Hostess Twinkies are Back

Unless you've been living under a rock, or you're just a super healthy eater, you're well aware that Hostess went out of business in 2012.  With it's demise, we saw the end of Twinkies.  For thousands of people, this seemed like the end of the world.  Personally, I had never had a Twinkie so, to be honest, it really didn't matter to me.  Until I saw boxes selling for $600 on Ebay, I never went out of my way for Twinkies.  Of course, by that point, all Hostess products were completely sold out, believed to never be seen again.  At that point, I started to see all the photos of Twinkies and thought, man, I never had one and missed out on such a large part of Americana.  I figured they were gone and I had missed my opportunity.

But, the people have spoken and Hostess is back in what they're calling "The Sweetest Comeback in the History of Ever."

The official comeback didn't take place until today, but I read and heard that there were plenty of grocery stores releasing them a day early.  So, last night, we went to Wal-Mart in hopes that I may finally be able to purchase a box of Twinkies and redeem my years of taking them for granted.  But, unfortunately, Twinkies were already sold out by 6pm!!  Donettes were available, but I had no interest in them.  All I wanted was a damn Twinkie!  On to Stop & Shop, we go..

Yes! Stop & Shop comes up clutch, again!  First the TMNT fruit snacks, now Twinkies!  I found a few other Holidaze topics, as well!  It's safe to say that Stop & Shop is my new go-to spot for limited-edition items.  They were stacked with boxes of Hostess Twinkies and I was ready to snatch 'em up and make history.

When I was in Seaside, I supposedly had a fried Twinkie but, looking back, I don't believe the guy.  On these boxes, the expiration date is August 22nd.  That gives them about a month's worth of shelf life.  The guy in Seaside told me he bought and saved boxes before they went out of business in 2012.  Well, he either fried up a Dreamie and lied to me or I ate an expired Twinkie from a box that was 8 months passed it's shelf life.  Either way, I didn't get the real deal.  Now it was time!

Even though I've never actually eaten one before, I knew they were smaller than I remember.  I used to see the two-packs in vending machines all the time and they were much larger than these Twinkies.  I looked it up, and just saw it on the news, and it's true!  Apparently, the company that previously distributed Twinkies made them smaller before they went bankrupt so, to you, this may be nothing new.  Maybe you've seen these tiny Twinkies before.  I think the larger Twinkie is more iconic, but the smaller ones don't affect my reaction.  It's all about flavor and, at 26-years-old, I was about to try my first Twinkie.. ever!

Whoa.. Why did I ignore Twinkies for so long?  These are soo good!  You might be laughing at me because, to you, Twinkies are nothing new.  They've been around forever and have long been a staple in the world of desserts.  I get it, but I'm not a big fan of cake.  I never have been.  I usually only buy cake when it makes for a good Holidaze post.  Besides that, I don't like how dry cake is.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not disgusted by it, I just choose ice cream cake and donuts if given the option.  But Twinkies aren't really cake, they're sponge cake!  That's completely different and I wish I had realized that sooner.  That changes everything and now I can't stop eating them.  I had four last night and already had two today.  This could be deliciously bad news for my young heart!

One of my awesome readers, @PerkyJewels on Twitter, recommended that I try a Twinkie that is chilled or frozen.  Sounds pretty good to me!  So last night, before bed, I threw one of them into the freezer so it would be ready to go by morning.  You could see how cold it was in the photo above.  It was cool and, on a 96 degree Summer day, this was sure to be a great move.

My only regret by putting one of my Twinkies in the freezer?  I didn't put more than one in the freezer!  This was a great idea.  It didn't affect the flavor or texture, it simply made it cold and refreshing.  It also eliminated any of the "cakiness" that was there.  That works for me and I'll definitely be freezing more Twinkies.  You've probably already tried this technique, but I'm new to the world of Twinkies.  I know, I can't believe it, either.

Two boxes of Twinkies are now mine and my entire outlook on the spongy snacks have changed.  I can't believe it took me 26 years to figure out the hype, but it's better late than never.  There's a reason why Twinkies have been featured in so many TV shows and movies throughout the years.  They're amazing.  For as hard as it is to understand why I've taken so long to try one, it's just as hard to figure out why Hostess originally went out of business.  Twinkie fans, who were surely addicted, should have bought more over the years!  But I'm to blame, as well.  I didn't buy any!  That'll change now, though.  The Holidaze, alone, may very well keep Hostess in business.  Granted, they'll have to release Halloween products this October to keep me happy.