Tag: Twinkies

What are Hostess Limited Edition Lemonade Stand Twinkies?

The classic golden sponge cake of a Twinkie now has a pink-colored, lemon-flavored creamy filling. It’s summertime Americana (lemonade stands) stuffed inside year-round Americana (Twinkies).

Luckily, these cakes are flavored like lemonade, not lemonade stands, which would taste like wood and paint.

How are they?

When I cut the Twinkie open, I could faintly smell the lemon. This was a promising sign: lemon was definitely present, but it didn’t smell like Lysol.

Fortunately, this initial impression continued when I ate the cake. It tasted primarily like a standard Twinkie, but there was just enough of a subtle lemon flavor to bring it up a notch. It’s simple, but sometimes simple is best. These Twinkies didn’t blow my socks off, but I wouldn’t mind buying them again.

Anything else you need to know?

According to the internet, there were lemon Twinkies back in 2012. Honestly, I don’t understand why it’s taken Hostess so long to bring them back. It seems like an obvious combination, and it works quite nicely.

Conclusion:

If you’re looking for a lemon-heavy dessert, this ain’t it. But if you like regular Twinkies and want something just a little different, these will hit the spot.

Purchased Price: $3.49
Size: 13.58 oz. box
Purchased at: Smith’s
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 cakes) 280 calories, 9 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 370 milligrams of sodium, 47 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 32 grams of sugar, 31 grams of added sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

What are Hostess Limited Edition Moonberry Twinkies?

Just in time for the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon, Buzz Aldrin’s second steps, and Michael Collins achieving humanity’s greatest dream of getting as far away from other people as possible, Hostess has released Moonberry Twinkies.

How are they?

Everyone wants to know what a moonberry is and, more importantly, what do they taste like? I open the single-serving package and give the dark blue cake a sniff. It has a fruity scent, and as I bite into the Twinkie, it tastes vaguely red. They’re good because red candies are always my favorite. Be it Starbursts, gummies, or those strawberry-shaped hard candies; red candies are always the best.

The filling isn’t colored but seems to be where the fruit flavor is located. On the other hand, the colored cake seems to be the same vanilla cake as regular Twinkies.

There’s not a huge difference between these and standard-issue Twinkies. They’re good, but not, if you’ll excuse me, “out of this world.”

Is there anything else you need to know?

It seems like Hostess is stretching a bit to brand these with a moon theme. They say the dark blue color is supposed to look like the night sky, but I don’t buy it. Twinkie the Kid is not equipped for space travel. First, he’s a kid and so has not undergone the rigorous training needed to assure mission success. Second, he’s a pastry. I’ve gotten off track, but my point is Twinkies and the moon aren’t naturally associated with each other. So it’ll take more than a fictitious berry to convince me that Hostess isn’t simply trying to cash-in on the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 with as little work as possible. It’s a shame because there are some excellent moon-adjacent desserts out there ready to be Twinkified.

Here’s three of them:

• Banana filled with vanilla coating (think Moon Pie)
• Red Velvet with cream (moon)cheese filling
• Blue Moon Ice Cream flavored

Those are free, Hostess. I just ask for a free box when you bring them to market. Make it two boxes if you decide to go with Blue Moon ice cream flavored one because that would be amazing.

Conclusion:

Moonberry Twinkies may be a lazily-themed quick cash grab, but they’re tasty if you’re looking for a fruity alternative to your usual filled snack cake.

Purchased Price: $2.50
Size: 2 cakes (77g)
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 Twinkies) 270 calories, 9 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 370 milligrams of sodium, 47 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 31 grams of sugar (including 31 grams of added sugar), and 2 grams of protein.

Who’s got a bandana that’s long and white? Twinkie’s got a bandana that’s long and white!

Who’s got a creme that’s mint instead? Twinkie’s got a creme that’s mint instead!

Mint instead, cake of red,

Bandana that’s white, winter delight,

Must be Twinkie, must be Twinkie, must be Twinkie, Twinkie Mint!

When I open up a package of these Hostess Peppermint Twinkies, I smell two distinct scents.

The first is a minty, Christmassy scent. For some reason, it reminds me of the first few hours after school on the last day before holiday break, eating the requisite candy cane they gave us at the school sing-along.

The second is the familiar odor of Twinkie sponge cake. If you’ve ever had a Twinkie, you know what I’m talking about. If you’ve never had a Twinkie, it doesn’t matter, because you don’t exist anyway.

The Twinkies are described as “peppermint cake with creamy filling,” but I wonder if they got it backwards, and it’s supposed to be “peppermint creamy filling with cake.” When I try to isolate the components, I don’t detect any peppermint in the red-colored cake, but I do in the filling. Some weird kind of cross-contamination of flavors, maybe?

But maybe it’s in both because when I eat the cake like a normal person, it’s mintier than either part on its own. The textures are what you’d expect -— a soft, spongy cake with a light, airy filling. The minty flavor gives the humble Twinkie a nice festive upgrade. It’s not as minty as a mint-thusiast like me would like, but it works, and I suspect that even mint-averse folks could get on board with this candy-cane-esque cake.

Considering that it’s a Twinkie, I have no complaints. It’s not a gourmet, decadent dessert, but it never claimed to be. It just claimed to be a limited edition suitable for the month of December (or November, apparently). I like this better than last year’s White Peppermint Twinkies or last spring’s Shamrock CupCakes.

Remember that episode of The Simpsons where Homer wanted to gain weight so he could go on disability? Dr. Nick advised him to eat from the neglected food groups: “Remember, if you’re not sure about something, rub it against a piece of paper. If the paper turns clear, it’s your window to weight gain.” Well, I got that greasy spot on my paper towel. So if you’ve been asked to play Santa Claus at your office Christmas party, these Twinkies are a tasty way to become your new jolly self.

(Nutrition Facts – 2 cakes – 230 calories, 70 calories from fat, 8 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 340 milligrams of sodium, 44 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 30 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: 13.58 oz. box/10 cakes
Purchased at: Dick’s Market
Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: Nothing to complain about. Might appeal to people who don’t like mint. Festive upgrade to a classic standby. Coining the term “mint-thusiast.”
Cons: Not as minty as some would like. Leaves grease stains. The beginning of holiday weight gain.