Photo: Natalie DeWitt
Don't worry, even the less photogenic rejects taste amazing.
Better Than Store-Bought
Marshmallow Peeps are an Easter staple, but there are plenty of people who prefer to craft with the gummy globs rather than eat them. Let’s face it: store-bought Peeps don’t really taste that good.
This recipe shows you how to make your own marshmallow sweets that are much more palatable.
Be prepared to make a sticky (but fun) mess. And don’t fret if your chicks turn out looking more like sea monsters! The mallow is a difficult medium.
Homemade Marshmallow Chicks
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 14 chicks
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water, for dissolving and heating the sugar
- 1/3 cup cold water, for the gelatin
- 2 1/2 teaspoons gelatin
- 1 - 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 tablespoons colored sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder
Cooking Directions
- In a small sauce pan over medium heat, stir sugar into 1/4 cup of water until it is completely dissolved.
- Stop stirring and boil the solution until it reaches 238 degrees.
- When your thermometer reads 200 degrees, pour the 1/3 cup of cool water into your electric mixing bowl with the gelatin. Let sit for no more than 5 minutes before adding the (extremely) hot syrup.
- Stir briefly by hand to incorporate the ingredients, add vanilla, and then whisk on medium-high with your electric mixer for 8-10 minutes, or until soft peaks form. The goal is for the mix to hold its shape but still be extrudable through a pastry bag.
- Transfer mix to a pastry bag and lay out parchment paper sprinkled with colored sugar on your counter. Squeeze out the chicks onto the paper.
- Before serving, make sure each treat is totally covered with the colored sugar. You can give your creatures eyes will a toothpick and some cocoa powder mixed with water.
