End of the Twinkie? Hostess Brands to shut down

Looks like that Twinkie you’ve been harboring in your desk drawer for the last couple years will last longer than its maker. Friday morning, Twinkie-loving snackers, stoners and junk food aficionados across the globe felt a deep pang of loss. Hostess Brands Inc., the company that makes Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Wonder Bread, has shut down all baking operations, according to a company release.

After filing for bankruptcy protection twice in the last 10 years, the company has asked a judge for permission to lay off 18,500 workers and sell its assets. The Texas-based company will close 33 bakeries, 565 distribution centers and 570 outlet stores throughout the U.S.

“The board of directors authorized the wind-down of Hostess Brands to preserve and maximize the value of the estate after one of the company’s largest unions, the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM), initiated a nationwide strike that crippled the company’s ability to produce and deliver products at multiple facilities,” said Hostess’ statement.

Quiz: How well do you know fast food?

What’s a person in need of some serious munchies to do now? Before you go all I-can’t-go-on-without-my-Twinkie-fix on us, here are a couple of ideas to consider:

--Make some Rice Krispies treat balls and stuff vanilla buttercream into the middle.

--Buy a pound cake and a jar of marshmallow fluff and start double fisting.

--Or, you could make your own Twinkies.

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