NEW YORK – A look at Hostess’ “Deep Fried Twinkies”:

HOW IT’S MADE: A regular Twinkie is coated with a cake funnel batter and then proceeds through an oil bath to ensure the batter adheres. The Twinkies are immediately frozen and packaged.

HOME PREPARATION: Pull it out of the freezer and bake it for six to eight minutes in the oven at 350 degrees. You can also use a toaster oven at 350 degrees for eight to 10 minutes, or deep fry them for two-and-a-half to three minutes.

THE PRICE: $4.76 per box of seven. For comparison, New York-based hot-dog joint Papaya King sells its own fresh deep-fried treats for $3 each, excluding tax.

DISTRIBUTION: The Deep Fried Twinkies will be available starting Friday, Aug. 12, at Wal-Mart only for three months. After that, they will be available at other stores. Ellen Copaken, vice-president of marketing at Hostess, says the treat could be marketed abroad.

NUTRITION: The vanilla-cream version has 220 calories, nine grams of fat and 16 grams of sugar. A regular Twinkie has 130 calories, four grams of fat and 14 grams of sugar. In comparison, a Starbucks Carmel Frappuccino has 420 calories, 15 grams of fat and 66 grams of sugar.

WORKING IT OFF: A person who weighs about 150 pounds would need to run for 20 minutes at 10 mph, take a 40-minute spin class or do a 50-minute bike ride, says Amy Gorin, a Jersey City, New Jersey-based registered dietitian-nutritionist.

LIMITED-TIME TWINKIES: In December, Hostess teamed up with Wal-Mart on a limited-time mint-chocolate flavoured cake. In June, it worked with the retailer on a tie-in for the new “Ghostbusters” movie, creating Key Lime Slime Twinkies for a short-term sale.

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