Wow.
I read with despair the passing of the iconic Hostess Brands. While I’ve been an occasional connoisseur of Twinkies, or better, the frosted chocolate Ding Dongs, they were never a regular part of my repetoire. Admittedly, I have not touched any of them in many years, preferring the kind of thing that showed up in this article. But no, the hard-balling by arrogant union leaders and employees finally took its toll, and the owners of the Irving, TX-based company shut the entire company down, being unable to handle an extended strike. Approximately 18,300 employees will be quickly laid off and on unemployment, just like me.
Smooth move, Ex-lax.
Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it. And not the way you wanted it.
So now, what happens to the millions of Americans who are lost without Twinkies, Hostess’ most popular item?
What REAL Americans have ALWAYS done: make it yourself.
You might be asking, how do I do that? Roll up your sleeves, get your apron on, get suited up, booted up and into your kitchen! YES!! Make your own Twinkies. Just like your grandparents would. Heck, other countries don’t know what it is to buy them at a convenience store, so they won’t know what they’re missing. You do, and it’s now within your control to have them yourself.
Granted, you won’t have the opportunity to pick them up at the store whenever you want them, and you will have to work for it, but what would you rather–no Twinkies at all?
One thing I credit Rachael Ray for is reminding viewers that when you make dinner at home, you can control the quality of the ingredients. For instance: if you find canned soup too salty, and the lower sodium version lacking in more than just salt, making your own soup solves that problem. Make sense?
OK, back to the Twinkies–I have not tried this myself, nor am I likely to try it. But for those who are suffering because of the lack of Twinkies, I have found you a recipe for the real thing, DIY Twinkies.
Here’s another way to do it, with a DIY Twinkie baking kit from Amazon.com. No, I’m not an affiliate member. (Yet.)
It is very likely that Hostess Brands will sell off the recipes and names to other bakeries. Probably a competitor like Little Debbie of Tennessee, or the multinational Bimbo, (pronounced “BEEM-bo”) since they seem to own every other bakery operation, including Mrs. Bairds, which *used* to be a Texas company. If Bimbo gets ahold of them (and they likely will, cheaply, since Hostess will likely go to Chapter 7, liquidation) then you could see the beloved Twinkies returned to store shelves soon. This is simply speculation on the part of HeatCageKitchen; I have no personal knowledge of such an acquisition.
If you are in a baking mood, may I also suggest picking up the books by BabycakesNYC, a well-loved vegan/allergy free bakery in New York with branches in Orlando and Los Angeles. Their stuff is good and a lot healthier, but so delicious you’d never realize it.
On page 88 of the first book, Babycakes, there is a recipe called “Healthy Hostess,” which is a vegan/allergy-free version of the Hostess Cupcake, complete with frosting.
On page 80 of the second book, Babycakes Covers the Classics, there is a recipe for Sno Balls. You could do worse.
Granted, when you start doing healthier versions, the ingredients can be more expensive–but, as author Erin McKenna points out, so are the heart attacks you get from the “standard” ingredients, like white sugar and white flour. If you already have someone in your household who is allergic, then you’re already buying them. Learn to use them.
It may be the end of one era, but you can still have your Twinkies and eat them too.
If I hear of anything good coming out of this, I’ll let you know. I hate to see sugar junkies in sudden withdrawal. But for now, at least, you can buy what’s left for a fortune on Ebay or bake your own for as long as you want them.
Happy Dining!
