Deep-Fried Peeps
Just like 95 percent of the world and 100 percent of the Serious Eats office, I don't like particularly enjoy eating Peeps. At least, not in their natural state. So while desperately clawing for a Peeps Week idea, I tried to think of a way to make them taste better. And the only idea that popped up was the tried and true favorite: deep frying.
Considering I had never deep fried anything before, I didn't want to delve into my deep fried Peeps experience without instructions. But the Internet, the source of almost everything you could ever want to know in the world (and a lot of information you don't care about), fell short in the department of "how to make deep fried Peeps." Even deep fried marshmallows was a weak topic in the Internet. My dreams of golden crusted Peeps with gooey centers began to fade. Maybe the reason I couldn't find much instruction was because it didn't work. I tried to think of everything that could go wrong, mostly having to do with exploding Peeps.
But even if I was setting myself up for failure, I still wanted to give it a shot and document the process so that future generations of "People Who Don't Really Like Peeps but Really Like Deep Fried Anything" could follow my lead. Or not. Using this recipe for deep fried marshmallows (the only one I could find) and modifying this recipe for apple fritters, I made two kinds of deep fried Peeps. Check out the results and recipe, after the jump.
First up: graham cracker-coated Peeps.
Dip Peeps in egg white, then crushed graham crackers, then egg white, then graham crackers, then egg white, then shredded coconut. Triple the coating, triple the goodness.
I ran out of coconut part of the way, so I left some un-coconuted. Erin said they looked like chicken nuggets.
Time to break out the FryDaddy (courtesy of Erin's roommate)! As we waited for the oil to heat up, the room filled with...interesting smells.
Watch those babies fry. No explosions took place: just the gentle bubbling of corn oil crisping up some graham cracker and coconut-breaded Peeps.
Unfortunately, I didn't apply the chick's breading well enough and its innards began to ploop out early in the frying process.
And they're done! And they don't look too messed up.
...Aside from the gooey leakage of molten Peep innards.
The deep fried chocolate bunny Peeps tasted the best compared to the original chicks and the orange eggs. "It tastes like hot chocolate," said Erin.
The orange egg kinda just melted into the crust. Oops.
My modified apple fritter batter was much less successful. I added milk to the batter to thin it out, but probably added too much.
It almost looks like a chick wading in a lake, except it's a batter-coated Peep in a bucket of burning hot oil.
The batter fell off. Sadness. (But the fried batter tasted good—soft and just a little sweet.)
We fried the other Peeps with mildly acceptable results.
After we determined that the apple fritter-esque Peeps weren't working, we just plopped the batter straight into the bucket, along with some batter-dipped candy bar chunks. This is the final plate of half-eaten batter bits and molten, malformed Peeps. Not a pretty sight.
Deep fried Peeps—specifically the chocolate bunnies—breaded in graham cracker crumbs and shredded coconut were the obvious winner of the two, but even the failed apple fritter-esque Peeps tasted better than regular Peeps. Deep frying added a favorable dimension that unaltered Peeps don't have: crunchiness + gooeyness. Once again, deep frying makes things taste delicious—and makes you eat foods you wouldn't otherwise choose to ingest.
Deep Fried Peeps
- makes five Peeps -
Adapted form Jessica's Weight Loss Blog (Keep in mind that this is not a weight loss-promoting recipe. If you do end up losing weight while eating these, something might be wrong with you.)
Ingredients
2 egg whites, mixed
4 sheets Graham crackers crushed into crumbs
1 cup shredded coconut
5 Peeps
Vegetable oil for frying
Procedure
1. Dip Peep in egg whites, then roll in crumbs. Dip in egg whites again and roll in crumbs for a second coating. Dip in egg whites a third time and roll in shredded coconut. Pat coconut into the breading. Make sure the Peep is well coated so it ends up with an impenetrable graham cracker-shell armor.
2. Heat oil to 350°F and fry Peeps one at a time, rolling it over once one side has browned. Fry until the Peep is golden brown or starts to leak, about 30 seconds.
3. Place finished Peeps on paper towel-lined plate. Allow to cool a bit before eating, but eat it while the innards are still molten.
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32 Comments:
Why eat them in the first place? Why eat them deep-fried, still? I don't think it is possible to improve on something so bad.
ctrang at 5:58PM on 04/10/09
My own Peeps rant is here. Nasty things ... blech ...
