I’ve always liked Marshmallow Peeps. I’m a sugar junkie, so what’s not to like? I’m partial to the bunnies because I like biting their ears off.
The Washington Post’s Peeps diorama contest is now one of my favorite parts of Easter. While I’d love to create a diorama made of Peeps, I’m not that crafty. Plus, I’d rather just eat them. So, I created my own edible art this year. I am the artist…and ice cream is my canvas.
In honor of Easter, I made Marshmallow Peep ice cream, my first real attempt at ice cream recipe development. It turned out pretty well. The texture of the ice cream is nice and smooth and the chunks of Peeps added at the end provide a little more visual interest and extra marshmallow flavor. Yes, Peeps were hurt in the making of this ice cream.
I was a little underwhelmed by the marshmallow flavor, sort of reminiscent of marshmallow, but maybe a sweeter version of vanilla if you didn’t know the flavor before eating. It’s tasting more like marshmallow as the extra Peeps start to melt into the ice cream. I’d like to experiment with adding more marshmallow and maybe toasting it to enhance the flavor.
Marshmallow Peep Ice Cream
NOTE: I do everything by weight, so “ounces” refer to weight measurement, not volume (fluid ounces)
Makes about 1 quart
Ingredients:
10 ounces heavy cream
11 ounces whole milk (meant to do 10 but forgot I needed to use milk to make a cornstarch slurry, 11 oz. worked fine)
6 ounces evaporated milk
1.5 ounces sugar
6 ounces Peeps
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
chopped Peeps to mix in (I chopped one “row” each: yellow bunnies, green chicks, and orange chicks, which yielded more than enough)
- Combine 1 ounce of the milk with the cornstarch until blended and set aside.
- Heat heavy cream, the remaining milk, evaporated milk, and the sugar over medium heat in a heavy saucepan until it starts to gently boil. Gently boil for about 4 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and mix in the Peeps until they melt (laugh maniacally).
- Slowly whisk in the cornstarch mixture.
- Return the mixture to a boil over medium heat, boil for 1 minute while stirring.
- Strain the mixture into a gallon size freezer bag, seal, and submerge into an ice bath until about 40 degrees (about 30 minutes).
- Add vanilla to the ice cream mix, then freeze in an ice cream maker.
- Forget to chop extra Peeps until five minutes before ice cream is done freezing. Hack at Peeps in a blind fury.
- Mix chopped Peeps into the ice cream (doing this in a pre-chilled bowl helps keep the freshly made ice cream from getting too melty) and then pack into a freezer container and freeze for several hours.
FYI: While it might be tempting to use regular marshmallows for the mix instead of Peeps, don’t do this. Store-bought marshmallows contain a shitload (technical term) of cornstarch. While a little cornstarch in ice cream is good (it reduces iciness), the amount of cornstarch in a 10 oz bag of marshmallows produces a glue-like mix and a congealed, rubbery mass of frozen “ice cream.” Not that I would know that first hand or anything. Let’s just say I have discovered the perfect “prop” ice cream – useful for photography and TV and film. It looks like ice cream, but doesn’t melt — ever. If you don’t want to use Peeps, you could always make homemade marshmallows to avoid the cornstarch problem, or try Marshmallow Fluff.
I’m having an insulin reaction just thinking about this! haha jk
I like Marshmallow Peeps too and people always tease me about that. I don’t even have a sugar addiction. It’s probably because they don’t even pretend to be what they aren’t. They just say yep I’m a marshmallow with sugar and a face. Eat me.
Now ice cream? Wow. Yummy!
Peeps are evil in that they ARE. NOT. filling. AT ALL. I could eat 500 of them and be like, “I would like another.” I would be shaking uncontrollably from the sugar high, but I’d be able to eat more. I love squeezing them and becoming bonded before biting their heads off. There might be something wrong with me.
Yep, I definitely think there is something wrong with you. I’d suggest jello instead, except I like your wrongity. The barking zombies also like to eat off their ears (the peeps’, not the zombies’).
One of my Mom’s favorite things to say to me is, “there’s something wrong with you.” Feel the love.
I love that you make my teeth hurt whenever posting recipes. It puts me in my Happy Place.
I just like to suck the sugar off Peeps, not the Peeps themselves.
I’m here to serve. I like the crunchy sugar coating of Peeps too. I love how the sugar melted and colored the ice cream a soft yellow color. It looks more Peep-y that way. I’m making myself want to eat some leftover Peeps.
Yum! I’m a Peeps junkie, too, and this sounds delicious.
Also, I find your ice cream hobby (probably not the best word choice) fascinating.
Thanks, Emily! I’m totally calling it a hobby right now. I’m worried I missed my true calling and I would like to see if the hobby could turn into something more serious, but for now it’s a hobby, a very fattening hobby.
OH MY GOSH LOVE THIS IDEA!!! Genius! Wish I could have a taste
It definitely looks nice!!!!!!!
I was horrified at first at the thought of peep mutilation for the sake of ice cream – but then I remembered my own peep creation – sliced peeps on a peanut butter sandwich is wonderful!
Actually I found melting them into the cream more disturbing than chopping the ones I mixed in later. Those little brown flecks floating in the liquid were super creepy.
Looks so yummy.. .I dont remember the last time I had a peep
Since I’m more a chocolate person than a candy person, might have to pass on this one… also something about peeps are a little disturbing — they just beg to be dismembered (okay, maybe any food with a face is disturbing). Love the picture of the Peeps under the knife. Don’t they look terrified?
They looked terrified to me. Of course, they looked the same without the knife over them too. They’re very one-dimensional with their emotions.
I feel the need to go eat a salad after looking at this.
I’ve never been a huge fan of peeps – usually, I can eat one and then I’m done for a year (though the chocolate covered ones are a littel more tempting – but peeps mixed with ice cream could probably work for me. The marshmallows are my favorite things about Rocky Road after all…
(Also, those poor bunny peeps. Would it have been better to pluck out their eyes before bringing the kinfe into the picture? That way they don’t see what else is coming… :p )
When I melted Peeps into the ice cream mix, it took longer for the eyes to melt than their bodies. All those brown specks floating in the cream were frigging disturbing.
I love your creativity, but it makes me want to vomit. I’ve never been a fan of peeps, but I can appreciate the bunny ears on the ice cream scoop.
To be perfectly honest, I have had a couple scoops of it, but I’m not going to finish it. It’s OK, but not outstanding and when you’re testing as much ice cream as I am, you can’t afford to eat it all unless it’s outstanding.
I don’t know… I’ve never had a Peeps before, and something tells me it’s quite ok if that’s how it’s going to be forever… Although they are cute. And tempting. And I love sweets. And ice cream. And especially starting sentences with “and”.
Really, never? I grew up having them at Easter. They’re really just marshmallows with colored sugar stuck to them. Well and a face. OK, it’s creepy.
Hmm interesting! I’ve never melted a peep before.
I floated a chick Peep in my hot chocolate last weekend, then sucked all the melted sugar off it. I’m having too much fun with Peeps this year.
I have never eaten a Peep before (and I’m pretty sure the little guys like me for that). Instead, I laugh out loud at work every time i hear the word Peep, because at work, they are referring to a financial software application (PEEP is an acronym that stands for something I can’t remember and don’t really care about) but everytime I hear someone say “PEEP”, I immediately think about the marshmallow versions and laugh (I try to laugh softly).
I think I’ve exhausted my desire to eat Peeps this year. The few remaining Peeps are probably headed for the trash. I would not be able to deal with PEEP as work acronym, too funny.
Oh, and I like the photos!