Make your own adorable little marshmallow chicks and bunnies for Easter. They are easy and fun to make using a basic marshmallow recipe and Colored Sugar. Peeps were discovered over 50 years ago by the Just Born Candy Company, and are just as popular and loved today. For many, Peeps are an Easter tradition. Of course the marshmallow may be colored and cut into any shape, such as green Christmas trees or shamrocks, Pink Valentine hearts, or red white and blue 4^th of July stars.

Marshmallow Peeps

Ingredients:

Marshmallow:

¾ cup cold water, divided

3 envelopes unflavored gelatin

2 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup light corn syrup

¼ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Coating:

About 1 cup Colored Sugar for sprinkling in pan and coating cut-out Peeps.

Eyes and Noses:

About 1 teaspoon melted chocolate (dark, semisweet, or milk chocolate)

Directions:

1. Line the bottom and sides of a 13x9x2 inch oblong baking pan with plastic wrap. Lightly grease the plastic wrap with vegetable oil; Coating: generously sprinkle the bottom and sides of the oiled plastic wrap with about 3 tablespoons of the Colored Sugar.
   

Tip: To create several different colors of chicks and bunnies from one recipe, use a 9 inch pie or cake pan for each color instead of the 13x9 inch pan. After lining the pans with plastic wrap and oiling, sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of the Colored Sugar in the bottom of each pan, using a different color for each pan.

Marshmallow:

2. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, put ½ cup cold water. Sprinkle gelatin over the water; set aside about 10 minutes for gelatin to soften.
   
   
3. In a medium heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine ¼ cup water, sugar, corn syrup, and salt; heat and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to boil.
   
   
4. Clip a candy thermometer to the inside of the pan, raise the heat to medium-high, and continue to boil, without stirring, until the sugar mixture reaches a temperature of 240 degrees F. Remove pan from heat and remove candy thermometer.
   
   
5. With the electric mixer on low speed, slowly pour the hot syrup into the gelatin mixture. Gradually increase the speed to high and beat until the mixture is thick and shiny and nearly tripled in volume, about 10 minutes.  Add vanilla extract, and continue beating about 1 minute or until the vanilla is well combined.
   
   
6. Scrape marshmallow mixture into the prepared 13x9 inch pan, or divide between several pie or cake pans if making different colors. Spread with a spatula to make as smooth as possible.  The mixture will be sticky. Coating: Generously sprinkle the top of the marshmallow with 1 to 3 tablespoons of the Colored Sugar.
   

Tip: if using several pie or cake pans with different colors, the marshmallow doesn’t need to cover the whole bottom of each pan. Just put however much you want for each color, spreading so the marshmallow is at least ½ inch thick.

7. Let marshmallow sit uncovered, at room temperature, until set and dry, about 12 hours.
   
   Coating:
   
8. Sprinkle a large pastry board with some of the colored sugar. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the marshmallow. Invert the pan onto the cutting board. Remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the top of the marshmallow with more of the colored sugar.
   
   
9. Use a chick or bunny shaped cookie cutter that has been dipped in a little of the colored sugar to cut-out the Peep shapes. Dip the cut sides of the Peeps into the colored sugar to help prevent them from sticking together, shake off any excess sugar.
   

Tip: Cut the left over scraps into small pieces, roll in the colored sugar to coat, and enjoy as snacks or in a cup of hot chocolate.

Eyes and Noses:

10. Dip a toothpick in the melted chocolate and apply a dot of chocolate to form eyes and noses on the chicks and bunnies.
    
    
11. Store Marshmallow Peeps covered, in an airtight container, at room temperature. 
    
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