Ho-Hos and Ding-Dongs and Twinkies--before they earned their sexually charged connotations, they were staples of lunchboxes everywhere.
Kids loved the chocolate goodness of Ho Hos and Ding Dongs almost as much as they loved giggling at the mention of their names, but Twinkies were the king of all preservative-laden, obesity-inducing snack foods. They were everywhere and irresistible, and they became positively iconic.
But Twinkies are in danger--Hostess recently announced bankruptcy, which means we may be forced to say goodbye to our beloved Twinkies forever.
Aaron Wolfson, owner of Chicago's Doghouse, is just one of the people who is mourning the possible demise of the Twinkie.
"I love Hostess. I grew up on Hostess," he said. "I really love Twinkies; they're delicious."
Wolfson is doing his part to celebrate the life and death of Twinkies. Upon hearing news of Hostess' financial troubles, he decided to give away free deep-fried Twinkies--the only dessert item on the Chicago Doghouse's menu--to customers.
The response to the giveaway was enthusiastic, to say the least.
"Last week we went through a crazy amount of Twinkies," he said.
They gave away more than 200 desserts. Wolfson said the deep-fried Twinkie (smothered in chocolate sauce and cinnamon) is always popular, but it's never done as well as it did last week.
Even though the restaurant ran out of Twinkies on Sunday, Wolfson hopes the giveaway will continue--but so far, the fate of the Twinkie appears grim.
He's placed orders for 20 more boxes and is waiting to hear back from Hostess regarding availability. Trips to local supermarkets have been unsuccessful as well--the shelves that usually hold Hostess products have been swept clean, according to Wolfson.
"I may consider using knockoffs," Wolfson said. "But I may have to come up with another dessert."
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