CliqueClackWhy did I stop eating Twinkies?
Maybe I stopped eating Twinkies, but I never stopped feeling invested in the product or the company that created it. Even when I stopped buying, I continued to bake copies at home. If you’re interested in reminiscing or my not-so secret recipes, come on in!
Twinkies
The main reason I love Twinkies is that canoe boat shape. If you aren’t lucky enough to purchase Norpro’s pans, you can still purchase petite loaf pans or dessert bar pans. You can also make the shape yourself with aluminum foil. On the basic level, you just bake yellow cake in the pan of your choice. After it’s done baking, insert homemade buttercream or normal icing into a decorator bag or icing injector. Push the bag into the middle of your cupcake and squeeze a healthy amount in three different spaces at the bottom. And, you’re done.
Chocolate Cupcakes
Chocolate cupcakes are the same. But, you can use a normal muffin pan. Grab your favorite chocolate cupcake mix and bake. After it cools, inject the middle with vanilla icing. Note: There are also cupcake corers that you could use to scoop out the middle and spackle icing inside. The icing injection and and cupcake coring accomplish the same goal. For the chocolate top, you can either use chocolate icing OR a hard chocolate ganache covering. For the latter, microwave chocolate chips,chocolate almond bark or any chocolate pieces of your preference for a minute, stir and then spread on top of your cupcake.
Yellow/Orange Cupcakes
For the yellow/orange cupcakes, which I still view as sinfully delicious, grab a normal muffin pan and yellow cupcake mix. Add more than a few healthy drops of orange extract and add 1-2 drops of orange food coloring. Taste it to verify. Note: Duncan Hines also provides its own Orange cake mix. Bake as usual. After it cools, inject the middle with vanilla icing or scoop out the middle using a cupcake corer. You can either use vanilla (with a few drops of orange extract and orange food coloring) or lemon icing for the top, use a yellow fondant for the top, or microwave orange candy coating chips for a minute, stir and then spread on top of your cupcake.
Ding Dongs
For Ding Dongs, follow the same recipe for chocolate cupcakes. But, instead of knifing the chocolate ganache on top, dip the entire cupcake into the chocolate.
Pies
To make Hostess-esque pies, just grab a pre-made pie crust and your favorite pie filling. Note: You might have to cut up the latter if the chunks are too large. Cut the crust in four quarters. Insert 2-3 teaspoons of pie filling into each mini-crust. Fold over and use a fork to press the ends closed. After baking you can make a light glaze covering of confectioner’s sugar and water.
Sno balls/Ho Hos
I’ll be honest, I never envisioned or attempted to cook Ho Hos or Sno-balls. Luckily, there are multiple recipes on the web otherwise.
So, while maybe I moved away from buying Hostess, I definitely didn’t move away from creating its snacks or thinking about them. It remains one of my favorite childhood snacks. What about you?
4 Comments on “Why did I stop eating Twinkies?”
Your post today is the one best thing I’ve read about Hostess during their current trouble. You touch past, present and future and allow the reader to remember their own history with snack cakes. Thank you.
Thanks, Otto! It’s definitely the passing of an era and a reminder that even the best-loved products need a helping hand …
Some of my oldest memories are of visiting the Hostess outlet in Chicago with my mom. I loved it because I would usually get a pie (the chocolate-filled one was my favorite). Now when I look at how many calories are in one of those pies, I just can’t bring myself to buy them anymore, although they are extremely tempting.
Whenever I drove home I always passed a Hostess outlet and considered stopping to load up on products for old times sake. I never did (fearing fat and calories), but now I wish I stopped at least once …