Making Peeps

Thought I'd follow on the heels of my Cowardly Parents rant with a fluffy piece.

As in marshmallow fluffiness. (isn't fluffy a great word?)


We used this recipe from the April issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine. We didn't use any vanilla and we used a lot more than one tablespoon of icing sugar to coat the baking sheet, but other than that it was all weirdly easy. I felt mildly abashed that it's taken me 12 years to get over my "they must be too complicated - don't think I'll make them any time soon" making marshmallows hang-up.

I know, I know. Call me irrational. Some people are afraid of spiders. I'm afraid of fluffy marshmallows.


Tips Based On Sheila's Experiences: have a bowl of hot water on hand, with a dish towel alongside to rinse the cookie cutters in between cuts; have the bowls of sanding sugar ready BEFORE you cut the first marshmallow- those marshmallows are sticky; have a side dish of icing sugar standing on alert for when you suddenly run out of sanding sugar - those marshmallows are sticky; make sure your children don't open the back door when they are all resting colourfully on a board in preparation for their Reveal, because the wind coming in the back door might blow the sugar all over the counter and sugar is sticky (when wet).
Next up: Marbleized Eggs

(early tip for blowing eggs: use a thumbtack to make the holes in the eggs, break the yolk, and make the hole large enough so you don't cause spasms in your jaw muscles afterwards)