Cooking Lesson #597: Spring Time Peeptini

…from the Perspectives’ Happy Hour Bar

How you doin’? I was driving back from Flagstaff, Arizona a  week ago and we were already four days into spring, but you’d never have known it. We drove through snow, sleet, rain, hail, lightning and high winds for miles and miles. We stopped in at a convenience store to get out of the worst of the weather and there we saw a bright spot sitting right on the front counter—a Peeps display—letting us know that spring was really here and that Easter was just around the corner.
 
I’ve loved Peeps since I was just a child, but I’m here to tell you that Peeps are not just an Easter candy or just for kids! You can do all kinds of recipes with Peeps… one of my favorites is a happy hour Peeptini—perfect for a spring party or Easter brunch. Try one, and you might just find yourself making this adorable cocktail all spring long. And, by the way the Peeps folks make Peeps for the end-of-year holidays as well. 
 
Marshmallow vodka (yes, that’s a thing—Google it) provides the Peeptini with that classic Peep flavor. You can go an easier way by adding vanilla to plain vodka. You can also use store-bought vanilla syrup or make your own by adding vanilla beans to a simple syrup recipe (Lesson #48) and let it steep for an hour or so.
 
Garnish the Peeptini in order to demonstrate your creativity, add a little fun and a smile. I like to add a sparkling sugared rim, but you can do it your way. Just remember you need a floating yellow or pink Peep to make the cocktail a complete masterpiece.
 
Prep time:  5 minutes
Yield:  1 cocktail
 
Ingredients 
1/2 ounce vanilla syrup, plus more for the glass rim
1 tablespoon sparkling pink sanding sugar
1 tablespoon sweetened shredded coconut processed into a powder
1-1/2 ounce marshmallow vodka
1 ounce heavy cream
1/2 ounce grenadine (adds a pink color)
1 yellow Peep chick or bunny
 
Directions

1. Chill a martini glass in the freezer until cold, about 15 minutes, if desired.
2. Place some of the vanilla syrup on a shallow plate. On a separate shallow plate, mix the sanding sugar and coconut.
3. Dip the rim of the glass into the syrup and then into sugar/coconut mixture; set aside.
4. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add vodka, cream, grenadine and 1/2 ounce of vanilla syrup.
5.  Cover and vigorously shake it (like you mean it) until the outside of the shaker is very frosty, about 20 seconds.
6. Strain the cocktail into the prepared glass.
7. Garnish the cocktail with Peep chick.

ChefSecret:  Peeps are owned and made by Just Born Inc, a candy company located in Bethlehem, PA.

• Peeps were once made by hand and took nearly 30 hours to be “born.”
• It took 50 women 27 hours from start to finish to make the Peeps mostly because it took the marshmallow a long time to cool before it could be packaged.
• Just Born makes about 5.5 million Peeps each day in a variety of shapes and colors.
• The original Peep had two small wings coming off the back of each bird.
• Even from the very beginning, the company made bunnies in addition to chicks and very quickly introduced other shapes.
• An estimated one-third of all Peeps purchased are not eaten but instead used for decorations or for craft projects.
• Not everyone loves to eat the marshmallow candies. They can be "a little bit polarizing.” There are Facebook hate groups dedicated to disliking Peeps, why?

 
Quip of the Day:  Easter's just a hop, skip and a jump away and we couldn't be more egg-cited.

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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross.
 
#Cocktail #HappyHour #Peeptini #Peeps #MarshmallowVodka #Coconut #Grenadine #Cheers #2023 #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
                                                                       
                                                                           ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023

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