Hostess 1

So I’m sure we can all agree that the demise of Hostess last year was probably a good thing…right?…Right?! It’s one less packaged and processed, sugar coated excuse for food that’s fueling the obesity epidemic in America. For me though it was like a bad break up, I knew it was over and that it was for the best, but I didn’t want it to happen! No more Twinkies, Cupcakes, Ding Dongs, Ho-Ho’s, or the little mini doughnuts! Okay let me be honest here, I seriously haven’t had a Twinkie since probably 2007. Not because I haven’t wanted to eat one, but because they are terrible for you! Even before I was Paleo I knew that, does anyone not know that? Rumor has it that only Twinkies and cockroaches will survive the apocalypse. Twinkies because they are so full of preservatives and artificial everything, making it impossible for them to ever go bad. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t ever want to eat one again in my entire life!!! Now that I can’t have a Twinkie all I want is a Twinkie! I just had a Woody Harrelson moment from Zombieland didn’t I? So that’s when I knew what had to be done. I needed to make Paleo Twinkies… And Paleo Hostess Cupcakes because who are we kidding, those are crazy delicious too.

Hostess 2


Paleo ‘Hostess’ Chocolate Cupcakes

*Makes 12 cupcakes


Ingredients:

1 cup sifted blanched almond flour
1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon pink himalayan salt
few dashes cinnamon
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup canned coconut milk, full fat (room temperature)
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup organic palm shortening or coconut oil (melted)


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium sized bowl combine your dry ingredients, almond flour, coconut palm sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, stir together and set aside.

3. Fill a medium size pot half-full with water and then heat on high until boiling. In a medium sized bowl combine chocolate chips and coconut milk. Hold the bowl over the pot of boiling water (being careful not to burn yourself!) and stir together until completely melted.

4. Then stir the 2 eggs, vanilla, and organic palm shortening or coconut oil into the melted chocolate and coconut milk mixture.

5. Now fold your dry ingredients into the melted chocolate mixture until completely combined.

6. Put foil cupcake liners in your cupcake pan or grease your pan if you won’t be using liners.

7. Pour batter in and fill about 2/3 full, they will rise slightly when baking.

8. Bake for 20 minutes. When a toothpick comes out clean your cupcakes are done.

9. Let them completely cool before you frost or inject the cream center filling into them.

10. Once completely cool, frost the tops of the cupcakes with the Paleo chocolate frosting (recipe below). Then fill a flavor injector with cream filling. Inject the cream into the bottom of the cupcake. You can then use the cream to decorate the tops of the cupcakes with any design you prefer. I went with the traditional Hostess swirls. Enjoy!

Paleo Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:
1 cup chocolate chips
2 tablespoons canned coconut milk, full fat (room temperature)
1 tablespoon organic palm shortening

Directions:
1. Basically just do the same thing you did above for the cupcakes. Fill a medium size pot half-full with water and then heat on high until boiling. In a medium sized bowl combine chocolate chips, coconut milk and organic palm shortening. Hold the bowl over the pot of boiling water (being careful not to burn yourself!) and stir together until completely melted. Done and done. Use a knife to frost your cupcakes once they have completely cooled. This frosting would also be delicious on any other cupcake, it tastes just like store bought chocolate frosting and has a very similar consistency.

Hostess 3

Paleo Cream Filling
*Used for both


Ingredients:

1/2 cup organic palm shortening
1/4 cup canned coconut milk, full fat (room temperature)
2 tablespoons coconut flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, grade B
1 tablespoon raw honey
1 tablespoon coconut oil (melted)
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
1 tablespoon vanilla
pinch pink himalayan salt
pinch cinnamon

Directions:
1. Put all the ingredients together in a bowl and mix together until completely smooth and creamy. A hand mixer or whisk will work fine. In the words of Devo “just whip it, whip it good!”

Hostess 4

Paleo Twinkie
*Makes about 5 Twinkies

Ingredients:
6 eggs
1/4 cup coconut nectar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup, grade B
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon pink himalayan salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup plus more for greasing organic palm shortening


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. You can use a dedicated Twinkie pan or make your Twinkie foil baking tins. Picture instructions below*. If you don’t care about the shape of the Twinkies then a cupcake pan will work fine.

3. Mix together eggs, coconut nectar, maple syrup, and vanilla using a stand mixer, hand mixer, or whisk.

4. Then stir in the coconut flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

5. Now pour in the melted organic palm shortening and stir until completely smooth.

6. Grease your Twinkie foils or your cupcake pan and fill with batter half way. The dough will rise as it bakes.

7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let them completely cool before you remove from the foil tins or cupcake pan.

8. Once completely cool remove and use a flavor injector* to inject cream filling into the center of the Twinkie. I used the traditional Hostess method and inserted cream into 3 places on the bottom, the left, center and right. Eat and enjoy!

