At last, reportedly after considerable time in the test kitchen, Hostess Brands Deep Fried Twinkies are available in the frozen food aisle at Wal-Mart stores in the USA. Americans accustomed to getting this outdoor sweet treat at fairgrounds and boardwalk stands, racetracks and roadside cafes can now conveniently enjoy the fried “sponge cake with creamy filling” snack 24-7 at home all year long.
Distributed in seven-count packs that retail for $4.76, the batter and partially-fried delicacy is ready to enjoy after about 10 minutes of conventional or toaster oven baking – or more quickly if sizzled in a frying pan.
Like fried Oreo cookies, Mars bars, cheese balls and pickles, fried Twinkies have become a mainstay at seasonal concession booths equipped with deep fat fryers or oil vats. The fat and calorie count is almost double that of non-fried Twinkies, respectively at 9 grams and 220 calories per serving. But most folks indulging in such specialty items are generally not counting.
Invented in 1930 in Schiller Park, Illinois, by James Alexander Dewar of Continental Baking Company, Twinkies have been an iconic snack food in the United States for generations. According to Wikipedia, Dewar conceived of the idea to maximize the utility of several machines used to make cream-filled strawberry shortcake that sat idle when the fruit was out of season. Banana cream, the original filling, was replaced with vanilla during World War II, when rationed bananas were in short supply. Today the shelf-stable Twinkies product line again features creamy banana as well as vanilla and chocolate fillings. Vanilla is the most popular flavor by far.
Ellen Copaken, vice president of marketing at Kansas City, Missouri-headquartered Hostess, expects the “retro cool” product to be a frozen hit. “It plays into the comfort food trend. And it’s fun,” she said.