LunaPierCook at 6:03PM on 04/10/09
I wonder if you freeze them if, it might be easier.
thedairyshow at 6:22PM on 04/10/09
Like thedairyshow, I'm wondering if freezing them might help.
Or possibly putting them inside a more doughy something.
I'm also wondering about mochi Peeps. Maybe deep fried Mochi Peeps. Could someone work on that for me?
(I'm really, really surprised there wasn't some bacon wrapping going on here.)
Cybele May at 6:28PM on 04/10/09
@ctrang: I don't know why most people eat these things, assuming most of the world is not trying to fulfill a Peeps Week quota. Maybe kids like it?
Deep frying = magic wand of awesome.
@LunaPierCook: I just took a bite of one to confirm...doesn't really taste like much.
@thedairyshow: I didn't have the foresight to deep freeze them, but we had some other in the freezer (i stuck them in a few days ago...not sure why) and they soften pretty quickly. I did chill the graham cracker ones for about an hour before the oil bath, which probably didn't do much.
Overall though, it wasn't difficult to fry them at room temp. I just made the second batter too thin.
@cybele: MOCHI PEEPS..oh god.
As for bacon, I'm not sure about most people but I don't like bacon with my sweets. Makes cookies taste porky, and cakes taste porky, and..I want my sweets to not un-porky. But I'll eat a deep fried hot dog wrapped in bacon.
Meat on meat = ok, meat on sweet = less okay, but sweet meat = might be okay depending on the meat.
Robyn Lee at 6:39PM on 04/10/09
Deep-fried hot chocolate! This, I learned, is the only worthy incarnation of Peeps. Though the resemblance to chicken nuggets was a little much.
Erin Zimmer at 7:01PM on 04/10/09
Just when I thought there couldn't possibly be another story about peeps.
cliffyb at 7:33PM on 04/10/09
So I see a thin batter would not work. Have you thought about going straight to dough? Rolling into wontons or egg roll skins might be much better, add chocolate and banana slices and you have a pretty substantial dessert. Just a random thought. I always thought you could bread and deep fry anything and it would taste good.
I always just liked my peeps microwaved, and they kinda still hold their original shape.
zeekar at 7:34PM on 04/10/09
This Peeps Week of Articles would be a lot more fun if the writer actually liked the Peeps in the first place. Then it would be silly and fun rather than sort of sad.
Most folks don't go to great lengths to modify a food they already don't like into things they somehow do, they take something they already love (even if it is a once a year, silly kid's treat) and find more fun ways to use it.
Leave the haters to burn them or smash them with hammers, and next year find someone who loves them to write funny things about them for a week.
sadiepix at 7:40PM on 04/10/09
You haters are crazy! This article made me LOL. Especially the recipe! Peeps! ahahahahghggh! Peep peep peep! (
NYminknit at 9:30PM on 04/10/09
I haven't eaten peeps in a long time but love them (to look at) - a great way to celebrate peeps is to wear them as a hair accessory! just pin them into your hair (bobby pin right through the peep) - you'll want to wash your hair after (sugar/sticky) but it's a great way to make a statement at a easter/spring/whatever holiday party or parade. just sayin'...
swifty at 9:35PM on 04/10/09
@zeekar: Ooo, not a bad idea! Maybe...NEXT YEAR.
@sadiepix: re: burning and smashing them, I kinda wanted them to still be ...edible.
Robyn Lee at 11:01PM on 04/10/09
"If you do end up losing weight while eating these, something might be wrong with you."
i laughed so hard when i read that, i scared my cat.
cybercita at 12:29AM on 04/11/09
Don't freeze them! Or anything you're planning to place in really hot oil! Think about it, OIL+WATER= BAD! Please unless you enjoy oil-burnt forearms don't do it. Oh and Peeps are gross.
oregonpinot at 1:23AM on 04/11/09
God, that's got to be sooooo bad for your arteries!
lurquizo at 2:39AM on 04/11/09
@roboppy--I think I was misunderstood. I love Peeps! Adore them!
I meant that folks who dislike Peeps can go for the smashing and burning, since they won't be eating them anyway, and leave the rest for those of us who do.
I was only finding it odd that a week-long article meant to be about the fun you could have with Peeps in ways aside from straight eating was being written by someone who does not enjoy them, and has to mention that in the first sentences of every post. There would be more joy in the writing if she liked the sugary marshmallows.
