We nabbed recipes from the Peeps people to see what beautiful creations we could concoct. The results were, uh, varied.
TAKE A PEEK
FRAMED
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Making a Peeps frame while watching a heated basketball game is a bad idea. I was watching the men’s teams from Duke and Kentucky battle for a Final Four spot while making one of my frames. The game was a nail-biter, and I accidentally decapitated several Peeps. Still, a Peeps frame is a sweet, easy addition to a friend’s Easter basket. Just get a clean frame, then stick on Peeps with loads of glue. Let your masterpiece dry overnight, then spray it liberally with hairspray to keep the bugs and your little brother away.
– Amanda Vogt
MANGLED
Have you ever totally forgotten about a project, then slammed something together in a last-minute panic? I was supposed to string Peeps, jelly beans and other food together on shoestring licorice to make a Peeps necklace, but I spaced the whole thing until just before our photo shoot. So I grabbed some Peeps and tried to string ’em up fast. Not so easy! They stuck to my fingers and got way mutated. Still, an edible necklace is a lovely idea, so here are my tips on what NOT to do: Forget about stabbing holes in soft Peeps. Chill the Peeps first, then poke a toothpick through and rotate it to enlarge the hole. And forget stringing jelly beans on shoestring licorice: They crack. Instead, add food that’s already holey, like chocolate-covered pretzels. OK, so you can see my sad excuse for a necklace. Now, I ask you, have you ever turned in some sorry-looking project at the same time that a classmate turned in something embarrassingly (to you) spectacular? Then you’ll know how I felt when Carol brought in her project. Read on…
– Devin Rose
MAGNIFICENT
My Peeps assignment: create a dessert pizza. I have to confess, though, the project quickly evolved into my salute to premade products. You see, the weather was so not-like-March (sunny and 80 degrees!), and I was aching to be outside, not in a kitchen. (Next year, I’m signing up for Peeps badminton: more sun time and fewer calories!) Still, this is a yummy rainy-day project to try with friends. To make the cookie crust, mix a regular-size batch of dough (mine was chocolate chip) and spread it evenly onto a pizza pan or cookie sheet to form one giant cookie. Watch the dough carefully while it bakes (ask the folks and follow package directions) so it doesn’t burn. Then, slather your pizza with a sweet sauce you love: I chose fudge frosting from a can, but other options include peanut butter or whipped topping. To decorate your pizza, grab your Peeps and other colorful candies. I added food coloring to coconut to make a “nest” for jelly eggs. As with regular pizza, everyone will have a different idea of what the ultimate “pie” is. But if it’s made to order to suit you and your friends’ tastes, it’ll be a winner.
– Carol Monaghan