HOME-MADE HOSTESS CUPCAKES: Hostess Cupcake Day!

Today is National Hostess Cupcake Day, so I thought I'd post a homemade recipe for this nostalgic  chocolate cupcake: Hostess CupCakes. FYI: Hostess CupCakes are back on the shelves after a short hiatus, so you can also buy them today. But-- they'll taste so much better if you make your own.   

Hostess CupCakes were produced and distributed by Hostess Brands. The basic Hostess CupCake is a chocolate cupcake with chocolate icing and vanilla creme filling (Marshmallow Fluff flavor), with distinctive squiggles across the top. Hostess claims that it was the first commercially produced cupcake. Maybe. I grew up with TastyCake cakes and pies, and the Chocolate Cupcakes were my favorites. TastyCake makes the same claim about first produced.

From Wikipedia:
The Hostess CupCake was first sold on May 11, 1919. According to author Andrew F. Smith, it was the first commercially produced cupcake, originally produced by the Taggart Bakery as the Chocolate Cup Cake. Hostess has also claimed that it was "the first snack cake ever introduced to the market. In 2004, rival Tastykake disputed this claim, claiming that Tastykake introduced the first snack cake.
Originally, two cupcakes were sold for five cents. Until 1950, the Hostess CupCake did not have any filling or the white squiggly line across the top.
 
In 1947, D.R. "Doc" Rice, who started his career at Hostess in 1938 with a job that entailed dumping baked cakes on a table, was given the task of developing the Hostess CupCake further. These developments culminated in an updated cupcake in 1950. A white line consisting of squiggles was added to the top in order to distinguish the Hostess CupCake from other brands. The vanilla creme filling was also added. Rice got the idea for using a creme filling when a new machine for injecting filling into Hostess Twinkies became available. Improvements were also made to the cake mix and the chocolate icing in 1950.

HOME-MADE HOSTESS CUPCAKES

Ingredients

2 sticks salted butter, softened  (8 Tbsp in a stick)
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup natural cocoa powder, (Hershey's Baking Cocoa )
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup Marshmallow Fluff
1/3 cup salted butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar

For Frosting and Decoration 
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup dark chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp salted butter, softened
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Line a 6- and 12-muffin tin with paper liners.

Cupcake Batter:
In bowl of heavy-duty stand mixer, cream 2 sticks of butter and granulated sugar together at medium speed, just until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add eggs, one at time, and mix just until combined. In measuring cup, stir 1/2 the cup of hot water and cocoa together until smooth. Add cocoa mixture to butter mixture and mix on low speed for additional 10 seconds.
In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture in batches alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour and beating after each addition until ingredients are just blended.
Fill each prepared muffin cup half full with chocolate batter.
Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Let cool completely on wire rack.

Filling: 
Using clean bowl and stand mixer or electric hand mixer, beat marshmallow fluff, 1/3 cup butter, and 1/3 cup powdered sugar together until combined and fluffy, about 1 minute. Using handle of small fork or spoon, make hole in the top center of each cake. Gently rotate the utensil in each hole to create a small cavity at each opening. Transfer the filling to a piping bag and pipe in just enough marshmallow mixture to fill each hole.
Make sure it doesn't explode; once you feel it growing in size, stop infusing. Use wet fingertip or  back of spoon to tamp down marshmallow peaks, ensuring filling is even with top of cupcake.

Frosting:
In small saucepan, heat cream over medium heat until bubbles form at edges. Add chocolate and remove pan from heat, stirring until chocolate melts. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and continue to stir until smooth. Let cool for three minutes.
Transfer chocolate to large deep glass bowl. Dip top of each cupcake into chocolate to coat, letting the excess chocolate drip back into the bowl.
Let the cupcakes rest on a wire rack set over paper until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

Frosting decoration:
In small bowl, beat 1/4 cup butter and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar together until smooth, about two minutes. Transfer frosting to piping bag and decorate top of each cupcake with squiggles. Serve immediately. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Chocolate News: Deep Fried Twinkies in your Freezer now

Deep-fried Twinkies are no longer just for state fairs and those with deep fryers at home. Hostess Brands, the makers of Twinkies, launched Deep Fried Twinkies yesterday. The new Twinkies can be found in the frozen food section at Walmart for the next three months, and after that will be available at other stores. The cream-filled snack in vanilla or chocolate is the result of a yearlong collaboration between Hostess and Wal-Mart, as both companies look to spark food sales with innovative products.

Battered and partially fried before being frozen, these Twinkies need to be finished for a short time in the oven, toaster oven, or frying pan. They'll cost $4.76 for a box of seven.

