When we heard Tudor House was making its own Peeps for Easter brunch, we were intrigued. We didn't think Peeps could actually be created by hand. We thought those adorable little marshmallow chicks were just hatched from giant candy chickens housed somewhere in a large farm in the Nevada desert.
So when we asked executive chef Jamie DeRosa to explain the process, he gladly gave us a step-by-step tutorial in the art of Peep-making. Who would have thought Peeps were made and not born?
Tudor House Peeps
Ingredients
45 grams of gelatin sheets
200 grams of granulated sugar
2-4 drops of yellow food coloring
200 grams of egg whites
30 grams of sugar
75 grams of glucose or light corn syrup
500 grams of granulated sugar
150 grams of water
cocoa powder
Step 1: Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Add the gelatin sheets. Put aside and allow the gelatin sheets to bloom (note: bloom means to allow hard gelatin to become soft).
Step 2: Place the 200 grams of granulated sugar into a bowl and add the yellow food coloring to your color desire. With whisk or spatula, mix the sugar and food coloring. Place parchment liner on a cookie sheet and sprinkle some of the colored sugar onto the sheet.
Step 3: Mix the 200 grams egg whites and 30 grams sugar in an electric mixing bowl at medium speed, using a whisk attachment.
Step 4: Place the 75 grams of light corn syrup, 500 grams of sugar, and 150 grams of water in a medium sauce pan. Mix well and place on a burner at medium-high. Use a candy thermometer. When the mixture reaches 235 degrees Fahrenheit, pour into the egg white mixture. Allow the mixture to become glossy white and double in volume; then add the bloomed gelatin.
Step 5: When the gelatin is mixed thoroughly, place the finished product in a pastry bag with a large pastry tip.
Step 6: Pipe your chicks onto the baking sheet sprinkled with colored sugar. Squeeze the marshmallow out, allowing it to form a one-inch round before beginning to pull back toward you. Taper as you move backward, forming a three-inch body.
Step 7: Pipe the chick head on top of the body. Move the bag toward the tail slowly, squeezing to make a thick blob. Once you have reached the middle of the chick's body, reverse directions and move the bag back toward the front of the chick's body. Release pressure on the bag so that the marshmallow stops flowing and tapers off into a beak shape.
Repeat until you have used all of the marshmallow and all your chicks are made. You should have about 20 to 23 chicks.
Step 8: While the marshmallow is still wet, sprinkle the chicks with the remaining colored sugar.
Step 9: Mix cocoa powder with a few drops of water to form a paste. Use a small paintbrush or a toothpick to dot the chocolate on the chicks to form eyes.
Step 10: Allow chicks to rest at room temperature for four to six hours. Enjoy!
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