Homemade Ho-ho?s

These aren't super easy, but it is a fun project to make with your kids while informing them what is in a Hostess Ho Ho...maybe you will get them to understand the importance of real food and how to avoid Trans-Fat and harmful additives. Just make sure to store the homemade version in the fridge or freezer...compared to the Hostess version...these WILL go bad if you leave them in your pantry!

Ingredients in a HOSTESS HO HO: Sugar, Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour [Flour, Reduced Iron, B Vitamins (Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Folic Acid)], Water, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (Palm Kernel, Coconut, Palm), Palm Oil Shortening, Corn Syrup, Cocoa Processed with Alkali, Whole Eggs, Invert Sugar. Contains 2% or Less of: Egg Yolks, Polysorbate 60, Leavenings (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Baking Soda, Monocalcium Phosphate), Soy Lecithin, Salt, Soy Flour, Sweet Dairy Whey, Calcium and Sodium Caseinate, Soy Protein Isolate, Cornstarch, Mono and Diglycerides, Sodium Stearate, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sorbic Acid

CAKE:
4 eggs
1/2 cup Swerve (or erythritol and 1 tsp stevia glycerite)
5 TBS cocoa powder (preferably Dutch processed), plus more for dusting
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup blanched almond flour
1/4 cup chocolate/vanilla egg white or whey protein
1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt
5 TBS coconut oil or butter, melted
Water or unsweetened almond milk
FILLING:
1/2 cup Swerve (or erythritol and 1 tsp stevia glycerite)
4 oz cream cheese or coconut cream
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
CHOCOLATE FROSTING:
2 TBS butter or coconut oil
1 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
10 TBS unsweetened almond milk OR heavy cream
1/4 cup Swerve (or erythritol and 1 tsp stevia glycerite)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a half sheet pan (17×12 inches), then line with parchment paper. Butter the paper and sides of pan and dust with cocoa powder. In a medium-sized, heat-proof bowl, set over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sweetener, and 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder. Whisk almost constantly until mixture is warm to the touch. Remove from heat, and with an electric mixer, beat on high for several minutes until the mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla. Combine the rest of the cocoa powder, almond flour, whey, and salt in small bowl. Fold in until well incorporated, followed by the melted butter. Spread evenly into prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes, or until cake springs back when touched. Remove the cake from the oven and let sit in the pan for 1 minute. Run a knife along the edge to release the cake then flip it out onto parchment paper. Brush the paper (the one you lined the pan with) with water or almond milk and let soak for 2 minutes. Peel it off the cake. Trim dry edges from the cake. Let cool covered with plastic wrap. While the cake cools, make the filling. In a medium-sized bowl, with an electric mixer, cream sweetener and cream cheese until smooth. In another bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form, then fold in the cream cheese mixture. Fold into vanilla. When the cake is fully cooled, cut into 12 equal pieces. Spread filling even over the cake, and take each section and carefully roll up, being careful not to break the cake. When all pieces are rolled up, place in the freezer to set for about 20 minutes.

FROSTING: Place the butter and chopped chocolate in a double boiler (or in a heat safe dish over a pot of boiling water). Stir well until just melted (don't burn the chocolate!), add in the cream, and sweetener. Stir until smooth and thick.

Remove the ho-ho?s from the freezer, cut off any filling oozing out the sides, and coat in the melted chocolate mixture. Place on parchment paper, and return to the freezer until the frosting is set. Makes 12 servings.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving):
Hostess Ho Ho = 380 calories, 54 carbs, 1 fiber (53 effective carbs)
?Healthified? Ho Ho = 294 calories, 7.5 carbs, 4.1 fiber (3.4 effective carbs)

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