R.I.P. Twinkie® 1930-2012

Opening up my lunch box and finding that golden Twinkie® was like Indiana Jones finding a crystal treasure! Yeah, yeah, we all know that they were probably one of the unhealthiest snacks ever created, but frankly scarlet, I don't give a damn! They were just plain good!

When hostess decided to stop production of the this iconic dessert, I felt as if part of my childhood was being stripped right from under me. Now for the good news!

It is reported that the company that bought hostess is putting the Twinkie® back into production and expected to be back on the shelves this summer. I have to admit that I will probably never eat one and haven't had one since maybe 1990 when I was expecting my first child (a Twinkie® craving), it's just a comfort to know that I can!

In the meantime I resorted to finding a homemade version, so anyone willing to give it a try - the recipe follows:

Supplies:

• 1 round spice bottle, the size of a Twinkie®
• 12 (12 x 14-inches each) pieces non-stick aluminum foil
• Pastry bag
• Toothpick
• Vegetable oil spray

Cake:

• 16-ounce box golden pound cake mix
• 4 egg whites, beaten until stiff
• 2/3 cup water

Filling:

• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 teaspoons butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 drops lemon extract

Preparation:
Copycat twinkie cakes: Fold each piece of foil in half with the nonstick side out. Then fold in half again. Roll foil pieces around the spice bottle to form a tube. Fold down edges to seal, leaving one end of the tube open to be filled with the batter. Remove the spice bottle. Spray the insides with vegetable oil and set each tube open-end-up in a muffin tray. 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 

Beat cake mix, whipped egg whites, and water on medium speed until completely blended, about 2 minutes. Carefully fill the foil tubes, leaving 3/4-inch headspace. Bake about 30 minutes until golden and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Let cakes cool, then remove foil. Use a toothpick to make 3 holes along the length of each cake. Wiggle the toothpick around the center to make room for the filling, taking care not to poke through to the other side. 

Filling: Cream shortening and butter together in a medium bowl. With mixer running on medium speed, add powdered sugar and granulated sugar, a little at a time, until smooth. Add evaporated milk, vanilla, and lemon extract. Continue mixing until fluffy. 

Spoon filling into a pastry bag with a No. 5 tip. Inject filling into each of the 3 holes in each faux twinkie cake and place hole-side-down on a serving platter or store in a covered container. 

Makes 12 copycat twinkie cakes