Twinkies Return Is Near, But They Won’t Be the Same

After months of waiting, we are less than a week away from the return of Twinkies to store shelves. The golden sponge cakes should start appearing in stores next week, and while they may look the same, and they may taste the same, these are not your mother's Twinkies.

The "new and improved" Twinkies are said to have a shelf life of 45 days, nearly double the shelf life purported by the previous owner. Of course, the new company isn't saying what changes were made to extend the Twinkie life span.

The question in my mind is were there  actual changes made to the product, or was the previous company just so concerned about putting out a fresh, quality product that they limited the shelf life to 26 days, even though they might have still been good for days or weeks after? And if they really did make changes to the recipe, will they still taste just as   delicious?

There is also a report that some Twinkies will be frozen in an effort to extend the shelf life.The company is also expected to experiment with other new twists including gluten-free and sugar-free Twinkies.

Yes, I am excited about the return of Twinkies. You know how often times you don't fully appreciate something until you are without it? I believe I am going to have a new appreciation for Twinkies when they return, and to demonstrate that appreciation I plan to become a regular consumer of these  yummy treats, rather than just a couple of times a year.

I may not be having a neighborhood Twinkie party at my house next week to celebrate their return, but I definitely expect to enjoy a few Twinkies and  have a party in my mouth!