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Showing posts with label peeps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label peeps. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Holiday Fun with Peeps Featuring Gingerbread White Hot Cocoa PEEPSONALITY


Im a huge fan of marshmallow Peeps from way back...especially their fun seasonal flavors and shapes! Peeps started as a fun Easter basket treat when I was a kid, but now they make fun seasonal goodies all year long. Their line of Christmas marshmallow Peeps is out now...with fun flavors like peppermint, gingerbread, chocolate mousse, and sugar cookie. They can certainly be enjoyed as a fun treat straight from the package, but theyre also a really easy way to add a bit of fun holiday decor to your seasonal food and beverages. I recently received a box containing a wide variety of fun holiday-themed marshmallow Peeps, and I decided to feature the whimsical gingerbread men variety in a fun holiday drink!

My Gingerbread Hot White Cocoa features a trio of warm spices normally found in gingerbread. To make this decadent treat extra fun, each mug of cocoa is served garnished with an easy-to-make gingerbread man marshmallow Peep stirrer. Its a win-win: everyone gets to enjoy a comforting mug of white chocolate-infused cocoa...and they get to enjoy a tasty gingerbread marshmallow Peep too. This white cocoa is ready to drink in about 20 minutes. While the cocoa is heating on the stovetop, you have a pocket of time to make the adorable Peep stirrers. Let me show you how easy it is!
Gingerbread Hot White Cocoa
a Weekend Gourmet Original
Ingredients (makes 3-4 mugs of cocoa):
  • 2 cups 2% milk
  • 2 cups half and half
  • 2 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
  • Whipped cream for garnish
For the gingerbread man marshmallow Peep stirrers:
  • 3-4 gingerbread man marshmallow Peeps
  • 3-4 drinking straws -- preferably with red and white stripes, if you can find them
Directions:
Step 1: Add the milk, half and half, white chocolate, brown sugar, and vanilla to a medium non-stick saucepan. Turn the heat to medium and cook until the white chocolate and brown sugar have melted into the milk mixture. Whisk every few minutes to ensure nothing sticks and the mixture is very smooth. Add the spices to the warm cocoa.
Step 2: Use a whisk to ensure the spices incorporate into the cocoa instead of simply floating on top. Turn off the heat and let the mixture steep for 5 minutes -- this allows the flavor of the spices to infuse into the cocoa.
Step 3: Use a ladle to transfer the warm cocoa into 3-4 holiday mugs. To make the marshmallow Peeps stirrer: insert one end of the straw into the bottom of each gingerbread man marshmallow Peep -- go slow so you dont stretch out the Peep too much. Top the cocoa with whipped cream and sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon. Insert the straw end of each stirrer into each mug of cocoa. 
[NOTE: Depending on the depth of your mug and the length of your straw, you may need to cut the straw so the Peep rests just above the whipped cream -- with a bit of the straw showing!]

This hot white cocoa is decadently good...the white chocolate provides a rich creaminess, and the brown sugar and vanilla adds a slight caramel flavor in the background. The combination of warm spices is so comforting...with a little kick from the ginger. I especially enjoyed how the flavors in the cocoa combined with the spiced sugar coating on the cute gingerbread man marshmallow Peeps! This cocoa is a fun little treat that kids of all ages will love. I hope you make a batch soon for a pre-Christmas break from all the last-minute preparations.

Disclosure: Peeps sent me a package of their seasonal holiday products to facilitate this feature. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

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Sunday, February 15, 2015

Seasonal Halloween Peeps Featuring Spooky Halloween Cat Cocoa Jars

Halloween is coming up next week…and I have a simple, fun food craft project to share with you today! My friends at Peeps recently sent me a box of their Halloween-themed Peeps to play around with in my kitchen laboratory. My Spooky Halloween Cat Cocoa Jars feature Chocolate Mousse Flavored Cat Peeps. Even if you’re a bit craft-challenged like I am, I promise that you can make this simple layered jar craft! I saw a recipe for Caspers Hot Chocolate in Woman’s World magazine a couple of weeks ago. Their recipe uses Marshmallow Ghost Peeps and regular chocolate chips. I tweaked things a bit to go with the slightly different theme since I was using chocolate cat Peeps. I flavored the cocoa mix layer with cinnamon and powdered sugar for sweetness…and I used a festive Halloween chocolate chip blend with dark chocolate chips and orange white chocolate chips.

It only takes a few minutes to assemble everything and layer it in a screw-top jar. Then, the decorating fun begins! The key is to have a good time and let your creativity shine. I printed the cooking instructions that pair with the cocoa using a free online template and printing it on card stock. The décor on top of the lid is cut from a Halloween card and glued on top, and the ribbon around the lid was recycled from a gift basket I received last Halloween! These decorated cocoa jars would make a really fun weekend project for kids to help out with. The finished cocoa jars make great teacher gift or co-worker treats….or simply use them as décor until Halloween. Then you can serve the cocoa as part of your Halloween festivities!

Spooky Halloween Cat Cocoa Jars
adapted from Woman’s World


Ingredients for one jar:
For the cocoa layer:
  • 1/4 cup powdered milk
  • 2 tbs. vanilla powdered coffee creamer
  • 2 tbs. powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp. cornstarch
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup Halloween sprinkles of your choice
  • 4 Chocolate Mousse Flavored Cat Peeps
  • 1 cup Halloween mix orange and black chocolate chips
For serving: 1 quart milk

Directions:
Step 1: Combine the dry ingredients for the cocoa layer in a small bowl. Stir well to completely combine. Use a spoon to carefully add the cocoa mix to the bottom of a 16-ounce jar with a screw-top lid. Carefully layer the sprinkles over the cocoa mix.
Step 2: Add the Chocolate Mousse Cat Peeps to the jar pressing them slightly against the sides. They best approach is to place two on the facing/presentation side and two others on the back side, facing out. Pour the chocolate chips into the space between the Peeps. The chips should come up to the top of the jar. Decorate your jar as desired with ribbons and other Halloween décor.
Step 3: For gift giving, prepare a label or instruction card to include with the cocoa jar. You can use labels from the craft store, punch a hole and affix to the jar with ribbon. I used a free online Halloween template and printed it on card stock. The preparation instructions are as follows: Place contents of this jar in a large saucepan. Remove Peeps and set aside. Whisk 1 quart of milk into the cocoa mix and heat over med-low heat. Stir occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and the cocoa is smooth. Pour hot cocoa into four mugs and top with one of the Peeps.
That’s it…in about an hour, you can assemble and decorate this adorable Halloween treat! Your recipient simply follows the preparation instructions and is rewarded with four mugs of rich, decadent hot cocoa…complete with a cat-shaped chocolate marshmallow Peep to float on top! I hope that you’ll give this fun food craft project a try this weekend. If you do, I hope you’ll share pictures via your social media 
channels tagging @TheWeekendGourm and @PEEPSBrand so we can admire your creativity!

Disclosure: Peeps provided me with samples of their seasonal items to facilitate recipe development. All opinions expressed are my own.







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