One of the staples when it comes Easter candy is Peeps, which are bunny-shaped marshmallows that come in a variety of colors and flavors. Ordinarily, they’re simply eaten on their own, but one Australian woman decided to use them to create Easter Cookie Bars. This dessert has been described as eating a combination of a cookie and cake in one bite.
Via the online video program, “Get the Dish,” the show’s host, Brandi Milloy, chats with Elise Strachan, who has her own online series entitled, “My Cupcake Addiction.” Despite her role in helping present this particular recipe, Strachan acknowledges that Peeps aren’t available in Australia. She also mentions the Americans eat approximately 700 million Peeps every year.
To begin, the oven needs to be pre-heated to 325 degrees before then taking a half cup of unsalted butter that’s been softened and putting it in a bowl. The butter is then whipped at high speed with a stand mixer for toughly 30 seconds to fluff it up and flatten it.
Four egg yolks and one egg are then added and mixed through for a short period of time. One box worth of yellow cake mix is next and is mixed with the other ingredients. Near the end of the latter mix, it’s suggested that switching to hand mixing is likely the best option, though that’s dependent upon the power of the stand mixer.
After about one minute of hand mixing, a small cup of sprinkles (or funfetti as Milloy and Strachan call it) are added and subsequently mixed in. There’s no specified amount of sprinkles for this recipe, with some wanting as much as possible and others preferring a smattering.
Putting cooking spray in the pan that will hold the recipe is then followed by putting the mix into the pan. It’s then flattened out to cover the entire pan by simply using both hands, though Milloy prefers to do it after having put cooking spray on her hands.
Once inserted into the oven, it should remain there between 18-20 minutes. Determining the exact time can be aided by either looking at the edges of the bars to see that they’re golden brown or inserting a tooth pick into the recipe. If it comes out clean after poking it in the middle, it’s ready for the next step.
After letting it cool, a fudge layer is added. This is a mix of three-and-a-half cups of white chocolate chips that have been melted, one can of sweetened condensed milk along with one-and-a-half teaspoons of vanilla extract.
At this point, the Peeps are then put on top of the fudge layer, with six per each of the four rows applied horizontally for a total of 24 Peeps total. More sprinkles are then applied before the pan is then put in the refrigerator for a short period of time. There’s no problem with simply leaving them out at room temperature, but the bars will set more quickly is colder conditions.
Strachan’s online series, “My Cupcake Addiction,” has received more than 10 million views, with numerous new recipes related to cakes and other similar desserts posted every month. Many of the recipes come from suggestions of her viewers, with one of her recent recipes showing how to make a giant three-ingredient Twix bar.
This particular video has garnered nearly 1.2 million views since it was first posted nearly a year ago. A similar video for Strachan’s website presented how to make Easter Rocky Road, which has surpassed more than one million views.