The treats were inspired by consumers who have been deep frying Twinkies at home and at fairs for years. But while a deep-fried Twinkie may taste great, it’s not exactly a healthy snack. No surprise there. Coming in at 9 grams of fat and 220 calories, Deep Fried Twinkies have double the fat content of a regular Twinkie. The treats, which come in chocolate and vanilla, are in with line the "caloric decadence," the brand is known for.

Hostess hoped to recreate the state fair staple, but it wasn't easy. The company tested prototypes at its Kansas City, Missouri, headquarters, and considered making it a restaurant product. Then Wal-Mart approached them. Executives at Hostess, which also has an office near Wal-Mart's headquarters in Arkansas, came to Wal-Mart, and cooked in the kitchen with them.

"The original samples were pretty good," said John Pearson, Wal-Mart's senior buyer for frozen foods. "But the batter was a little lumpy."Hostess wanted a baking time of less than 10 minutes - with the right amount of oozing filling and a crispy texture. When baked, the Deep Fried Twinkies do come out a bit crispy, but aren't an exact match for the ones at fairs or restaurants.

The Name: Hostess considered Carnival Twinkie, Boardwalk Twinkie and the Light and Crispy Twinkie. But Pearson and other Wal-Mart executives encouraged Hostess to call them what they are: Deep Fried Twinkies.

This product marks the first time Hostess Brands has developed a product for the frozen foods section; a move that is a smart extension of the brand into another section of the grocery store.

Want to make your own Deep Fried Twinkies?

HOME-MADE (sort of) FRIED TWINKIES

Ingredients
6 Hostess Twinkies, frozen
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 Tbsp oil
1 cup flour
1 tso baking powder
1/2 tsp salt flour, for dusting

Directions 
Heat oil in deep fryer to 380 / 400 degrees.
Combine wet ingredients in one bowl, whisk dry ingredients in separate bowl. Combine both into one bowl blending together.
Set in refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Place wooden stick into end of twinkie, sprinkle with flour to create light dusting on Twinkie.
Dunk Twinkie into mixture and then place in fryer.
Fry for 2 - 5 minutes, until golden brown on both sides.
Remove, let oil drain, let set for a few minutes.

Homemade Ding Dongs: Shorter Shelf Life

Unless you live in a vacuum, you must be aware that Hostess Brands announced Friday that it's liquidating the company. This marks the end of those lunchbox snacks--Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Ho Hos, Snow Balls.. and in terms of sandwiches, the ubiquitous Wonder Bread.

In a statement, Hostess said its bakery operations suspended all plants and is laying off most of its 18, 500 workers to focus on selling its assets. Among those assets: the recipes for its well-known brands, especially the spongy Twinkie, which holds a special place in America's culinary history. Over the years, it has been vilified by nutritionists, but it remains widely loved by snackers.

It even entered into U.S. legal history as the so-called "Twinkie defense," used by lawyers for former San Francisco city supervisor Dan White in his trial for the 1978 murder of Mayor George Moscone and city supervisor Harvey Milk. The legal team successfully argued that White's consumption of mass amounts of junk food, including Twinkies, was a symptom of the depression that led to his shooting of Moscone and Milk. White was found guilty of manslaughter, a lesser charge.

CEO and chairman Gregory F. Rayburn told CNBC that he was hopeful the company could sell its brands. He told TODAY that the move was not a negotiating ploy. "It's over. This is it," he said.

On Nov. 12, Hostess permanently closed three plants because of the strike. Two days later, the company announced that it would be forced to liquidate if enough workers did not return to restore normal operations by 5 p.m. ET Thursday. "We deeply regret the necessity of today's decision, but we do not have the financial resources to weather an extended nationwide strike," said Rayburn.
The BCTGM was not immediately available to comment. But Reuters reported that Union President Frank Hurt  blamed the company, saying it was kowtowing to Wall Street investors who have wanted to break up Hostess. Workers were still staffing picket lines early Friday.

A quick search of eBay showed people offering boxes of Twinkies for a range of prices -- from $5.00 a box to as much as $500. 

So because this is a Chocolate Blog, I thought I'd focus on Ding Dongs. Here are four Ding Dong Recipes you can make at home. The difference? Shelf Life. An average Hostess brand Ding Dong has a shelf life of 9 years. These Home Made  treats? 3-4 days in the refrigerator. 

Don't forget to scroll down and watch a classic Ding Dong Ad.

HOME MADE DING DONG RECIPES

Beantown Baker
www.beantownbaker.com/2010/05/homemade-ding-dongs-or-ring-dings-or.html 

What Megan's Making
www.whatmegansmaking.com/2010/06/homemade-hostess-cupcakes.html

All Recipes: Giant Ding Dong cake
allrecipes.com/recipe/giant-ding-dong-cake/

How to Baker
www.howtobaker.com/recipes/cakes/homemade-ding-dongs/