DIY Hostess Twinkies: How to Make Them at Home

Homemade Twinkies
Adapted from Gourmet Cookbook by Joy the Baker
Makes about 12

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1 cup milk

Put a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Create your own Twinkie-like molds by wrapping heavy-duty aluminum foil around a 4-inch-long spice bottle. Leave the top of the mold open so you can pour in the batter. (For a how-to video, click here.)

In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Beat in eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute in between each addition.

Beat in vanilla and almond extract. Reduce speed to low, add half of the flour mixture, and beat until incorporated. Add milk and beat until incorporated. Add the rest of the flour, and beat until incorporated.

Spray prepared Twinkie molds with nonstick spray and divide the batter between them. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the cakes are just slightly golden and a pick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before filling with marshmallow cream.

Marshmallow filling
by Todd Wilbur of Top Secret Recipes

2 teaspoons very hot water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups (one 7-ounce jar) marshmallow creme
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Combine salt with hot water in a small bowl and stir until salt is dissolved. Let cool.

Combine the marshmallow creme, shortening, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl and beat until fluffy, using an electric mixer on high speed.

Add salt water and beat to combine.

When the cakes are cool, use a skewer or a chopstick to make three holes along the bottom, moving the stick around slightly to create space inside the cake. Fit a pastry bag with a small tip and fill it with the marshmallow creme mixture (or scoop it into a resealable bag and snip off a tiny bit of one corner; pipe filling into each cake, using the three holes.
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