Don’t suffer from Hostess Brands’ financial woes — make your own Twinkies

With the news of Hostess’s doors closing for good fueling tears for thousands of schoolkids and nostalgic adults, it may become difficult to find an iconic Twinkie or box of Ding Dongs in any supermarket. Instead of fighting crowds at Wal-Mart, whip up your own batch of Twinkies, Ding Dongs and artificially colored Sno Balls. Then when the shelves that held Twinkies fill with dust, you can still enjoy your favorite treats without having to pay top dollar for them on eBay.

Another benefit to making your own homemade Hostess treats is the ability to swap out certain ingredients to make them healthier, if you so wish. Whether you are a Twinkie fan or a Sno Ball addict, these do it yourself dessert recipes will hit the spot Hostess once held in your heart.

Homemade Twinkies recipe

Recipe adapted from TLC

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

For the filling: 

• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup light cream
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three mini loaf pans with cooking spray.
2. Beat the eggs and sugar with a handheld mixer until thick. Slowly add in all other ingredients and beat until fully combined. Divide the batter among the mini loaf pans, filling about 3/4 full. Bake cakes for at least an hour, or until golden brown. Cool in pans and then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
3. While cakes cook, prepare filling by mixing shortening, sugar, vanilla and light cream with a hand mixer. Once mixed, slowly add in sugar and beat until combined. Fill a pastry bag with frosting and cut a small hole.
4. Once cakes have cooled, carefully poke three holes in the bottom of the cakes. Pipe frosting into the holes until just filled. Cool for at least 20 minutes and enjoy!

Homemade Sno Balls recipe

Makes 2 dozen

Ingredients: 

For the cake: 

• 1 stick butter, unsalted
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 cups 1 percent milk

For frosting: 

• 6 egg whites, warm
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup water, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups coconut flakes
• 2 – 3 drops red food coloring

Directions: 

1. For the cake:Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a muffin pan with cooking spray. Cream the butter and sugar together with a handheld mixer until combined; add eggs, one at a time. Mix in vanilla. In another bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until there are no streaks of flour. Fill muffin pan cavities 3/4 full and bake for 15 minutes. Cool on a wire cooling rack. Once cakes are cooking, cut out a small cone from the bottom, discarding the triangle portion but keeping the small cake circle. (This is where the filling will be piped.)
2. To prepare the filling/frosting:Beat egg whites until peaks form, about four minutes. In a saucepan, heat sugar, water and cream of tartar until boiling, and remove from heat and let sit until it reaches 242 degrees F. Slowly pour syrup into the egg whites and stir. Add vanilla. Beat until frosting thickens. In a blender, pulse coconut flakes and red food coloring until crumbly. Place the coconut mixture in a bowl for rolling.
3. Fill a piping bag with 1/2 frosting. Carefully pipe frosting into the cakes and cover with the cake circle. Frost the rest of the cake with the frosting and then roll in the coconut flakes. Let cool for a few minutes and then enjoy!

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