I’ve always been a fan of Peeps marshmallow treats and discovered that putting a flame to it gives it a sweet caramelized coating. I’ve toasted Peeps over a Weber grill and a fire pit; the one pictured here was toasted on a skewer over the flame of the gas stove.
I have been breaking a couple of my food rules on holidays like Easter, when I give in to temptation and eat candy with artificial colors and artificial flavors (and other ingredients I ordinarily avoid). Peeps and Jelly Belly jelly beans are against the rules, but I made an exception. This year, I also had a bag of Surf Sweets jelly beans, which are made without artificial colors or flavors, and I ate more of those than the less-natural Jelly Belly beans. It’s always exciting to find a better-for-you replacement for a favorite sweet treat. I haven’t had Red Vines licorice in a year and still miss it, but I developed a love for the more-natural licorice from Paul Newman Organics. So far, I have not found a pure version of Peeps, but I have an alternate plan for next year. I use Michael Pollan’s “Food Rules” as my guiding force in making choices on what foods to consume, and one of Pollan’s rules is you can have junk food if you make it yourself. So, for next year: homemade Peeps with ingredients I choose and approve.
Stef McDonald Communications 