Got Leftover Peeps? Five Peeps Recipes

Warning: Peeps were harmed during the making of this blog entry! (Sorry, PETA.)

While strolling down the candy aisle at your local Walgreens store, you may have been lured in by all of the mesmerizing, pastel-colored holiday candy on display. Some of the candy may come around only once a season, and others are your old standards cleverly disguised as an egg or a bunny. As you went back and forth on whether you should go off your diet (again) and load up on candy, your thought process, which at this point may or may not have been tainted by an overuse of social media, might have gone something like this: 

Jellybeans -- Like.
Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs -- Like.
Cadbury Eggs -- Poke.
Peeps Marshmallow Candy -- Unlike... but must put in cart now!

Peeps, those strange marshmallow candies coated in neon-colored sugar, have been around since the early 1950s. They are like tiny, chick-shaped magnets, lining drug store and grocery store shelves every spring in hopes of luring in your inner child that is looking to satisfy a bittersweet childhood memory.

So now that Easter has passed and you're home and with bags of Peeps, the fleeting joy you felt picking out the perfect color and shape combination has subsided, and a pressing question emerges -- "What the hell am I going to do with all these?! I hate Peeps!" It's safe to say that few people in this world genuinely enjoy eating Peeps. They are kind of bitter and have a freaky texture, but Peeps are one of those seasonal foods that you must eat. BBQ in the summer, turkey (or tofurkey) in the fall, warming soups in the winter (yes, even in Florida!), and Peeps in the spring.

Eating several trays of Peeps in the raw is not an option. There is no candy ailment worse than a Peeps stomachache. How will you get rid of your seemingly endless bag of marginally delicious confections? Peep these cool Peeps treats!

1. Peeps Stir Fry?!

Yes, Peeps Stir Fry. You can find a recipe for Peeps Stir Fry and a variety of other Peeps-friendly recipes on the Cooking with Peeps website: topoimagery.com/peeps. Cooked with peppers, soy sauce, and bamboo shoots, this dish would be a great conversation starter at any holiday dinner, or it could be a great way to not get invited to Easter dinner next year. 
   

2. Peeps Rice Krispy Treats

Take your favorite Rice Krispy Treat Recipe and substitute Peeps for regular marshmallows.

3. Peeps Sushi

Now that you've prepared a fresh batch of Peeps Rice Krispy Treats, it's time to take it to the next level. That's right, Peep sushi, or Peepshi, as some like to call it. Cut the Krispy treats into small rectangles (dip the bottom of the rectangles in chocolate if you like). Top the Rice Krispy treat with a fresh Peep and wrap a thin strip of your favorite fruit roll-up around the Peep and the rice krispy treat. Voila! Peep sushi- どういたしまして。(You're welcome!)
 

4. Spiked Hot Chocolate with Peeps

Peppermint schnapps + whipped-cream-flavored vodka + Swiss Miss hot chocolate (hot coca from scratch -- fancy pants) + a Peep floating on top = One tasty hangover!
 

5. Peeps S'mores

This three-ingredient recipe (eat your heart out, Claire Robinson!) couldn't be easier! Take a graham cracker and top it with a square of your favorite, good-quality chocolate. Add one unsuspecting Peep, and smoosh it down with another piece of graham cracker.

Enjoy!