Hostess cookies

How to make Hostess cookies, the classic Hostess treats decorated as cookies!

hostess cookies

What are Hostess cookies you ask? Twinkies, HoHos, SnoBalls and CupCakes, now in 2-D! And on sticks! That is, all the best Hostess snacks, put on a cookie and stuck on sticks. Clearly, snow-bound dementia has set in. None of the actual products are needed to make these cookies, but I shan’t judge if you need to stock up on your HoHos, SnoBalls, CupCakes and Twinkies to use as models.

These cookies were really easy to make. The lollipop sticks are optional, but I’m a sucker (pun intended) for stuff on sticks.

how to make HoHo, SnoBall, CupCake and Twinkie cookies

to make HoHo cookies you will need:*

chocolate cut out cookie dough
royal icing
oval cookie cutter (I used a 2 1/2-inch)
lollipop sticks
2 disposable frosting bags
2 couplers
2 tips (size “4“s)
2 rubber bands
frosting color (brown and white)

*Find the above in the baking aisle of your craft store, though I prefer the harder-to-find Americolor soft gel pastes food coloring (Chocolate Brown and Bright White).  For tips on finding cookie decorating supplies, click here. 

Prepare your dough according to the recipe, chill and roll out thickly (about 1/4-inch) to accommodate the sticks. Cut out ovals and cut off the bottom third with a knife (see diagram). Insert lollipop stick about half way into cookie, patting cookie back in shape as needed. Place on parchment paper-lined baking tray, bake according to recipe and let cool.

Prepare frosting. Tint some brown and some white (about 3/4 cup for each, depending on how many cookies you have). Prepare two frosting bags with size “4” tips. Fill one with white. Fill the other brown frosting. Tie frosting bags closed tightly with a rubber band. Pipe an outline on the cookie with brown and let set about 15 minutes. Pipe a swirl with white and let set about 15 minutes. Pipe brown to fill the cookie. Let dry overnight before packaging or handling.

to make SnoBall cookies you will need:*

cut out cookie dough
royal icing 
circle cookie cutter (I used a 2 1/4-inch)
lollipop sticks
1 disposable frosting bag
1 coupler
1 size “5” tip
1 rubber band
frosting color (pink)
shredded coconut
Ziploc bag

*For supplies information, see links above under HoHos.

Prepare your dough according to the recipe, chill and roll out thick (about 1/4-inch) to accommodate the sticks. Insert lollipop stick about half way into cookie, patting cookie back in shape as needed. Place on parchment paper-lined baking tray, bake according to recipe and let cool.

Prepare frosting, tint pink. Prepare frosting bag with size “5” tip and fill with pink. Tie closed tightly with rubberband. Place a handful of shredded coconut in Ziploc and add one drop of food coloring (add more as desired, but start with one drop). Seal bag and shake until the coconut is tinted pink. With frosting bag, pipe an outline on the cookie and fill by piping back and forth. Immediately cover frosting with tinted coconut. Let dry overnight before handling or packaging.

to make CupCake cookies you will need:*

chocolate cut out cookie dough
royal icing 
circle cookie cutter (I used a 2 1/4-inch)
lollipop sticks
2 disposable frosting bags
2 couplers
2 tips (1 size “4” and 1 size “2”)
2 rubber bands
frosting color (brown and white)

*For supplies information, see links above under HoHos.

Prepare your dough according to the recipe, chill and roll out thick (about 1/4-inch) to accommodate the sticks. Insert lollipop stick about half way into cookie, patting cookie back in shape as needed. Place on parchment paper-lined baking tray, bake according to recipe and let cool.

Prepare frosting. Tint some brown and some white (about 1 cup of brown and 1/2 cup of white, depending on how many cookies you have). Prepare two frosting bags. Fit one with a size “2” tip and fill with white. Fit the other with a size “4” tip and fill with half of the brown frosting, reserving the other half in a covered bowl.

Tie frosting bags closed tightly with a rubber band. Pipe an outline on the circle cookie with brown and let set about 20 minutes. Thin the reserved brown frosting with water, a few drops at a time, until the consistency of glue. Don’t make it too runny! When in doubt, err on the side of thicker.

With a small spoon, pour some on the center of the cookie and let flood to the edges, encouraging the frosting with the back of the spoon. Let set well, about an hour or two. When set, pipe curly cues with the white frosting. Let dry overnight before packaging or handling.

to make Twinkie cookies you will need:*

cut out cookie dough
royal icing 
oval cookie cutter (I used a 2 1/2-inch)
lollipop sticks
2 disposable frosting bags
2 couplers
2 size “4” tips
2 rubber bands
frosting color (yellow and white)

*See links above under HoHos for finding supplies.

Prepare your dough according to the recipe, chill and roll out thick (about 1/4-inch) to accommodate the sticks. Insert lollipop stick about half way into cookie, patting cookie back in shape as needed. Place on parchment paper-lined baking tray, bake according to recipe and let cool.

Prepare frosting, tint some yellow (about 3/4 to 1 cup depending on the number of cookies) and some white. Prepare two frosting bags with size “4” tips, fill with each color, and tie closed tightly with a rubber band. Pipe the Twinkie outline as shown with yellow and pipe to fill. Fill center by piping with white. Let dry overnight before handling or packaging.