Hostess not the mostess?

First the chocolate shortage and now this. Hostess has filed for bankruptcy protection, again, the second time in less than a decade. I hear the gasps, I feel the pain. Apparently in our need to grow up and eat responsibly, we have failed in the tacit agreement of our childhood, that is, if you make a spongy yellow or chocolate cake with amazing ( how did it get there?) and incredible creamy center,  we will eat it. Among the raw vegetables and fruits, all things whole wheat, organic EVERYTHING, fat free, sugar free, gluten free and water, water, water, the pre-packaged  “big delight in every bite” has fallen off the grocery list. There is no “healthy” substitute for this sugary spongy sensory icon and there’s not suppose to be. Unpretentious, it has never tried to elevate its status above tasty treat for lunch boxes, snacks and midnight cravings.

     Go to the Hostess website and you will be informed that Jimmy Dewar invented Twinkies in 1930. The man was a visionary. Take the shortcake pans, which had limited use only during the strawberry season, and inject the shortcakes with a banana crème (later replaced during WW II to vanilla crème due to banana rationing) center. You now have a year round indulgence that cost a mere nickel for two. And there lies the other half of his epiphany, an inexpensive sweet product during the depression. Nothing like sweet comfort to alleviate your fiscal deprivation. Ironically, decades later, it was the consumption of Twinkies, and other junk food and sugary drinks, as evidence (not cause) of underlying depression, that led to the misnomer “Twinkie defense” used in the trial  of Dan White.

     Did you know St Louis has a connection to this goody? Dewar was on his way to St Louis to debut his creation and a billboard advertising “Twinkle Toe” shoes inspired his catchy name Twinkies. Seems to me somebody (Twinkle Toe  shoes) should be getting residuals for that.

     Through the years the Hostess treat family expanded to include Ding Dongs, Ho Ho’s, Suzy Q’s, Sno Balls and various hand held fruit pies. And who can forget the Hostess cupcake. Coming in a package of two, you could share with any of your many self-proclaimed best friends who suddenly appeared. The original massed produced cupcake predating all the specialized cupcake patisseries today. It was a special day when at school lunch we opened our bag/box and discovered one of these delectables. We didn’t care abut the lack of nutritional value, it’s survivability of nuclear fallout, or it’s century shelf life. Often reduced to dessert first mode, we tore the cellophane or foil wrapper, took a bite and then scooped out the cream stuffing with our tongue. Or, saving the best for last, eat all the cake around the center and then popping that last glorious rich center morsel into our mouth to savor as it melted away. What ever method, they were and still are, unforgettable. Sadly,  they may indeed have a shortened “shelf life” and go the way of the Dodo bird, the passenger pigeon and the T-rex.

     So, if the unthinkable happens and these iconic tidbits bite the dust we are not left completely bereft of options. While certainly losing the convenience factor, a facsimile can be reproduced. I won’t lie to you and say they are just as good, but I will be posting recipes for a “twinkie-like” and “ding dong derivative” baked good. In the mean time, enjoy one of the originals!


By Chewy