Today is a most exciting day for me!
Well, SITS is a group of women bloggers (over 40,000!) who support each other through visiting each other's blogs, leaving comments, rallying behind each other - basically we're each other's biggest fans! :) It's like constantly having your own personal cheerleaders who are there to answer your questions, give you tips and words of encouragement and so much more. What's not to love?! :)
A SITS Day is like Christmas or a birthday for bloggers. Monday through Friday, SITS highlights a blogger and that blogger gets flooded with visits and comments from other SITS girls, and today is my day to be pampered with some SITStah bloggin' love! WOOT! :) So awesome!
To all the SITStahs joining me today, welcome! I hope you enjoy your visit. To all my returning readers, I hope you'll check out SITS and get to know that wonderful community! There are some amazing ladies there, for real! Simply wonderful! Lastly, to SITS, thank you for featuring me! I feel beyond blessed to have this honor!
Ok. *tampers down the excitement just a wee bit with a deep breath, but let's out a squeal anyway* Can you tell I'm just a wee bit excited!?!?!?! :D Ok, ok. Back to this post. :)
Today is my brother's birthday, you all! Seriously! He's 33! How cool is that that I have my SITS Day on his birthday? I just think that's like the best "Big Sister stole your day, bro!" thing ever! LOL :) No, seriously, John, if you're reading this, I love you, miss you and wish you the best birthday EVER, and this recipe is JUST FOR YOU!
Ok, so when my twin sister and I were Juniors in college and my brother was a Freshman (we went to the same school - yes, we're nerdy that way!), and my brother's birthday came up, we decided that we had to throw him a little party. My brother is a Twinkie and Oatmeal Creme Pie guy, so we decided to buy him Twinkies (since we were poor college gals) and make him a Twinkie Tower with little plastic bugs on it (we thought that was fitting since he worked in the kitchen and lived in a dorm and things get nasty and smelly...and well, you get the picture), and I think there may have been Oatmeal Creme Pies, too, but I'm not sure. Anyway, we had our little party in the kitchen where he worked with his kitchen buddies and it was a lot of fun and made his day. :)
In honor of that memory, I decided to find a recipe for a healthier option of the Twinkie (especially since their future is looking not so good), and scoured the web for one. I found one here by Rachel Rappaport of Coconut and Lime that looked promising. I did modify it a little to make them cupcakes and fit the flavors a little better and there are some variations you can do to it, as well, but I must say, it is a good knock-off recipe.
Now, if you're thinking the "new Twinkie" taste, you might be a little disappointed with the recipe as is, but if you're thinking "classic Twinkie", this recipe does not disappoint! It's got great sponge cake with a surprisingly light filling that's simply delish! The recipe is also soy (if you use all soy-free ingredients), fish and nut-free and can be milk-free (see variations), so you can't beat that. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family did (my hubby loved these and he doesn't even like Twinkies!).
~*~ Twinkie Cupcakes! ~*~
Twinkie Cupcakes
For the cream frosting/filling:
2 1/2 Tablespoons soy-free, all-purpose flour
1/2 Cup milk
1/2 Cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 Cup cold, salted, full-fat butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the cake:
1 Cup soy-free, all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
dash of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 Cup milk, at room temperature
4 Tablespoons salted, full-fat butter, at room temperature
1/2 Cup white sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
- To make the cream filling/frosting, mix the 2 1/2 Tablespoons flour and the 1/2 Cup milk in a small sauce pan and boil over medium heat, stirring consistently, until thick. (Note: This takes about 1 minute or so.)
- Cool the mixture and then beat until fluffy before adding the confectioner's sugar, 1/2 Cup butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt (amount based on preference) one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Transfer the cream to the refrigerator for at least one hour. (Note: The cream should be cold and rather stiff when you go to use it later. If you are going to use it as filling, don't worry - it softens when you pipe it.)
- While the cream is getting cold, preheat the oven to 350oF and line a cupcake tin with 6 to 8 liners.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the 1 Cup flour, baking powder and dash of salt and set aside.
- In another small bowl, stir the 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract into the 1/2 Cup milk and set aside.
- Cream the 4 Tablespoons butter and the white sugar in a large bowl until fluffy.
- Beat the egg into the batter until it is very light and fluffy.
- Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, thoroughly incorporating each addition before adding the next.
- Divide the batter equally among the prepared cupcake liners and bake for 15 to 25 minutes, or until the cupcakes are just becoming golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the center cupcake comes out clean. (Note: Do NOT over bake! They tend to be dry if you do. Thus is the nature of sponge cake.)
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven, remove from pan and allow them to cool completely before filling and/or frosting.
- If you want to fill them, using a pastry bag or cream-filling gun, fill the cupcakes with cream. If not, or after you do this step to all of the cupcakes, use the (remaining) cream to frost the cupcakes.
- Milk-Free: Substitute a dairy-free milk for the milk and a dairy-free butter for the butter (SoDelicious and Earth Balance are good brands).
- If you want a different filling/frosting that may be more towards the "new Twinkie" taste, there is a few things you can try:
- Add 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice when you add the vanilla to the filling recipe. This lightens up the filling a little more and might be the taste you want.
- Use half butter, half shortening/coconut oil or all shortening/coconut oil in the filling recipe.
- Add 1/2 to 1 Cup Marshmallow Fluff to the filling recipe, either with the original recipe or with one of the variation above.
- There are also some other variations on the web if you'd like to try them. You can go to allrecipes.com and search "Twinkies" and see for yourself or Google "Twinkie recipes".
- If you want an even greater "classic Twinkie" taste, use banana extract in place of the vanilla in the filling or use half vanilla extract, half banana extract.
All in all, a good recipe for a great day! :)
~*~*~*~
If you're interested in connecting with me, you can subscribe to this blog via email (it's in the right sidebar about 1/2 way down or so), join me on Google Friend Connect (also in the right sidebar just above the subscribe button) and/or join me on any number of social channels like Google+, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Circle of Moms (these are in the right sidebar, too, if the links here don't work).
Feel free to email me as well, if you have questions or comments, or you can leave a comment below, and I'll get back with you ASAP. :) I'll do my best to answer each and every comment and email in a timely manner, but sometimes it takes a few days! I do hope you understand!
If you're interested about my life with Fibromyalgia (and about the other things pertaining to my personal life that pop up there, too), feel free to check out my other blog, Fibro, Fit and Fab!
Thanks again for stopping by,
and I hope to see you all again real soon!
(This
recipe was originally posted on my original site, Natural and Free.)
Happy SITS day Julie :) And happy birthday to you brother!
ReplyDeleteThank you on both counts! :) I appreciate it!
DeleteHave a wonderful SITS Day, Julie, enjoy all the love, and very sweet of you to welcome us with cupcakes. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Alison! When you have company you need to serve something sweet, right? Negates the calories when you eat cupcakes with friends, so I've been told. ;)
DeleteThese sound awesome and truly delicious. I have pinned them to try for my family and thank you!! Congrats again on your SITS Day and have followed you all over!! :)
ReplyDeleteOh, I hope you love them, Janine, thank you! :) Glad to have you as my newest, stalker...I mean, follower! ;) LOL :D
DeleteYou had me at Twinkie!
ReplyDeleteLOL I thought I might reel a few of you in that way. ;) Thanks for stopping by! :)
DeleteJulie, LOVE Twinkies!!! Happy SITS Day to you, Happy Birthday to "little brother", and I cannot wait to make these...I am doing this today!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I hope they turn out great for you! :) And thank you so much for the congrats! So far, this is turning out to be a busy, yet amazing day! :D I'll make sure to let my brother know that he's getting lots of birthday wishes from his SITS fans he knows nothing about! LOL :)
DeleteHappy SITS Day! Cupcakes always make me happy! :)
ReplyDeleteMe, too! Cupcakes make everything better! :)
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
These look delicious. I'm always looking for new recipes so I'll be sure to snoop around. Enjoy your SITS day!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I hope you find some things you like! :)
DeleteHi Julie!
ReplyDeleteLove the blog, these cupcakes look fantastic and happy birthday to your brother!! :)
And Happy SITS day to you, enjoy!
Thank you so much! :) Have a great day to you, too! :)
DeleteThe perfect way to celebrate a SITS Day is with cupcakes! Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteThat's what I thought, too, thank you! :)
DeleteHappy SITS Day to you!
