A "Twinkie" in Her Eye, Twinkies-- Part 3: The "Twinkie defense"

In the 1950s, Hostess, the owner, began cranking up advertising for it. Commercials were placed on the very popular "Howdy Doody" show. Highland Park, Illinois, native Steve Ettinger, who wrote the book "Twinkie, Deconstructed" and where most of this article's information derives, said one of his favorite commercials was where the Twinkie was called a "great nutritional snack cake with potential to grow on."

Twinkies have played a big role in American pop culture all along. TV's Archie Bunker got very upset with his wife, Edith, when she forgot to pack one in his lunch. The "Twinkie Defense" was coined in 1978 when an attorney for a suspect in a double murder in San Francisco claimed his client's junk food consumption was partly to blame.

I remember Twinkies selling out at all area stores shortly after Hostess announced they were going out of business.

A Twinkie By Any Other Name. --DaCoot

A "Twinkie" in Her Eye-- Twinkies-- Part 1: Who Invented Them?

From the Nov. 18, 2012, Chicago Tribune "Expiration date for Twinkie?" by Joseph Ruzich and Ted Gregory.

Of course, this article came out when the country was facing the loss of Twinkies, but, they're back now.

The Twinkie was born on April 6, 1930, in Illinois, at the Continental Baking Company in River Forest. Plant manager James Dewar came up with the recipe in his quest to create a two-for-a-nickle snack, reportedly coming up with the name after passing a billboard for Twinkle Toe Shoes.

Dewar was looking for a way to use shortcake pans that had been used seasonably for a strawberry shortcake knock-off called Little Shortbread Fingers.

Dewar said it was "the best darn-tootin' idea I ever had."

He related that he ate at least three Twinkies with a glass of milk every night before he went to bed.

Good Calories? --Cooter

Facts About Twinkies

**  500 million are baked each year.

**  Each takes 10 minutes to bake.

**  Each has 150 calories

**  Their shelf life is 28 days (not forever as some suggest.)

Me and Woody, Right Zombieland?  --DaCoot

The Twinkie: A Chicago Invention

From the November 16, 2012, Chicago Sun-Times "Twinkie Maker Toast?" by Becky Schlikerman.

Well, with all the news about the Hostess Company closing down because of a strike (mainly a way to force worker concessions even as the CEO and top management get huge pay increases).

But, here is a short history of the Twinkie.

The Twinkie was born April 6, 1930, in Schiller Park when Continental Baking Co. bakery manager James Dewar created it.  He was looking for ways to put unused shortcake pans to use.

Usually, shortcake "fingers" were filled with strawberries, but they were out of season, so he filed them with banana cream and it became a big success at two for a nickel.  The Great Depression made them even more popular as an affordable treat.

The filling was changed to vanilla cream when bananas became scarce during World War II.

Lip-Smacking Good.  --Cooter