Marshmallow Peeps- A shout-out

Easter is generally something I pretty much give a miss to- because it's right smack up against Passover and frankly, I can't type with macaroon goo fingers- it kills the keyboard and I dont get all the coconut out from between the keys til after the high holy days. Happily with the disparities in the US and lunar calendars this year Easter and Passover are a civilized month apart. And as I had a little PJ time between waking up and the big pillow fight in Union Square this afternoon I was looking around the web and found out -people who have way too much time on their hands tend to spend it finding ways to torture candy. Specifically, marshmallow peeps. There are peep fashion shows, peep film festivals (the Peep Jaws video is available on YouTube if you care to check)

A word about peeps from wikipedia:

Peeps (branded as PEEPS®) are small marshmallow candies, sold in the United States and Canada, that are shaped into baby chickens, rabbits, and other animals. There are also different shapes used for various holidays. Peeps are primarily used to fill Easter baskets, although the Just Born company is trying to change that by introducing new shapes and advertising "Peeps - Always in Season". They are made from marshmallow, sugar, gelatin, and carnauba wax.

Peeps are produced by Just Born, a candy manufacturer based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Peeps were introduced in 1953 by Russian immigrant, Sam Born. When Just Born acquired Rodda Candy Company in 1953, they automated the process (originally the chicks were formed by hand) and mass-marketed them. Back in 1953, when the peeps were made by hand it took 27 hours to make one marshmallow peep. The yellow chicks were the original form of the candy — hence their name — but then the company introduced other colors and, eventually, the myriad shapes in which they are now produced.

There is peep jousting- (photos courtesy of http://www.phancy.com/peeps/joust/index.html)



The messy and largely self-entertaining game, "Peeps Jousting" is played with a microwave oven. One takes two Peeps, and licks the right-hand side of each until sticky. A toothpick is thereby adhered to each Peep, pointing forward like a jousting lance. The Peeps are then set in a microwave, squared off against one another, and heated up. As they expand, the toothpick lances thrust toward each opponent, and the winner is the one that does not pop and deflate (or fizzle and die). Both usually are eaten after the competition, however, regardless who the victor was. In any case, here- the peep never wins.




You can't toast them over a fire- the sugar coating burns. They will, however, float to the top of a cup of hot chocolate and are tasty that way. Scientists at Emory University have tried myriad experiments and comcluded- peeps are really hard to destroy.

One man has taken up the gauntlet on this- for GREAT photography and an absolutely grisly sense of the macabre there is http://www.hanttula.com/exhibits/bunnies/. An incredible website by Mike Hantula dedicated to chronicling in photos, the bunnyocalypse including

Episode 1: Bunny vs. Skewers
Episode 2: Bunny vs. The Elements
Episode 3: Bunny vs. Coffee Grinder
Episode 4: Bunny vs. Water Torture
Episode 5: Bunny vs. Blow Dryer
Episode 6: Bunny vs. Egg Slicer
Episode 7: Bunny vs. Microwave
Episode 8: Bunny vs. Hot Metal…
Episode 9: Bunny vs. Golf Club
Episode 10: Bunny vs. Doggy
Episode 11: Bunny vs. Coffee I
Episode 12: Bunny vs. Coffee II
Episode 13: Bunny vs. Sauce Pan
Episode 14: Bunny vs. Sauce Pan II
Episode 15: Bunny vs. Window
Episode 16: Bunny vs. Chocolate
Episode 17: Bunny vs. Cola
Episode 18: Bunny vs. Assassin
Episode 19: Bunny vs. House Fire
Episode 20: Bunny vs. Vacuum
Episode 21: Bunny vs. Pasta Maker

And my favorite: Bunny vs. the Egg Slicer.




Happy....whatever :) XO