ReplyDeleteThe cupcakes sound awesome.
Thank you on both counts! :)
Deletethis is awesome i need these ideas, new follower!!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Glad to have you as a follower! :)
DeleteHave a fantastic SITS day!!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! :)
DeleteCongrats on your SITS Day! Since I have diet restrictions at the moment, I look forward to poking around your recipes!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Christa! I hope you find some recipes you like! :)
DeleteHappy Birthday to your brother and congrats on the SITS Day!! How exciting!!!!
ReplyDeleteBTW, the cupcakes? They look (and sound delicious!) Where's mine????? lol
Enjoy today girl <3 Stacey
Thanks, Stace! I wanted to tell ya, but decided I didn't want to ruin the surprise! :D
DeleteUm...You want cupcakes, I have to make more! LOL :) I don't know if they'd survive the shipping, though. How 'bout, you make a batch and I'll make a batch and enjoy at the same time over coffee and Facebook? Works for me! ;) :D
Thanks for sharing my special day with me, Stacey! You're a great friend! <3
Hi Julie,
ReplyDeleteLove your Blog...so many great resources to read. I am learning all about the foods to avoid right now, and am looking forward to a much healthier year of eating and fitness!
Happy SITS Day to you!
All the best,
Jeanine
A Fabulous Life in Jamaica
Thanks, Jeanine! I hope you find my blog helpful! If you need anything or help finding resources, etc., please feel free to drop me an email! :)
DeleteHave a great day!
Congratulations on your SITS day. I hope it's a fun day for you.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recipe. It looks yummy!
Thank you! :) So far, it's been a busy and fun day. :)
DeleteYou're more than welcome for the recipe! :)
Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by! :)
Congrats on being featured blogger. Loved the story about college and your brother's twinkie tower. Hope you're enjoying your special SITS day.
ReplyDeleteLOL I'm glad you liked the story! :) It was a great time!
DeleteThanks for the well wishes, and I am definitely enjoying it, thank you! :)
Have a great day, Vicki! :)
Happy SITS day! We are so excited that it is your special day! We love your blog! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, gals! :) Love your blog, too! Thanks for stopping by to share my day with me! :)
DeleteThis is awesome! Congratulations on being featured!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Emelie! :)
DeleteCongratulations on your SITS day! These cupcakes look and sound amazing!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Angela! Thanks for stopping by, too! :)
DeleteHappy SITS day! Love your blog and so happy to have found it! I have a family with different allergies and it's good to get some fresh ideas.
ReplyDeleteI hope it will be a big help to you! :) Thanks for stopping by! Email me at any time if you have suggestions or questions or help finding anything! I'll do my best to help! :)
DeleteYES!! TWINKIES! I loved the old Twinkies. Happy SITS day to you. I"m so glad to find your wonderful blog! It seems we have some health issues and other things in common. Enjoy your day! I'm a new follower. Love your blog!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Pam! :) If I can be of help, please know that my email is always open! Have a great day!
DeleteCongrats on your SITS day and happy birthday to your brother. Though I haven't bought them in a million years, my husband yearns for a Twinkie every now and then -- now I have a go to recipe! Yippee! When I was a kid, there was a hostess thrift store on my walk home - a great day was when we had a few pennies to stop in and get a treat!
ReplyDeleteI have the same corner store story! Imagine that! :) I hope this recipe helps your hubby's yearnings! :)
DeleteThanks for stopping by! :)
So many wonderful recipes here to discover. Happy SITS day!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I hope you find several things that you can try and enjoy! :)
DeleteOh, these do sound yummy! And just in time because I thought I had lost my beloved Twinkies forever....
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! I hope they fit the bill for ya! :)
DeleteThanks for stopping by! :)
I think these look great. I like Twinkies but the amount of chemicals is astounding. Recently we made homemade Oreos and they were so much better than the real ones. Happy SITS day and great job!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tamara! I agree - the amount of chemicals IS astounding! I think these are a fairly good knock-off alternative. :)
DeleteHappy SITS Day to you and happy birthday to your brother! This sounds like a very yummy recipe. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! :)
DeleteI'm not much of a baker, but I am definitely an eater. This look pretty tasty. I wish you a very happy SITS day. I just had my SITS day on Monday so I finally know how it feels. Relish in it! Andrea @ www.be-quoted.com
ReplyDeleteThanks, Andrea! I will! :)
DeleteLove Twinkies. Since you can't buy them right now, this sounds like a great way to get that fix.
