This morning as I fumbled my beaten keyboard with my still sleeping fingers I was smacked in the face with news that opened a floodgate of memories.
“RIP TWINKIES- HOSTESS CAKES NO MORE”
I was probably in shock, but instantly an entire lifetime flashed before my eyes. Remembering Ding Dongs, SnoBalls, Twinkies and the likes as a child, as a teen, then sharing the joy of the very first Hostess cake experience with each of my children as they grew. Some might think it’s sad that a decadent treat can illicit this type of emotional stroll down memory lane. But inevitably, food, smells and music are all capable of this, they are basic sensory reactions.
Being a baker/chocolatier type person I did the only completely il logical thing I could do.
I ran to the kitchen.
My intentions were never to attempt to sully the memory of any of the unimaginably perfect ( indestructible) delights that speckle the memories of my past. Instead to create something easy, fast, and to serve as my personal homage to Hostess and the yums they have induced over the years.
I don’t usually share my recipes, and honestly not very many people would want to go through the trouble of raising their own bread fed chickens for the fresh eggs, or churning the butter from the fresh cream from a local dairy farm. But I will share with you the altered quick and easy recipe so that anyone, anywhere at anytime can quickly recreate this treat as long as they promise to remember their first bite of a Twinkie, SnoBall or Ding Dong.
So without further ado, my tribute to Hostess I will call the TwongBall. ( unless yall can come up with a better name using a combination of the best known Hostess products, and I really hope you can because I’m not sold on TwongBall. )
Quick and Easy anytime/anybody/any skill recipe-
Need-
Wax paper, 2 bowls, cookie sheet 3 spoons
Ingredients-
1 bag of excellent quality milk chocolates- ( I would recommend Ghiradelli Milk Chocolate Chips- available anywhere.)
1 bag of caramel squares
1 box of Shortbread cookies ( I would recommend Lorne Doon, available anywhere)
2 Tblspns peanut butter
Directions-
Unwrap 6 or 7 caramel squares and place in 1 microwavable bowl
Place approximately 1/2 a bag of Ghiradelli Milk Chocolate Chips in a separate microwavable bowl
Place roughly 2 tbsp of Peanut butter in your third bowl
Cover your cookie sheet with wax paper, and open your cookie and place to the side
1- Put your caramel squares in the microwave for 10 seconds, stir, and microwave 5 more seconds. Remove melted caramel and spread onto 1 side of your shortbread cookie, place them to the side.
2-Melt your bowl of chocolate chips in your microwave using 15 second bursts of heat. Between each 15 second round, completely stir and mix the chocolate so one area is not overheated, if possible use a glass bowl and a plastic spoon. Stop heating when you are able to see a creamy smooth chocolate with only 2 -5 chip lumps in the shiny mix. They will melt in as you stir.
3- Using your spoon, make a square that’s slightly bigger than the size of your shortbread cookie with a layer of the melted chocolate, then place your shortbread cookies caramel side down into the squares of chocolate.
4- place in freezer for 3 minutes or fridge for 7
5- with the plain side of your shortbread cookie facing up cover the plain surface of your cookie with a thin layer of peanut butter as it lays in the chocolate square you already made.
6- place the cookie sheet in freezer for 3 minutes or fridge for 7
7- Add more chocolate chips to your chocolate bowl, and reheat in 15 second intervals until you reach a good consistency.
8-Spoon a layer of melted chocolate over each square making sure the fresh melted chocolate goes down the sides and touches the now set, cold, chocolate base.
9- place in freezer for 3 minutes or fridge for 5.
Once they are set, leave them out at room temperature to become nice and yummy. ( frozen chocolate and caramel are a bit hard to chew).
Nothing left to do except enjoy. If peanut butter cups and twix had a love child, this would be it. Quick easy no baking, no cutting, no serving.
Much respect to Hostess who made sure that even if our Mom’s, Aunts, or Grannies couldn’t cook we were still able to enjoy a delicious baked good anywhere in America.