie, with no last name, has concocted Fernie's Deep Fried Peaches & Cream. Fernie coats peach slices with a batter made of coconut, graham cracker, eggs, milk, cinnamon and ginger before turning it crunchy in hot grease. Then the peaches get a raspberry sauce drizzle, with streusel on top of the drizzle and whipped cream to top it all off.

Way too much sweet for me. Although one bite might be tasty. I like peaches.

Shirley Weiss has come up with something that I could be induced to eat. Green Goblins. She stuffs hollowed out peppers with spicy chicken and guacamole before battering and the requisite frying. You get 3 peppers on a skewer topped with melted cheese.

Maybe the batter is like what's on a chile relleno, that being my favorite Mexican dish. I'd go for the Green Goblins, I think.

I like macaroons. I'm not a fan of peanut butter cups. Shirley London has combined the two with her Fried Peanut Butter Cup Macaroon. The peanut butter cup is surrounded by the macaroon, then fried, followed by a powdered sugar dusting.

Ugh, the deep fried macaroon sounds like way too much greasy sweetness.

So, there you have it, this year's Big Tex Choice Awards finalists. Green Goblins and Sweet Jalapeno Corn Dog Shrimp for the win.