In all the years that marshmallow Peeps have been part of my Easter celebrations, decorating with them has never entered my mind.
Nor did I ever consider cooking or baking with them. All I have done is eat them, whether fresh from the package or allowed to go slightly stale, so they have the chewy consistency they had before they were mass-produced.
Yet there are many crafters who eye the small blobs of colorful marshmallow and envision all kinds of creations. Witness the more than 130 dioramas, sculptures and wall artwork that make up the Peeps in the Village display at Peddler’s Village in Lahaska.
Peeps will show up in baskets this Sunday, but the display continues through April 23, when there also will be a Peeps-Tacular Family Brunch at the Cock ‘n’ Bull restaurant. Make reservations at peddlersvillage.com/event/peeps-brunch. Peddler’s Village also is taking reservations for its Easter Sunday brunch.
Easter is the most solemn and the most joyful holiday of the year and Peeps help add color and fun to the joy of the day. It’s no surprise that a variety of recipes have evolved using Peeps in desserts. In some they are melted, leaving behind their sweetness and bright colors, but most keep the marshmallow creatures intact to retain their cuteness.
You can decorate a variety of desserts with Peeps including cakes, cupcakes, puddings and cups of Jell-O.
But Peeps aren’t the only way to decorate a dessert. You also can create cakes shaped like bunnies, eggs and baskets or decorate a traditional layer cake with jelly beans, cookies and chocolate bunnies. Recipes are as simple or as complicated as you want them to be. If you want something fast, go ahead a make a cake from a mix, frost it and decorate it with your favorite Easter candies. “Dirt” cupcakes, made from ground Oreo cookies and decorated however you like, are another quick dessert.
This recipe from the folks at Philadelphia Cream Cheese is simple to put together and charming to look at. It comes from the website creamcheese.com.
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flaked coconut, toasted
54 speckled malted milk eggs (about 9 ounces)
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Mix graham crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar and butter; press onto bottoms of 18 paper-lined muffin cups.
3. Beat cream cheese, vanilla and remaining sugar with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Spoon over crusts.
4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until centers are almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 2 hours.
5. Top each cheesecake with 1 tablespoon coconut; shape to resemble bird’s nest. Fill with malted milk eggs.
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