As I sat here trying to think about what to write for this year’s Easter blog, my mind settled on how, for the second year in a row, we’re still under the grip of this pandemic. We’ve also got another possible lockdown looming to help slow the spread of Covid-19 and its variants, but at the time I’m writing this, I’m not sure what is going to happen.
In this time of social distancing and self-isolation, what does one do when faced with a holiday? Adapt and I have to say we’ve done that many times over during this past year. While we can still celebrate with our family so long as they are in the same household, the ability to hold ‘larger’ celebrations via Zoom is becoming more normal. Strange how that switch has come about. While you may not be able to touch your family and give them the hugs you’re so used to freely offering, our souls are still able to have that connection we crave. Even if it’s just virtual.
We’ve become experts at adapting and that expertise will serve us well as the face of this pandemic changes. So, keep adapting and staying as safe as you can. Follow the restrictions imposed to keep us safe and continue to wear your masks if you must go out anywhere.
Here is a fun recipe by Ashlee Marie that the whole family can make and enjoy,
Homemade Peeps:
Ingredients
Sugar (coloured sugar)
- 3 Cups granulated sugar
- yellow gel food dye
Marshmallows
- 3 Tbsp powdered gelatin
- 1/3 C cold water
- 3 C granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 C water
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- black gel food dye
Instructions
Sugar
- 1. Pour sugar into a food processor.
- 2. Add a few drops of the yellow, grind until sugar is bright yellow, but not so much it turns into a powder.
- 3. spread sugar across a cookie sheet on parchment paper and place in an oven on low, keep stirring the sugar, you just want to dry it out a bit.(the gel dye can make it too wet)
Marshmallow
- 1. Soak the gelatin in the 1/3 of a cup of cold water in a small bowl and set aside to swell for 10 minutes.
- 2. In a large saucepan dissolve the sugar in the 1 1/2 C of water over low heat, stirring constantly.
- 3. Add the swollen gelatin and dissolve.
- 4. Raise the temperature and bring to a boil.
- 5. Boil steadily, but not vigorously, for 15 minutes without stirring.
- 6. Remove from the heat and add to the mixer
- 7. Beat the mixture until it turns white and add the vanilla.
- 8. Then keep beating until it’s very thick and white. I listen for the sound to change as the mixer starts working harder. It should hold the ribbons left from the beaters for the count of 6 before smoothing out completely. Don’t over beat or the marshmallows will get too tough.
- 9. Once the mixture is at the right texture and you stop beating it will start to set. You want it to partially set so it’s thicker and holds it’s shaped when piped but not set so much that you can’t pipe anymore
- 10. spread out 1/2 the yellow sugar on a pan
- 11. using a large round tip and piping bag pipe a long oval about 1 inch wide and 2 inches long – pull away quickly to make the tail. I do a test one to see if it’s thick enough before I pipe the rest.
- 12. repeat doing 4-5 right next to each other slightly touching – make a few more sets
- 13. holding the piping bag straight up and downpipe a large circle onto the rounded end of the oval
- 14. when it’s about as wide a the oval start raising your piping tip as you go but lowering the pressure creating a pyramid of marshmallow – then at the end tilt the bag by 90 degrees and stop squeezing, pull away from the mound creating the head and beak, pinch off. Do a test peep to make sure it’s thick enough to hold the shape. Cover the marshmallows in more yellow sugar before they set use the black dye and a toothpick to dot the eyes on
You can find Ashlee Marie’s tips for making homemade peeps HERE
Stay safe,
Julie