I also prefer my Peeps edible, crispy eyes to sugary beak!
sadiepix at 3:46AM on 04/11/09
Robyn - way to push the envelope of weird-food science! I love it!
emilydev at 7:55AM on 04/11/09
I prefer to just let my Peeps swim in some hot chocolate.
dmcavanagh at 11:33AM on 04/11/09
Have you considered braised Peeps yet or did I miss that? This has been a great series regardless....
thegoch at 1:16PM on 04/11/09
@sadiepix: I could tell you like Peeps; I just didn't want to do something to them that would make them inedible, even though I'm not a fan of them. Now I know that I like them deep fried! ;)
It's unfortunate none of us in the office liked the natural state Peeps very much, but we had fun trying to do other things with them. (Your comment makes it sound like I wrote all the articles, but they were written by three of us.)
@emilydev: If only I had access to a science lab. Could've done WEIRDER stuff, perhaps.
@dmcavanagh: Mm, melty Peep..that doesn't sound so bad.
@thegoch: I can't say the words "braised Peeps" ever came up in the SE office. Hmm...
Robyn Lee at 2:18PM on 04/11/09
@ sadiepix - I agree. What should have been a week of sugary, Peep-tastic fun was just a sad series of un-fun, unpleasant articles by an author who's heart wasn't in it. The daily reminder that she hates the key ingredient was a real turn-off. While I'm all for the Peeps haters doing their smash-and-burn with abandon (some of them are truly hilarious), this series was just meh.
@ Robyn - I enjoy your writing, but this was like reading recipes for ribeye written by a vegetarian. Nothing personal - I'm sure that you didn't exactly "relish" the assignment either.
runrgrrl at 2:19PM on 04/11/09
Is this serious? I can't believe it.
Miriam missy at 6:16PM on 04/11/09
Buy them and save them for Halloween. Hot glue them on a t-shirt and go as a "peeping" Tom or as a "peep" show. Really the only thing Peeps are good for.
DCLSweetspot at 6:38PM on 04/11/09
I have so enjoyed Peeps Week 2009. While I think I will skip this one - I can't wait to see what you come up with next year!
Happy Easter all!!!
VAHam at 10:27PM on 04/11/09
This is a seriously impressive experiment for some seriously subpar confections.
Baking and Mistaking
cool2bars at 12:48AM on 04/12/09
Try them toasted under a broiler or over a flame, just until the sugar crust browns like a creme brulee. See also, Smeep.
Curious Domestic at 10:37PM on 04/12/09
For the first time ever, I actually felt bad for the little Peeps. Seeing their oozing malformed shapes and their beady chocolate eyes covered by breading makes me sad for them. They did not fulfill their Peeps destiny.
leeber at 10:11AM on 04/13/09
Now we've seen it all. Sick.
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 1:17PM on 04/13/09
I thoroughly enjoyed your use of the word "ploop." I will try to use it more often as well!
Laren Spirer at 4:49PM on 04/13/09
@Laren: I'm so glad you picked up on "ploop." I don't know how else I would've said it. PLOOP!
Robyn Lee at 12:24AM on 04/14/09
Ewwwwww, they look like squaw. Eeep! Peeps!
Sugar at 2:10AM on 06/16/09
When I was about 17, I was looking for junk food all we had was chocolate chips and peeps. I would have done marshmellows, but we were out and it happened to be just after Easter. Add some butter to the pan before melting chocolate and coat the peeps completely or leave out the head.
I have also rolled them in rice crispies or grahm cracker crumbs after dipping them in chocolate (obviously have made them more than once), cool them on parchment paper or a glass plate. I have also cut them up into Hot chocolate, I know, I know, barbaric! LOL. I'm not a hater of Peeps, I just have to modify them to eat them (they are super sweet).
I think deep fried peeps would actually be pretty good, just one! Like a deep fried Twinkie. Something to try is a deep fried PB sandwich (or PB and strawberry jam). Cut sandwich in 1/4, (crust optional) dip in batter and deep fry. Yum. Yes, I have a Mad Science kitchen. I have not made those in many years though. Teens love them! Try to think "Out of the box", it doesn't hurt to play with your food! I cracked up when Robyn said "If you lose weght while eating these, there may be something wrong with you" LMAO. So true.
:) T.
Blahtablah at 2:28PM on 06/17/09