Perhaps no other item announces spring more sweetly than the Peep. These wee marshmallow chicks, bedecked in crunchy technicolor sugar, hold a special power over our collective consciousness from mid-February until late April. Those beady eyes and tiny beaks slay me. And, let’s face it: post-Easter-half-price Peeps are perhaps even more wonderful as the Peeps that arrive in stores on February 15th.
My friend Peter delights in stale Peeps. He’ll open a package in March, stow it on top of the fridge and retrieve it a couple of weeks later when the chicks have developed a hearty chew only possible through partial dehydration. Peter likes Peep jerky.
However, no one I know has demonstrated such Peep devotion as my friend Rebecca, who held a Peep party this year! She created cocktails, Rice Kris-Peep treats, fruit brochettes, and much, much more out of these fluffy nuggets. But once the party was over, Rebecca was D-O-N-E with Peeps. I mean, she was Peep-ed out. Therefore, she kindly offered me the remaining stash for an orphan project. Of course, I jumped at the chance.
Heaps o’Peeps!
I, obviously, have not followed Peep evolution closely enough, because I was flabbergasted by the variety of Peeps available in our modern world. We have progressed far beyond the yellow and pink of years past into a staggering wealth of options. Chicks, bunnies, eggs. Chocolate-coated, white chocolate-coated. Vanilla, blueberry, strawberry, fruit punch. FRUIT PUNCH PEEPS. Ponder that for a moment when people claim that creativity is dead.
Since Rebecca had already gone explored the Peeps-krispy treat, I decided to incorporate some vanilla-flavored Peeps in a version of Momofuku Milk Bar’s Compost Cookie. I theorized that the potato chips and pretzels in the cookie would provide enough salt to stand up to the overwhelming sweetness of the Peep. I neglected to consider, however, that the marshmallow would make the dough extra-spread-y. Thanks to gooey Peeps, I ended up with two giant cookies instead of eight regular-sized cookies. I separated them as best I could during the cooling process, but these cookies were definitely amoeba-shaped, rather than cookie-shaped. I also overbaked them, rendering them crunchier than I had hoped. Still edible, but more akin to granola than cookie. I give myself an A- for concept and a C- for execution!
Two giant compost cookie columns. I’ll pay more attention to spacing next time. Oops.
Then, my two most stalwart orphan donors, Monika and Jenni, gifted me with two perfectly ripe pineapples and two adorable wedges of honey-sea salt cheese. I made jam with one of pineapples and sorbet with the other. These cheese was begging to become a scone, and walnuts seemed like a good match for the slightly sweet saltiness of the cheese. These scones go really well with the jam, which is a nice bonus.
Two gorgeously ripe pineapples and delicious wedges of cheese flavored with honey and sea salt.
Walnut & cheese scones.
Layers.
Pineapple jam.
Pineapple sorbet.
Thank you, Rebecca, Jenni, and Monika for playing along! I had so much fun!
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And here was my ear candy for the cooking session:
I’ve been digging this new track from The Cold War Kids a lot lately. I really love the walloping piano, Nathan Willett’s ecstatic vocal delivery, and the concept of love’s inexplicable nature. Frankly, I’m always a little puzzled about why we love one another. I get why we’re physically (or intellectually or emotionally) attracted to one another, but that’s only a shadow of what love really is. The thing that binds us to one another even when times get ugly or boring or supremely un-fun? That’s what tough to figure out.
Holler at me if you’ve got the answer.