Homemade Peeps
Whenever Megan and I get together for our baking dates, there are always emails flying back and forth about what we’re going to be baking. After our first baking date, we agreed that we could handle three recipes this time around. We talked about all sorts of ideas and at one point had a list of about 12 things we might be interested in doing. With Easter and Mother’s Day coming up, we decided it would be fun to do a couple spring recipes. Today we’re both posting the first of the three recipes we decided on – Homemade Peeps!
I LOVE Peeps. They have to be my favorite Easter candy. I always let mine get a little stale before eating them. When we decided to make homemade peeps, we actually had a hard time finding details about how to shape them. I thought I remembered Alton Brown making them in his marshmallow episode, but after going back and watching it (I have about 50 episodes of Good Eats stored on my DVR), I realized that he actually used a tin mold to make his peeps.
Luckily, Martha Stewart had a recipe and instructions for making “Homemade Easter Treats”. She had instructions for bunnies and chicks. We were wishing for some step by step photos, and found then on Serious Eats.
We were originally going to use the AB recipe that I use for marshmallows, but then we noticed that Martha’s recipe didn’t have corn syrup. Since the AB recipe gives marshmallows that are very fluffy, we were worried they wouldn’t hold their shape, so in the end we went with Martha’s recipe. We did add a pinch of salt and some vanilla to make sure the flavor was still delicious.
Megan and I have both made marshmallows before so we knew it would be a race against the clock to get our Peeps piped before the marshmallow became too difficult to work with. So during the last couple minutes in the mixer, we got our work station set up. I chose to use pink sprinkles, and Megan chose yellow.
We spread some sprinkles directly onto the counter. This serves as a buffer so the peeps don’t stick to the countertop. We both reread the instructions one more time, filled up our piping bags and went to town. We both used #12 tips to pipe our Peeps.
Piping Peeps is actually really hard. Once we started we understood why step by step photos were so hard to find. It would be really hard to do that… We definitely had some that looked nothing like chicks and more like just a mound of sugary goodness…
At one point, I got confident that I had come up with a process that worked for me, so I had Megan take this video. As you can see, I started by making a tear-drop shaped base. Then I added the neck and the beak. You can also see that the marshmallow was starting to get difficult to work with.
Once you pipe your shape, you then sprinkle colored decorating sugar over the entire animal. I am still finding pink and yellow sprinkles in the most random places! Making Peeps was definitely something fun to do, but I’m not sure that I’d do it again… They did taste amazing and everyone was impressed that I made homemade Peeps. If you’re ever feeling adventuresome, I recommend giving it a shot, but be ready to be a little frustrated and covered in sprinkles.
Three Years Ago: Plum Rolls (Zwetschgenschnecken)
Marshmallows for Piping
Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Ingredients:
1 unflavored gelatin (2 1/2 tsp)
1/3 cup cold water, for gelatin, plus 1/4 cup for syrup
1 cup sugar
Directions:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/3 cup cold water. Allow gelatin to soften, about 5 minutes.
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. Using the whisk attachment of an electric mixer, hand-stir the mixture a few minutes to cool; place bowl on the mixer stand. Beat on medium high with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form and the marshmallow mixture holds shape, 8 to 10 minutes.
Transfer marshmallow mixture to a large (14-inch) pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch (No. 12 Ateco) tip, and use immediately.
Recipe from Martha Stewart
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I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
that cake is so beautiful, and sounds delicious!
Wow! Your pictures are amazing! I would love to sink my teeth into that cake right now!
Well…. you’ve done it again! Now, I simply have to add this to my Christmas Eve repetoire. It is fabulous! So many recipes….not enough time!
http://www.simplysweeter.blogspot.com
wow! this look unbelievable. I might have to conquer my fear of baking just for this.
Wow, that is stunning! Nice job!
Whoa..this looks beyond incredible…I dont think my sweet tooth will be satisfied ever without this!
I have to do this for Christmas dessert! Thanks for sharing!
C’est magnifique! Great job!!
Seriously, that looks downright sinful and gorgeous!!! Just amazing Jen!
wow, this is over the top 🙂 but totally worth it!! looks awesome!
What a great combination of flavors! I can almost smell the cake. Yum!!
STUNNING! Good job on this, I want a piece!
…great cake!!! and happy bday to Z!!! Hugs, ciao Flavia
What am amazing cake! I love the bright red and contrasting white, simmply beautiful!
What a beautiful cake! My family would love this. Cheesecake and red velvet are my hubby’s favorites. Maybe I will make it for his birthday!
Talk about impressive! You go!
And just when I think you can’t keep coming up with brilliant ideas and delicious photos…this looks/sounds utterly amazing!
Cheesecake in between the cake layers… OMG. You so outdid yourself. That is amazing!
Wow. I saw a similar cheesecake but couldn’t fint a recipe so resolved to just make “plain ole red velvet cupcakes.” This looks so much better!
Oh My – this looks so amazing!
that looks awesome! I saw something similar in the Sam’s club add that I’ve been wanting to try but homemade would be even better
This cake looks so beautiful and I bet it tastes INCREDIBLE! I couldn’t print it out fast enough – I’m definitely trying it in the new year! Wow!
this has been on my ‘want to try’ list for a while! Maybe this will be the push i need to give it a try!
That cake looks gorgeous and delicious!
This is so cool! The only reason I like red velvet is the cream cheese frosting and this just takes it to a whole new level!
Wow, where to begin?! That bright red is gorgeous! The cheesecake hiding in the center sounds ridiculously delicious! Gorgeous photos too:)
this is a perfect holiday cake! great idea.
What a great idea! I love how the cheesecake layer looks so impressive sandwiched between the shockingly red red velvet layers!
Ok this looks amazing!
Hey girl, I am 100% sure I am going to make this for Christmas…it looks amazing! Just wondering…you used a 9″ springform pan for the cheesecake, right?
Joanne, Sorry for the delay, but yet, I used a springform pan for the cheesecake. I think that’s why it came out a tad bigger than the cake layers. Did you make it for Christmas? How did it turn out?
I made this for Christmas and it was absolutely AMAZING! My family really enjoyed it and I already have thoughts of the other cakes that would be incredible with a layer of cheesecake inbetween. What a great idea!
This looks amazing! I am making 60 red velvet cupcakes for my cousin’s homecoming. I used the red velvet recipe without the cheesecake…AMAZING! The best recipe I have found yet. Thanks, keep it up!