What do Minions and Twinkies have in common?

Little. Yellow. Sweet.

I’m talking about Minions. Those tiny, loveable characters from the Despicable Me Franchise.

Though I could have easily been describing Twinkies. More on that later.

My kids adore the Minions. These creatures were their big takeaway from the first Despicable Me movie, and even more so after the sequel. And, believe me, I, too, could not stop saying “Bee doh bee doh bee doh bee doh” for days after seeing Despicable Me 2.

There’s something about those Minions, a certain je ne sais quoi. Perhaps it’s because they’re so odd. Or loyal. Or that I can’t understand a word they’re saying but they’re hilarious anyway. Whatever it is, the mere sight of a Minion on anything or made out of anything sends my kids in to a squeal.

The Minions are identifiable and captivating. Which makes the challenge of making food look like a Minion pretty darn attractive.

Like when I did this pumpkin for Halloween.

Let’s face it, though, a nice spaghetti squash would have done the trick just as well. A mango would have been too round. A banana is too skinny and long.

But what about Twinkies? (See what I did there? I told you I’d swing back around to them).

When I was approached to do a post announcing Hostess and Universal Studios’ “The Twinkie Minion Makeover Sweepstakes”, my first thought was “Absolutely perfect.”

The similarities are uncanny. The Minions have a perfectly domed head on their tubular body. The Twinkie has round ends and a cylinder shape that’s easy to grab. The Minions are yellow. A Twinkie is yellow. The Minions make kids smile. A Twinkie? Yeah, it might do that, too.

To enter the sweepstakes, all you have to do is snag a Hostess Twinkie (even with limited Minion packaging) then head over to the Hostess Facebook page by visiting https://www.facebook.com/Hostess and https://www.Facebook.com/Hostess/app_170621563134175 to download some rad accessories. Then proceed to have fun decorating your Twinkie Minion.

Get creative! Channel your inner Dave or Stuart. “Minion-ize” the heck out of a Hostess Twinkie.

When you’re done, take a photo and upload your work of genius to be registered to win some pretty cool prizes.

I mean, who doesn’t want a home theater system? That’s part of the Grand Prize, along with a collection of 30 Blu-rays and a year’s supply of Hostess treats. And they’re also giving away a daily copy of the Despicable Me 2 Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and other special offers from Hostess.

The contest ends January 5, 2014, so grab that timeless pastry and get cracking.

Just try not to eat your Minion before he’s completed. I hear the Minions aren’t really big fans of being devoured.

This is a Hostess sponsored post, for which I received compensation. However, all opinions are my own.