Nourishments—

I Brake For Peeps

By Nancy K. Crevier

I am a traditionalist when it comes to my Peeps — you know, those luscious little bumps of marshmallow covered in fine, colored sugar? As far as I’m concerned, Peeps should only be eaten in the original chick shape, preferably yellow, but pink is okay, too; and they should be devoured as soon as the package is ripped open: on Easter morning. I will acquiesce to the Peeps bunny, which joined the Peeps line in the 1980s.

I can practically recall, mouthful for mouthful, the first time the Easter Bunny left Peeps in my Easter basket. I was four years old, wearing my favorite light blue footie pajamas (because in Minnesota, no matter when Easter comes, it is still pretty darn cold at 6 am) and there, beneath the Easter-themed sticker book and on top of the jelly beans and robin’s egg malt balls, right next to the milk chocolate bunny, was my very own three-pack of Peeps. Not only were the bright yellow chicks adorable, with their little black painted eyes peering up at me, but as I quickly discovered, they were the tastiest treat I had encountered in my short life.

Peeps, of course, have been reconfigured many times over the course of the marshmallow candy’s 50-plus years. Now, it is possible to purchase Peeps year around in a variety of guises. Christmas trees, Halloween pumpkins and black cats, springtime tulips, Fourth of July stars, and vanilla crème flavored hearts for Valentine’s Day are all Peeps shapes meant to prevent Peeps chick deprivation from setting in post-Easter.

The first Peeps rolled out of the Just Born candy factory in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 1954, one year after the candy maker developed a way to mechanize the production of what was previously a handcrafted confection made by the just-purchased Rodder Candy Company. By the 1960s, Just Born had added other novelty shapes to the line of chicks, and by the late 1990s, Easter Peeps came in not just yellow, white, or pink, but lavender, blue, and green, as well. (Which, as I have mentioned, is just wrong….)

I don’t find it at all surprising that Just Born, originally the manufacturer of fine French chocolates, finally hatched the idea in 2006 of offering a Peeps chick inside of a chocolate egg at Easter time.

The fate of a Peep once it is purchased can be a scary thing. Horror stories of frozen and microwaved Peeps (including jousting Peeps, involving toothpick pierced chicks) are all over the Internet. I find comfort in knowing that those who microwave Peeps can be left with an unbelievably sticky mess to clean up.

I hear tales of those who purposely leave Peeps in opened packages to petrify before eating. Or worse. Peeps have been hot-glued to ceilings and furniture, where they languish for years.

Peeps have also been used to create art, an alternate use that I do find acceptable, if you really do not plan to eat them.

It is also possible to include Peeps in your cooking. The official MarshmallowPeeps.com website includes a very clever “sunflower” cake, utilizing yellow chicks as the petals. You will also find a recipe for making Bunny Cookies with the marshmallow Peeps bunnies. Of course, floating a Peep on top of a steaming cup of hot chocolate or even a cappuccino is a whimsical way to enjoy a Peep. For a summer delight, top a cup of berry covered ice cream with a Peep or two.

For the really industrious Peep lover, go to SeriousEats.com to find the recipe for making homemade Peeps. Even if you mess up the first batch or two, you will be left with a sticky delight of some kind.

Peeps fall pretty far down on the nourishment ladder, but eating them can at least be rationalized by the fact that each tender chick has only 28 calories, and 0 grams of fat. Plus, they are delicious. And that, as you know, nourishes the soul.