I feel like somewhat of an ignoramus this morning. I had no idea you could make your own peeps! I have a not so secret confession–I love peeps! I buy a package at every holiday. . .but now that I know I can make my own, this means I can make them all year round. . .in any shape I want. (I am thoroughly excited–can you tell?)
So while you’re making your other Easter confections, why not consider trying to make a batch of peeps. I like the idea as an activity to do with kids because it requires using a pastry bag. I fully admit that if you let your kids have at it with a pastry bag full of marshmallow-y goo, what you get may not bear any resemblance to anything spring-ish. All the same, it’s tons of fun!
You will need:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar for dusting
2 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 1/4 cups water, divided
4 tablespoons unflavored gelatin (in the baking section of the grocery store)
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
colored sugar for decorating
You will also need a candy thermometer, and a pastry bag in addition to your other handy dandy kitchen utensils.
Directions:
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together sugar, corn syrup and 3/4-cup water. Bring the mixture to a boil. While boiling, attach a candy thermometer to the pot so that the tip is immersed in the liquid, but not touching the bottom of the pot. Watch the temperature carefully until it reaches the hard-ball stage — when the thermometer reads 250 to 260 degrees F.
At the same time, while the sugar mixture is heating, place the remaining water in a metal bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Place the bowl over simmering water and stir until the gelatin is dissolved and the mixture becomes liquid. Keep this gelatin mixture warm until the sugar comes to the proper temperature. As soon as the sugar mixture reaches the hard-ball stage and you remove it from heat, carefully whisk in the gelatin mixture. Meanwhile, use an electric mixer to whip the egg whites into soft peaks (You can tell that eggs have reached the soft-peak stage when you take a spoon, dip it in and out of the egg mixture, and a peak is formed that is soft enough to quickly bend over.).
Once the peaks have formed, set the electric mixer to medium-speed and slowly pour the sugar mixture into the bowl of whipped egg whites. (Slowly is the operative word here.) Once all of the sugar has been incorporated into the egg whites, add the vanilla extract and continue mixing at a medium-speed until the mixture cannot become any fluffier.
Line a flat surface with waxed paper and sprinkle it with a generous coating of sugar. Use a large pastry bag with at least a 1/2-inch opening or tip. Carefully spoon the sticky marshmallow fluff into the bag and twist the top closed. Pipe the body of the chick shape first by making a thick line on the paper. Hold the bag at a 45-degree angle to the surface so that the piping will stand tall.
When the body is long enough, pipe backwards on top of the body, and then make a little head. You can also make bunnies or flowers in the same way.
Note: Directions for peep making borrowed from Allrecipes.com.
Valorie Delp shares recipes and kitchen tips in the food blog, solves breastfeeding problems, shares parenting tips, and current research in the baby blog, and insight, resources and ideas as a regular guest blogger in the homeschooling blog. To read more articles by Valorie Delp, click here.
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