peeps -

by snebbu

Endless Peeps: Vanilla Sugar-Peep Sandwich Cookies

When we say endless, we mean it. I know the day of love has past, but it is still dreary February and we could all use a pick-me-up. I made these for Valentine’s day for my fiance (she was stuck going to work to save lives as essential personnel while I enjoyed a snow day). Plus I had vanilla cream Peeps, and a sweet tooth. The result? Peep sandwich cookies.

Years ago, my mom found a sugar cookie recipe that was just delectable. They melt in your mouth, have just the right amount of sugar, and they have the perfect texture. With golden brown edges, they provide just the right crunch to be complemented by creamy vanilla marshmallow. PLUS, there is additional sweetness in the vanilla frosting that acts as a glue for the marshmallow.

These are good fresh out of the oven or a few days later. I’ve even dunked them in milk. I was concerned about the sandwiches becoming too sweet, but the peep has just enough of a flavor without being too overwhelming. Plus, the vanilla flavor in the peeps goes well with the icing and the cookie. The challenge is pushing the cookie down without breaking the cookie and popping the peep out of the sandwich. Once you mess up a couple, it’s smooth sailing and off to enjoying your Peep-Sandwich.

Vanilla Sugar-Peep Sandwich Cookies

by snebbu

Endless Peeps: Peeps Popcorn

Yes, MORE Peeps! Really…there is no thing as too much Peeps. The opportunities are endless! So this time, I took a different route—a sweet and salty route: POPCORN. Popcorn is great. But let’s be honest, unless it’s drowning in greasy fake movie theater butter, it just isn’t that good. UNLESS you drown it in something sweet. This brings us to…Peeps Popcorn.

Yes, it’s sweet…and it’s also easy. So easy, a kid could do it (as long as they don’t touch the stove or burn the sugar, or touch the hot melted Peeps). I do have to tell you though; you have to be okay with killing innocent marshmallow bunnies and chicks. Their suffering was worth it (as it typically is) and ends in a tasty treat that is not loaded with calories and carbs.

I used the chocolate mousse Peeps and the raspberry Peeps, and did two separate batches. The nice thing about this is that it takes one package or less of the Peeps, and some fresh-popped popcorn. Other than some butter in the pan, there are no other ingredients. The chocolate mousse popcorn came out a little crispier than the raspberry. Must be something in their blood…

The chocolate flavor stands out on the popcorn, so I added some sea salt and it was tasty. The sweetness of the raspberry reminded me of cotton candy for some reason—no salt needed. Since Peeps offers so many different flavors now, I would definitely pick two flavors and make two different batches. This way, you can compare and contrast. Now consider this…what if you mixed two flavors? Hmmm…

Here’s the “recipe” (pay attention – it’s complicated)

Peeps Popcorn

by Emily

Two of Hearts: Ultimate Valentine’s S’mores

The best thing about Easter — PEEPS! — is now the best thing about Valentine’s Day! A few weeks ago, a box of glory appeared on my doorstep. A box full of VALENTINE’S PEEPS. Oh, yes. It was ON. (And by “it,” I mean “intense sugar highs and almost immediate sugar crashes.”)

Take a glimpse of the offerings:

Chocolate Mousse teddybears, Strawberry Creme hearts, Vanilla Creme hearts, regular marshmallow hearts, sugar-free hearts, and Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry chicks! My favorites are the Vanilla Creme and Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry.

So, what to do with all these marshmallows? There’s an obvious answer here: s’mores.

Recently, one of my (GENIUS) coworkers mentioned an awesome trick: instead of using a regular ol’ Hershey bar in your s’more, use a Reese’s Cup to add some peanut buttery goodness. What?! Mind. Blown. Lucky for me (and you!) Reese’s makes heart-shaped candies for Vday. This is some heart-on-heart action.

I mean… I don’t even know what to tell y’all about this. It’s so simple. The answer was there all along. REESE’S CUPS. I made mine with a Vanilla Creme Peep (because I love me some vanilla + PB) and it was heavenly. (By the way, no shame in using a microwave on this guilty little pleasure… it’s way too cold to be messing with a backyard bonfire this winter.)

