Easter Peeps

Homemade marshmallows are one of my favorite sweet treats. They are so simple to make, and the flavor possibilities are endless – all you need is a standing mixer, sugar + water + gelatin + (flavored extract if you wish) and you’re in business. I’ve made standard marshmallows quite a few times before, so I thought ~How hard can it be to pipe out a few peeps?

So I went to my trusted crafty homemaker Martha and found the perfect recipe for homemade peeps. Quick caveat – it was a whole lot more difficult than I had anticipated to make these little guys. And I consider myself to be pretty good at projects like these. I’m an artist for crying out loud! It took a lot of trial and error to get only a few recognizable peeps out of the bunch, but no worries from me – even the globby disfigured marshan looking eggs were just as delicious as the pretty bunnies and chicks. Here is my rundown of what to do and not to do if you try this.

Homemade Peeps (adapted from Martha’s recipe)

1 package unflavored gelatin (2 1/2 teaspoons)

1/3 cup cold water, for gelatin, plus 1/4 cup for sugar syrup

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 flavored extract (I used Vanilla, and Strawberry)

Colored/ Flavored Sugar for dusting

Handful of Confectioners sugar to dust your piping surface

In the bowl of your electric mixer – Begin by sprinkling your gelatin packet over 1/3 cup cold water. Allow gelatin to soften, about 5 minutes while you prepare the sugar syrup.

In a small saucepan, combine 1/4 cup water and sugar, and stir over medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved. Stop stirring, and place a candy thermometer into sugar water; wipe sides of pan with a wet brush if sugar crystals have splattered up. Boil sugar until temperature reaches the soft-ball stage (238 degrees).

Remove syrup from heat; add to softened gelatin. Hand-stir the mixture a few minutes to cool; then place bowl on the mixer stand and using the whisk attachment of an electric mixer beat on medium high until soft peaks form and the marshmallow mixture holds shape, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Once you have soft peaks you can then add a few drops of your desired flavored extract and food coloring. (a little goes a long way).

As soon as your fluffy mix is colored, scoop it into a piping bag and begin piping immediately. (this is where I messed up a little in my first batch. After I mixed it up and got it in to my piping bag, I took my sweet time dusting my wax paper surface with powdered sugar, took a phone call from a friend, and then started at it. What happened was I had waited too long and my fluffy mixture was already beginning to set in my bag, making it very thick, globby and hard to squeeze out of the bag)

As you can see below- my version of Martha’s bunny peep, and what it is actually supposed to look like pictured on the right…

Next step is to sprinkle the still sticky marshmallow globs with sugar. I used an assortment of flavored sugars that I got from the new Whole Foods. I sprinkled the pink bunnies with strawberry sugar (to compliment the strawberry flavored extract I used n the marshmallow mix) and Lemon and Tangerine sugar to cover the yellow chicks.

While both are incredibly delicious- this large granular sugar presented me with yet another challenge – The sugar was too coarse, and when I sprinkled it over my bunny blobs, they lost any detail that they might of once had. So I improvised… I pulled out my blender and ground up the big sugar granules in to a fine sugar dust, which wasn’t as attractive, but it made the sugar fine enough to sprinkle evenly. (the next time I attempt his I think I’m just going to make the extra stop over to Michael’s and buy the fine decorative glittery sugar to use, that would be much prettier, however the flavored sugar is much more unique.)

Once you are done piping and dusting all of your Peeps with sugar you need to let them sit for at least an hour. Then you can package them up in an airtight container, with plenty of extra sugar.

Then crack em’ open on Easter Sunday and enjoy!