*Twinkie Foil Tins

Take a large piece of foil and fold 4 times.
4

Then fold up the sides and smooth out the bottom.
5

Keep shaping foil until it somewhat resembles a Twinkie shape. See mine wasn’t perfect either!
1

Fill about halfway with batter. They rise during baking.

6

*If you don’t have a flavor injector for the cream filling you can also just use a plastic syringe tube. I’m sure you guys are a lot smarter than I am and have a way easier and better way to do this, but this is what I came up with!

2

I had a four day weekend for the Easter Holiday, so in between CrossFit 13.4, Church, Walking Dead, Game of Thrones and social gatherings (drinking wine and eating) I knew I had to get an awesome recipe out to you guys. I felt guilty not making at least two tasty treats since I did have 4 days to do it! I hope you enjoy these. Finding a stable cream center was a b!tch! I tried at least 3 different coconut milk whipped cream versions and they were all too runny. All’s well that ends well I suppose and I’m really happy with how these recipes came out! I need to start working on “real” meals and stuff for you guys, I know, but dessert is so much fun (and way tastier) I can’t help myself!

It was my friend Ali’s birthday so I gave her the rest of my cupcakes after Brad and I each had one (2). Both Ali and Brad who are not Paleo absolutely loved the cupcakes! Even Ali’s kids liked them and we all know how hard it is to trick kids into liking Paleo stuff when they’ve had the real thing! So until the apocalypse happens or Hostess comes back to life like a zombie to suck the health out of everyone, just make these Hostess treats, you won’t regret it. Until next week keep on keepin’ on! Oh and if you have a secret stash of Twinkies somewhere, just email me and I’ll give you my address to send them to. Just kidding of course!…(but seriously.)

Hostess 5

17 Comments on “Hostess” Cupcakes and Twinkies

  1. MamaNic
    April 1, 2013 at 1:54 pm (11 years ago)

    Yum-may!! Want to eat it, now!

    Reply
  2. MLB
    April 1, 2013 at 2:27 pm (11 years ago)

    Expeller pressing originated in the 1900s, not exactly paleo.

    Reply
  3. Libby
    April 1, 2013 at 5:40 pm (11 years ago)

    You are a superstar!! Thank you so much what a great idea for starters since I was bummed that I couldn’t have them anymore as a kid we use to freeze them everything better frozen hehe bite size snickers oh well I have wandered off track but clever girl how about a fruit pie? Anyway will try these soon love the goodies got the meat & veggies down but like a sweet bomb every once in a while ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Reply
    • cleaneatingwithadirtymind
      April 1, 2013 at 6:34 pm (11 years ago)

      Ooh a fruit pie sounds awesome! I will have to work on that. So funny that you mentioned Snickers because I was toying with an almond version in my head! Stay tuned and thanks for reading. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  4. Carrie Hardy
    April 2, 2013 at 12:05 pm (11 years ago)

    I never comment on the various paleo food blogs but I was compelled today to do so. This is simply naughty and I am going to the store to buy supplies to try the chocolate cupcakes today. You do have a dirty mind!

    Reply
    • cleaneatingwithadirtymind
      April 2, 2013 at 1:30 pm (11 years ago)

      Well thanks for commenting! Oh my gosh these cupcakes are so good, seriously, you’re going to want to eat the whole batch. Just do what I do and eat one, then save 2 more for later, and then hide one for later later, and then give the rest away. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  5. Shannon G.
    April 3, 2013 at 4:11 pm (11 years ago)

    So, not only do you reference Zombieland, watch WD and GOT, and eat Paleo, but you also created a Hostess medley of treats? I now have a girl crush on you. For real. I am beyond impressed.

    Reply
    • cleaneatingwithadirtymind
      April 3, 2013 at 6:17 pm (11 years ago)

      Only the best things in life! haha! Yay for girl crushes! I brought in a batch of the Hostess Cupcakes to CrossFit tonight and they were such a hit. No one believed they were Paleo! You have to make them!!!

      Reply
      • Shannon G.
        April 3, 2013 at 6:57 pm (11 years ago)

        This is one of my only “to-dos” this weekend!

  6. Sheila Cassidy
    July 14, 2013 at 6:32 am (10 years ago)

    If you care about the planet you will not use palm oil or palm shortening. My sister recently went to the Orangutan rescue and saw firsthand how the rain forest is being stripped and the animals are being beaten by locals that see them as getting in the way of their income.http://grist.org/article/2009-08-28-palm-rainforest-kitchen/

    Reply
  7. Fiorella Trapani
    October 9, 2013 at 10:07 pm (10 years ago)

    I can’t believe I came across this recipe and your site! OMG! Can’t wait to try it!!! Quick question, are the coconut crystals you used in this recipe the same as coconut/palm sugar? I know the palm sugar resembles brown sugar, so wasn’t sure if that is what’s used here, didn’t want to change the flavor. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Vanessa Barajas
      October 10, 2013 at 7:27 am (10 years ago)

      Yes! Coconut Crystals are just a brand name for coconut palm sugar. ๐Ÿ™‚ enjoy!

      Reply

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