In preparation for my Easter Dinner I went hunting on safari in Wal-Mart country. It's a jungle out there but I managed to snare my share of those rare and delectable gourmet treats, Peeps. As you know these wary but fluffy creatures only venture out in early Spring. Much like the shy Easter Bunny, they are elusive but worthy game and scrumptious eats!
I was quite happy with my catch and felt my Peep hunting license was well worth the cost. I garnered a nicely varied flock of quite a few lemon yellow Peeps, a goodly amount of pink, lavender and white Peeps and even a few of the rare Turquoise Peeps! I was going to have fresh marshmallow Peep for my Easter guests!
But sometime in the middle of the night I was awakened by odd noises, rustlings and strange low level peeping coming from the Peep pens. Whenever I went in to check all noise ceased and the Peeps appeared to be sleeping peacefully, but there was something in the air - a soft menace that lifted the hairs on the back of my neck. More suspicion was aroused in me as I turned to leave the room and felt a crunching underfoot. I looked down and a shiver went down my spine - there, on the floor, was a dusting of sugar crystals!
Not one to panic at phantoms I softly eased out of the room, but I stood there a moment with my ear to the door. Yes, there it was again! The soft rustling and peeping had resumed. It was time to reconnoiter, research was required. I had penned up an unknown, deceptively sweet looking bunch of pastel chicks without giving regard to their possibly hostile nature and it was time to arm myself with a little knowledge!
A LITTLE HISTORY OF EASTER PEEPS FOR MY DOSSIER:
Peeps were the creation of a Russian born chocolatier named Sam Born who immigrated to the United States in 1910. Within seven years Born opened his first candy shop in New York City. Sam's business grew over the years and he moved his company to Bethlehem, PA and renamed it Just Born.
His business grew over the following years and in 1950 he acquired Rodda, the company that had first invented and created the molds for marshmallow candies in the chicks known even then as Peeps. Rodda was manufacturing the fluffy little sweet treats entirely by hand and each individual peep took 27 hours to be born into the candy world!
Sam Born mechanized Peep production and this allowed his company, Just Born, to produce Peeps on a scale that allowed for mass distribution by 1954. Thus was born the most famous non chocolate Easter Confection this side of the Easter Bunny - Peeps!
Originally there were only chicks and they were always yellow but in the sixties Just Born started giving birth to other shapes like bunnies and eggs and began producing theses marshmallow treats in a rainbow of pastels including pink, lavender, turquoise and white.
But did Mr. Born know he was creating a new being? Was he aware his sugary confections had become self aware?? And are they dangerous?
Know Your Opponent, Be Prepared:
For a fun, extended storybook history of Peeps visit the Peeps Official Website - fun (and possible battle plans) for all ages!
Culinary Uses for The Wild Peep:
Here's a recipe for the Official Peeps Chocolate Fondue - this was one of my plans for my fresh Peep!
And for a few more gourmet Peeps Recipes:
Peeps de Creme
Peeps Waldorf Salad, S'mores and Other Peeps Treats
Cooking with Peeps
For updates on the burgeoning Peep Situation check my Twitter Page and check the Brat In The Hat, The Martini Diva, The Diva of Tiny Foods for my most current strategies for a successful Easter dinner featuring Peeps!
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