Love your Peeps?
If any of you have ever watched Top Chef or have a particularly refined palette, you are familiar with flavor profile.
Definition - The flavor profile of an item is the balance of flavors that go into it. The primary flavors are Sweet, Sour, Bitter, Salty.
Lately, we're more of the pizza place, sub shop, kid joint type. So, my flavor profile indicator is less refined than it used to be however, I discovered (thanks to my recent obsession, sparked by Good Gravy's recent post here) what amazing flavors I could create by scrounging up my kiddos Easter candy.
Cadbury Mini Egg + Orange Jelly Bean = Pure Perfection
Cadbury Mini Egg + Cherry Jelly Bean = Chocolate Covered Cherry
Cadbury Mini Egg + Lime Jelly Bean = Chocolate Key Lime Pie
Now, I've read that 12 of these little morsels pack about 200 calories, add in 12 jelly beans to create my concoctions and we're pushing 250 calories for those yummy treats that I'm quickly becoming addicted to. Stop the madness!
I've been told that the marshmallow Peep is the best option for the Easter candy finds at only 32 calories each. I'm not a fan so I'll opt for my sweet delights in moderation. For those of you who love 'em and want to attempt an adventurous Easter recipe, have at it! Here's one for homemade marshmallow peeps
HOMEMADE MARSHMALLOW PEEPS (Recipe from Maida Heatter's Book of Great Cookies)
I N G R E D I E N T S*Vegetable shortening for preparing the pan
1 cup cold water
3 tablespoons (3 envelopes) unflavored gelatin
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Confectioners sugar (for coating the marshmallows)
I N S T R U C T I O N S
1. Prepare a 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan as follows. Invert the pan. Cut a piece of aluminum foil long enough to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Place the foil over the inverted pan and fold down the sides and corners just to shape. Remove the foil and turn the pan right side up. Place the foil in the pan and press it gently into place. With a pastry brush or crumpled wax paper coat the foil thoroughly but lightly with vegetable shortening. Set aside.
2. Place 1/2 cup cold water in the large bowl of an electric mixer, Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface of the water and set aside.
3. Place the sugar, corn syrup, salt and the other 1/2 cup water in a heavy 1-1/2 quart or 2 quart saucepan over moderately low heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil. Cover for 3 minutes to allow any sugar crystals on the sides of the saucepan to dissolve. Uncover, raise the heat to high, insert a candy thermometer, and let the syrup boil without stirring until the temperature reaches 240 degrees. Do not overcook. Remove from the heat.
4. Beating constantly at medium speed, pour the syrup slowly into the gelatin mixture. After all the syrup has been added, increase the speed to high and beat for 15 minutes until the mixture is lukewarm, snowy white, and the consistency of whipped marshmallow, adding the vanilla a few minutes before the end of the beating. (During the beating, occasionally scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula. The marshmallow will thicken and become sticky -- if the mixture crawls up on the beaters as it thickens, carefully wipe it down with a rubber spatula.)
5. Pour the slightly warm and thick marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan and, with your forefinger, scrape all the mixture off the beaters. Smooth the top of the marshmallow.
6. Let stand uncovered at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours or longer if it is more convenient.
7. Then sift or strain confectioners sugar generously onto a large cutting board to cover a surface larger then your pan. Invert the marshmallow over the sugared surface. Remove the pan and peel off the foil. Strain confectioners sugar generously over the top of the marshmallow.
8. To cut into even 1 inch strips use a ruler and toothpicks to mark it every 1 inch.
9. Prepare a long, heavy, sharp knife by brushing the blade lightly with vegetable shortening. Cutting down firmly with the full length of the blade, cut the marshmallow into 1 inch strips. (After cutting the first slice, just keep the blade sugared to keep it from sticking.)
10. Dip the cut sides of each strip into confectioners sugar to coat them thoroughly -- you should have enough excess sugar on the board to do this.
