Oh, hi.
I’m the girl who’s still posting recipes from a dinner party that occurred over a month ago.
Sure, I’ve been busy – but that’s neither here, nor there. The problem we’ve got going on here is that I’ve got a whole load of recipes all waiting to be posted from meals I’ve made since then. Meals you deserve to see. Meals you deserve to experience yourself, if you’re so inclined.
I’ve got an amazingly easy and fun beer shrimp boil paired with a perfect arugula salad and an even more perfect dish of lemony artichokes au gratin. Or how about a simple summer meal of peach sangria, tomato-olive salad, pasta with cremini mushrooms and chives… I’ve got a Cuban spread with – my personal favorite – fried tostones, authentic black beans and rice, anytime mojitos (meaning, mojitos you can make when you’re fresh lime-less and mint-less, because everyone should be able to make a mojito at the blink of an eye), a delightful avocado salad, and traditional Cuban sandwiches. And we can’t forget about the craziness I just did for the 4th of July, my favorite summer celebration: Watermelon sangria to make your head spin (literally), deviled eggs, caramelized onion dip, pulled pork sliders with blue cheese slaw (!!!), dill macaroni salad, and s’more brownies.
I suppose we’ve been eating well.
But, it doesn’t mean that these homemade Twinkies don’t deserve some love. They deserve your attention. So, please – stop dreaming of multiple fresh-fruit sangrias, and let’s focus for a minute.
I won’t lie and tell you these little guys aren’t a pain to make. They kind of are. Not in a way that makes you not want to do it, but in a way that you’ll probably want to make them when you’ve got some time on your hands. You’ll be making your own little foil “boats” that will create Twinkie-shaped cakes. All you’ll need is a spice jar, plenty of tin foil, some pans to set them in – and time.
I see them as the perfect rainy day type of activity.
Homemade Twinkies
Adapted from King Arthur Flour
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup cold water
- 7 unbeaten egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 7 egg whites, beaten very stiff
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 4 tablespoons shortening
- 1/2 sugar
- Dash of salt
Click here for the video tutorial on how to make your foil “boats” that you will place into pans.
Once you’ve got all of your pans ready to go, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray your pans with cooking spray. Place all ingredients except beaten egg whites into a large mixing bowl. Beat until smooth. Working in thirds, fold the beaten egg whites into the batter. Be gentle here; you don’t want to deflate those egg whites.
Fill each foil “boat” about 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove pans from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Carefully remove cakes from foil and place on racks (flat side down) to cool completely.
In a small saucepan, cook flour and milk over medium heat until a paste forms. Stir constantly and do not allow mixture to brown. Remove from heat and let cool 1 minute. Add vanilla and stir until smooth. Press a piece of plastic wrap down on the surface of the paste to avoid a skin forming and set aside to cool completely. In the bowl of your mixer, beat butter, sugar, and shortening until fluffy, scraping the bowl to fully incorporate ingredients. Add cooled flour/milk mixture and continue to beat 5 minutes on medium-high heat until smooth and creamy.
To fill the cakes, place about a cup of filling into a pastry bag with a round tip. Gently insert the tip into the underside of the cake, about halfway through. Using gentle pressure, squeeze a small amount of filling into the cake. You will feel the cake expand – don’t add too much, or the cake will burst! Repeat for a total of 3 times per cake. Wrap cakes individually in plastic wrap and store cakes covered at room temperature for up to 4 days.
{And if you choose to give them as parting gifts to your dinner guests in bags filled with mini bottles of liquor, I don’t think anyone will mind}
These look yummy! I’m going to give these a try!