Happy Peepster

Some people believe that Sundays should be a day of rest. I am not one of those people--unless the Sunday happens to be Easter and there are Peeps to be eaten.

I must confess that for most of my life, I did not enjoy eating Marshmallow Peeps, despite my best efforts. When I moved to an apartment just a mile from Peep Headquarters, I tried them again, after one friend swore that the Peeps I sent him from Pennsylvania tasted better than the ones he could get in stores in Virginia. I even tried eating them stale, as some people insisted was key. No luck.

But then, a few weeks ago, a friend offered me a homemade chocolate-covered Peep. I took one, to be polite--and then bit into what may be the world's most perfect dessert. And I'm kicking myself for missing out on artificially colored marshmallow goodness for so long.

The recipe is, as you may have guessed, quite easy--and almost as fun as watching Peeps blow up in the microwave.

Peep Pops

You will need:
*Peeps! (Bunnies work nicely because they lay flat.)
*Chocolate of your choice for melting. I used Wilton wafers -- they harden better than, say, chocolate chips. 1 bag of wafers is more than enough to coat 12 Peeps.
*Lollipop sticks
*Cake-decorating accoutrements: sprinkles, colored sugar, etc. Go crazy.
*Wax or parchment paper, for drying your Peeps

1. Separate the Peeps from their neighbors.
2. Insert a lollipop stick into the bottom of each Peep. Get it in as deep as you can without deforming the marshmallow -- your Peep is in for a wild ride. It's normal to feel uncomfortable while doing this.
3. Melt the chocolate according to the wafer package's instructions. If you're not using wafers, I suggest you look for chocolate-melting instructions elsewhere, because I mess up and overcook mine about 50 percent of the time.
4. Make your Peep take the plunge. My preferred method is to tilt the bowl slightly, so I can slide the Peep in sideways (keeping it more or less parallel to the countertop)


I see you too. 

 5. Gently shake off the excess chocolate, taking care not to fling the Peep off the stick.
6. Decorate! The chocolate hardens pretty quickly, so you may want to decorate your first half-batch before dipping the rest.
7. If you have candy molds, you can make a few pieces with the excess chocolate (or, of course, just lick the bowl).
8. Let the pops dry. If you're using wafers, your Peeps will harden at room temperature -- no need to refrigerate.

Happiness is not getting poked with a lollipop stick.





9. If you're really feeling ambitious, skip the Peep Pops altogether and go for a Peep Topiary:

I so didn't make this.