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by snebbu

Endless Peeps: Chocolate Mousse Marshmallow Cookie Bars

Peeps. I love Peeps. And I love that the Peeps peeps are creating the sugar-coated marshmallow treats for just about every holiday. I even got a mint-flavored, Christmas tree shaped, chocolate covered peep in my stocking this year. So, you could imagine my excitement when I received a box of a variety of Peeps products at my door. The varieties ranged from vanilla creme hearts, raspberry and strawberry chocolate covered Peeps, strawberry creme Peeps, heartshappd marshmallow Peeps, even chocolate-dipped Peeps.

We loved the Peanut Butter Comfort Six Layer S’mores Bars so much that we decided to create a variation involving peeps…and maybe brownies. After debating chocolate chip vs. sugar cookie dough, we decided to go with a base of a sugar cookie. The result was something between a shortbread and graham cracker crust (maybe because there are whole graham crackers in the middle). Unfortunately, one tube of cookie dough was not enough, so we smothered the rest of the concoction with brownie batter. Between the cookie dough and brownie batter is whole graham crackers, chocolate mousse peeps, and chocolate chips.

Interestingly enough, the peeps kind of spread into every crevice available—even downward into the cookie dough. Every bite has a different texture. Sometimes the crunchiness of the graham cracker comes through, other times the chocolatey brownie and chocolate chips, and other times the gooey-ness of the marshmallow takes over. However, the flavor of the chocolate mousse is quite the complement to the overall taste. One thing I would change? More Peeps!

Chocolate Mousse Marshmallow Cookie Bars

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by Emily

Top 5 Trendiest Easter Recipes on Pinterest

You know what they say… “April showers bring May flowers, and early March food blogging brings late March Easter Pinboards.” Okay, well maybe they only say the first half of that, but the latter half is definitely true, so let’s just roll with it. These days, you can’t even have a third-tier holiday like Arbor Day without a million Pinterest boards popping up, so you can only imagine how big of a deal such a high-profile holiday like Easter is. Clearly we had to get our Peep-loving selves in on the action as well.

Presenting… the Top 5 Trendiest Easter Recipes on Pinterest.

5. Cadbury Creme Egg Milkshake from Chocolate Moosey
Milk chocolate eggs stuffed with frosting are amazing enough as it is, but incorporate them into a chocolate ice cream milkshake – complete with homemade fondant! – and you’ve got a real winner.

4. Easter Peanut Butter Buttons from The Curvy Carrot
Probably one of the easiest things ever. Peanut butter filled pretzels are a classic, and so are white chocolate covered pretzels. Adhere a Reese’s Peanut Butter Egg to a pretzel with melted white chocolate, and you’re in Easter snack heaven.

in Desserts / Holiday / Recipe / Trends 0 comments

by Emily

Ultimate White Chocolate Peepmallow Reese’s Peanut Butter Easter Treats

When I think of Easter foods, I think of marshmallows, pastels, egg-shaped candies, white chocolate bunnies, PEEPS, the usual. Okay, by “foods” I totally meant “sugar-loaded junk foods” but I think we can all get behind that. Hallelujah. If you want to bring a sweet something to an Easter brunch or potluck but don’t want to have to bake or take more than 15 minutes of time, then this is the (adorbs!) recipe for you.

Everyone knows Rice Krispies Treats are delicious, but these are even better because they incorporate melted white chocolate (in the form of a bunny, duh) as well as two types of peanut butter (normal PB melted in with the marshmallows, plus Reeses Pieces Eggs stirred in at the end). Speaking of the marshmallows, I used a combination of regular ones and pink Peeps. He has risen! (In this case, the word “he” means “my blood sugar”).

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Easter Treats

in Desserts / Holiday / Recipe 2 comments

by BS

Ha-peep Easter

Woo-hoo! It’s once again time for the only contest that combines candy, dioramas and extreme political dorkiness. Yep, The Washington Post’s Peep Show, aka our favorite thing ever.

Check out this year’s increasingly outrageous peep productions: Peep Show VI

More:
Peep-stuffed Easter egg jello shots
Peeps Gone Wild!

Oh yeah, and happy Passover!

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