11. Now cut each strip into 1 inch squares. (You may place three strips together and cut through them all at once.) Roll the marshmallows in the sugar to coat the remaining sides. Shake off excess sugar.
12. Store in a plastic box or any airtight container -- or plastic bag.
Yield: makes 1 pound, 10 ounces of marshmallows
1 cup cold water
3 tablespoons (3 envelopes) unflavored gelatin
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Confectioners sugar (for coating the marshmallows)
I N S T R U C T I O N S
1. Prepare a 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan as follows. Invert the pan. Cut a piece of aluminum foil long enough to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Place the foil over the inverted pan and fold down the sides and corners just to shape. Remove the foil and turn the pan right side up. Place the foil in the pan and press it gently into place. With a pastry brush or crumpled wax paper coat the foil thoroughly but lightly with vegetable shortening. Set aside.
2. Place 1/2 cup cold water in the large bowl of an electric mixer, Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface of the water and set aside.
3. Place the sugar, corn syrup, salt and the other 1/2 cup water in a heavy 1-1/2 quart or 2 quart saucepan over moderately low heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil. Cover for 3 minutes to allow any sugar crystals on the sides of the saucepan to dissolve. Uncover, raise the heat to high, insert a candy thermometer, and let the syrup boil without stirring until the temperature reaches 240 degrees. Do not overcook. Remove from the heat.
4. Beating constantly at medium speed, pour the syrup slowly into the gelatin mixture. After all the syrup has been added, increase the speed to high and beat for 15 minutes until the mixture is lukewarm, snowy white, and the consistency of whipped marshmallow, adding the vanilla a few minutes before the end of the beating. (During the beating, occasionally scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula. The marshmallow will thicken and become sticky -- if the mixture crawls up on the beaters as it thickens, carefully wipe it down with a rubber spatula.)
5. Pour the slightly warm and thick marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan and, with your forefinger, scrape all the mixture off the beaters. Smooth the top of the marshmallow.
6. Let stand uncovered at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours or longer if it is more convenient.
7. Then sift or strain confectioners sugar generously onto a large cutting board to cover a surface larger then your pan. Invert the marshmallow over the sugared surface. Remove the pan and peel off the foil. Strain confectioners sugar generously over the top of the marshmallow.
8. To cut into even 1 inch strips use a ruler and toothpicks to mark it every 1 inch.
9. Prepare a long, heavy, sharp knife by brushing the blade lightly with vegetable shortening. Cutting down firmly with the full length of the blade, cut the marshmallow into 1 inch strips. (After cutting the first slice, just keep the blade sugared to keep it from sticking.)
10. Dip the cut sides of each strip into confectioners sugar to coat them thoroughly -- you should have enough excess sugar on the board to do this.
11. Now cut each strip into 1 inch squares. (You may place three strips together and cut through them all at once.) Roll the marshmallows in the sugar to coat the remaining sides. Shake off excess sugar.
12. Store in a plastic box or any airtight container -- or plastic bag.
Yield: makes 1 pound, 10 ounces of marshmallows
You can also get creative with your Peeps and other Easter candy. Check out All The Small Things who recently blogged on 30 Days about her creative alternatives to the regular 'ol generic packaging.
Love this!
Baby Chick Cupcakes....check out the tutorial over at Deliciously Noted.
A donut topped cupcake, enough said!
A donut topped cupcake, enough said!
Happy Easter - hope the bunny is good to you and your kiddos!
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I love these, the bunnies are my fav... the look like bunny slippers lol
ReplyDeletehugs
Kim @ http://frostmeblog.blogspot.com
party inspiration
I might break my "I'm only buying one bag of mini eggs this year" rule so I can try out the chocolate key lime pie concoction.
ReplyDeletethis is so cool! my kids love this stuff :D
ReplyDeleteLaci
serenity3212@yahoo.com
I have to keep that peep recipe on file for next year! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteCandace