You’ve had Peeps candies, right?  Is there anyone out there who hasn’t?  I used to absolutely despise them when I was a kid.  My mom loved them,so it was without fail that we always had a package or two (or five) in our Easter baskets – to me, they had a funky food-coloring taste and were always a little too squishy.  Blech.

But then, at some point, we (my siblings and I) discovered two things.  One, that stale Peeps are way better than fresh Peeps.  They get chewy and the sugary coating forms a bit of a crust.  Two, if you put them in the microwave awesome things happen.  They blow up to about 10 times their normal size and then they deflate and taste like a campfire marshmallow.

Listen, don’t judge.  Mom would seriously buy dozens of those packages of Peeps every year.  We had to do something with them.  And then they came out with bunny-shaped Peeps, so of course that doubled the amount she would buy.

Needless to say, I don’t buy Peeps for my kids.  We leave those for Grandma’s house.

So you can imagine my surprise when I came across this recipe and bookmarked it.  Making anything from scratch always appeals to me, but I never imagined that I’d care enough to try making homemade Peeps.  Perhaps it’s the candy coating, the cute little candied eye or maybe just the desire to make something I disliked so much taste better.

‘Cause these are better.  Way, way better.  First of all, they’re so stinking adorable I can hardly stand it.  Secondly, homemade marshmallow is fantastic.  The texture of the firm candy coating with the soft marshmallow inside is like a party in your mouth.  (There’s a party in my tummy, so yummy, so yummy…)

Yo Gabba Gabba.  Google them.

I was completely intimidated by homemade marshmallow, but it’s really very simple.  If you have a candy thermometer, it’s a no-brainer.  It was so surprisingly easy that I’m sure I’ll have many future posts on homemade marshmallow, because there are a million cute things you can do with it.

Please give these a try. Think of all of the other shapes you could make – bunnies, stars, Christmas trees…I can’t wait to try something else!

Hope you love these!  And don’t forget, if you haven’t yet, make sure you stop by at my Facebook page and follow along…you can also find me on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest if Facebook isn’t your thing.

Enjoy!

♥erin

Homemade Marshmallow Peeps
Yield:  Approx 24 two-inch peeps

Marshmallow Ingredients:
2/3 cup water, divided
3 (1/4oz) packets pectin/gelatin
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
dash salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
powdered sugar for dusting pan
cooking spray

Prepare a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and a generous dusting of powdered sugar.  Set aside.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine 1/3 cup of water and 3 packets pectin.  Stir to combine, then set aside while you prepare the syrup.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine 1/3 cup water, corn syrup, sugar and salt.  Using a candy thermometer, heat over medium-high heat until the temperature reaches 240 degrees.  Do not stir.  To prevent sugar crystals from forming on the side of the pan, use a pastry brush dipped in water to gently brush the sides of the pan.

Once you reach 240 degrees, immediately remove from heat and slowly pour into the pectin mixture.  Using the whisk attachment, beat slowly at first until combined, then up the speed to medium high and beat for 8-10 minutes, or until the mixture is thick, white and forms sticky strings while pulling from the sides of the pan.

Using an oiled spatula, remove marshmallow from bowl and pour into prepared 9×13 pan.  Wet your fingers and push the marshmallow to the edge of the pan.  Continue wetting your fingers as necessary to prevent them from sticking.  Sprinkle the top of the smoothed marshmallow with a generous dusting of powdered sugar.  Allow the marshmallow to set aside and firm up, at least 1 hour but preferably 3-4 hours.

Once set, run a knife around the outside of the pan, and dump the marshmallow on to a sheet of parchment paper.  Cut into shapes as desired, using a oiled pizza cutter or a cookie cutter dipped into powdered sugar.  Prepare candy coating.

Candy Coating and Decoration:
1-2 bags yellow candy coating
1 bag orange candy coating
Blue candies for eyes
Yellow sugar, if desired

Melt candy coating according to package directions.  I used two packages of the yellow candy melts and just a small handful of the orange candy melts for the beaks and feet.

Dip each marshmallow into the yellow candies, shake of excess and place on parchment paper to dry.  Before they set up, place a blue candy for the eye, and sprinkle with sugar if desired, avoiding the beak and feet areas.  Dry completely.

Melt a small amount of orange candy melts.  I used a paint brush to brush the orange candy on the feet and beaks. Dry completely, refrigerating if needed.

Enjoy!

Recipe source and inspiration: A Farm Girls Dabbles