ReplyDeleteHappy SITS day. Followed you all pretty much all the links you provided. Have a great day :)
Thanks, Sue! If you make these, I hope you love them! :) Glad to have you as a new follower, too! :)
DeleteYou had me when I saw the cupcake.. YUM! Can't wait to look around
ReplyDeleteThanks, Candi! Enjoy your browsing! I hope you find lots of yummy things to try! :)
DeleteI haven't had a cupcake in so long! Makes me want to try this ASAP! Happy SITS day!
ReplyDeleteWell, if you DO try it, I hope you like it! :) Thanks for stopping by and wishing me a Happy SITS Day! :)
DeleteThese recipes you have here (omg, this one in particular) are so drool-worthy :) sometimes I have tummy troubles and am always looking for foods that are free of, well, anything, lol. I'll have to give these a go.
ReplyDeleteHappy happy SITS day! Hope you enjoy your day in the spotlight :)
Thanks, Charlotte! I hope you find some tummy-safe recipes here! :)
DeleteI am enjoying my day, too, thank you! :)
Happy SITS Day! I really want some cupcakes now...or a Twinkie...or...BOTH!
ReplyDeleteLOL I hear ya, for sure! I'm thinking I need to find a Swiss Cake Roll knock-off recipe now! :)
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
Congrats on your SITS Day, Julie! Loving all the delish recipes here esp the gluten free ones as I'm gluten free! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! :) I hope you enjoy them when you try them, as well! :) If I can be of any help, my email is always open! :)
DeleteThey look / sound amazing!
ReplyDeleteThank you! :)
DeleteHappy SITS Day! I'm so excited SITS brought me to your blog - especially since I just started eating gluten free. Looking forward to more of your blogs! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! I hope my blog can be a real help to you! If you have any questions or concerns or comments, please know that my email is always open. :)
DeleteStopping by from SITS, Happy Feature day :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Emily! :)
DeleteHappy SITS day!
ReplyDeleteI'm not much in the kitchen (in fact, it's probably best I avoid it!), but those twinkie cupcakes look SO delicious, I might just have to reconsider!
Congrats on an awesome blog!
Best,
Cory
Quirky town.
Newest Post: "HELP:I've Turned Into a Morning Person!!!!"
Thanks, Cory! Good luck in your venture to the kitchen if you do decide to try them! :) I hope they turn out amazingly for you! :)
Delete{Melinda} I HAVE to try those!! Love Twinkies ... my mom would never buy them when I was growing up because they weren't healthy. Now I can make them and not feel guilty! :)
ReplyDeleteHope you had an amazing SITS Day!!
Well, at least you can feel less guilty. ;)
DeleteThanks for stopping by and being a part of my SITS Day, too, Melinda! Always a pleasure to have you here! :)
I love this recipe! What a great idea! (Visiting from SITS!)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! :) It was fun to make.
DeleteHappy Happy Happy belated SITS day! So sorry I missed you on your original day, but so happy for you! You know I already love your blog! :-) And twinkie cupcakes sound soooo good!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Better late than never! :) Glad you were able to stop by!
DeleteTwinkie cupcakes? I die - these look so yummy!
ReplyDelete-Sarah
www.sweetandsavorylife.com
www.facebook.com/sweetandsavorylife
Thanks, Sarah! :)
DeleteLooks yummy! My baby girl would love this! My son too (granted he has no allergies, lol)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
Thank you, Lisa! :) Please feel free to email me at any time if you have any questions, concerns or comments or need help finding any particular type of recipes or info. My email is always open. :)
DeleteCONGRATULATIONS Julie... on being the featured SITS Girls blogger! I am so thrilled for you to finally have your special day (on your bro's birthday, no doubt!).
ReplyDeleteYou deserve it... you work so hard on your blog, sharing such great information with everyone... so I really am excited that your day finally came.
Blessings to you. Love and light....
- Carlo
You are so sweet, Carlo, thank you!! :) I appreciate all the support. It means so much to me!
Delete