"peeps" news and stories

I'm not the biggest fan of using food in art (unless you or someone else is going to eat it all), but oh, how I love Easter Time. Why? That big ol' bunny we know brings not only the insidiously delicious Mini Eggs, but also The Washington Post's Peeps contest. Did you catch it last year? It asked for shoebox dioramas showing Peeps in different worldly scenarios -- historic, current, or future events. Some were real life (like the peep-o-suction image Marisa shared), some were historical (like Marpeep Antoinette), and some went Hollywood, like the wonderful Reservoir Peeps, or the above Psycho Peeps.

Simply come up with a scene (they say there's possible extra points for punny goodness), create your diorama, get some good photos, and send 'em in by 11:59 PM on March 15. But be sure to keep it in tact. If you're a finalist, the paper will get the diorama picked up for a professional photo shoot before semifinalists and winners are revealed on Easter Sunday.

Create away!

If we had had an Easter "Show Me Your Peeps" contest this month -- we didn't, but if we had -- there is no doubt in my mind that the grand prize winning Peep would have been the Peep that served as inspiration for Brian Shilling's Peepy Bunny meatloaf. Brian simply shaped his recipe for meatloaf into the Peeps bunny, used black olives for the eyes and nose, and baked away. Now, the final product was much, much darker than your regular neon pink or sunshine yellow Peep, but I think that's okay. I don't know if I could eat neon pink meatloaf, Peeps-shaped or otherwise.

As we've admitted before, here at Slashfood we are all a little obsessed with Peeps. Love them or hate them, it is hard to escape the little marshmallow treats, especially at Easter time. In the past we've torched them, used them in recipes and looked at how to make your own using a Williams-Sonoma kit.

Now, the Evil Mad Scientist has sent us this recipe which eliminates the marshmallow altogether but adds a few unexpected twists. Using a meringue base and adding saffron strands for added oomph, I'm fairly certain these "Peeps" will be unlike anything you have ever had before.

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Yes, you read that title correctly. In case you were blissfully unaware like I was, Just Born, the makers of Marshmallow Peeps, hold a 'Celebrity Survey' every year. Apparently they conduct this survey "to keep up with today's trends and cultures." Maybe it's just me, but I can't recall ever seeing anything other than various shapes and colors of Peeps emerging from their factories depending on the season. If their products have ever actually reflected trends and cultures, it is news to me.

Now don't get me wrong, I love the little marshmallow treats as much as the next person - but there are limits. Though I'm fairly certain this one can simply be filed under "for those that have way too much time on their hands," in the spirit of Easter (or maybe just because it is Friday) I'll let you in on the results after the jump. I apologize in advance.

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Peeps are soft, fluffy little mounds of sugary goodness that are absolutely the best around Easter, although Just Born is continuously expanding their line in an effort to include all major holidays. Usually, this expansion manifests itself in the form of new colors, like the bright green Peeps that are popping into stores for St. Patrick's Day, but sometimes they try to do something a little different, as they did when they release the cocoa-flavored bunny peeps a few weeks ago. Their latest release, however, omits what has traditionally been the most important part of the Peep: the sugar. Sugar-Free Peeps are the newest Just Born product. They are made with Splenda and come in packages of three yellow chicks.

Despite the plethora of Peeps in the candy aisles these days, I have yet to encounter the sugar-free version in person. Call me a traditionalist, but I have a hard time believing that the Splenda version could be anywhere near as good as the regular ones - especially when you consider that sugar, corn syrup and gelatin make up 98% of a regular Peep!