While the push of this blog was to try and enjoy new fruits, cheeses and libations, once in a while I like to kick back and try some processed junk food. When Hostess closed down all of their factories in November of 2012, I was pretty devastated. These gas station regulars were ever-present and always tasty. Sure, between the sugar high and the fat bomb, they would have eventually killed me. But what's better, dying of "old" or dying of enjoying Ho-Hos?
A new corporation, Apollo Global Management, bought the rights to produce Hostess products. Last month they unveiled the new line, which included many of the old favorites. Some products were smaller in size. More products were being sold in multipack boxes, rather than single-serving. The company also created a new recipe with a longer shelf-life, in order to get retailers to jump on board the Hostess train, right away.
How does one increase shelf life anyway? Let's find out...
Cherry Pie: This treat looked smaller than I remember, but the weight on the packaging was the same. Perhaps the old pies were flatter, and these pies are a bit rounder? The taste was pretty bad. The crust was grainy and reminiscent of cardboard (in flavor). The filling was the right texture, but there were very few cherries. This was definitely not a "best foot forward." It's only been since November since I have had the original formula, so I am not romanticizing here.
Twinkies (yes, I had to buy a whole box): These look the same, but in actuality are a bit smaller (38.5g versus 44g). The mouth feel and texture were spot on. There was less filling than I recall, but it tasted and felt right. The initial flavor was perfect, but there was a weird chemical aftertaste. It also left an obvious film in my mouth, that I literally had to rinse out. The aftertaste lasted for at least 5-minutes. Since these cakes have a 45-day shelf life, versus the 26-day shelf life of Twinkies Classic, one could deduce where the chemical aftertaste comes from...
Ho-Ho's: This breaks my heart. The crown jewel of Hostess treats. All other swiss rolls pale in comparison, and I have tried them all. This new cake has a weird salty front-flavor and the same chemical aftertaste as Twinkies. The chocolate coating, cake and filling had the right textures, and the middle flavor was approximately as it should be. But, it isn't the same. It's not as bad as Little Debbies yet, but that preservative flavor really turns me off.
Cupcakes: The closest of the bunch in matching flavor and texture. While the cupcakes still have a weird salty flavor in the first bite, after that they are what you would expect from Hostess cupcakes. A nice waxy frosting. Delicious, soapy filling. Moist, chocolate-flavored cake. Yum.
BOTTOM LINE: The new increased preservative content creates a weird foretaste or aftertaste in all of these products. You might not think "quality snacks" when it comes to the Hostess line, but these treats are pretty awful. If you're going to eat something bad for you, it may as well taste decent and not contain so many chemical additives. Head over to your local bakery and get something better.
