Apples Apples Apples

27 September 2012

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I’m embarrassed to say that until I turned 18 I actually thought I didn’t like apples.  I grew up in Hawaii and almost only ate muchy, mealy  red delicious apples.  I hated them.  Bland, soggy, bleh.  It wasn’t until I moved to NY and experienced an apple picked straight from the tree that I really got it.  It was a gala apple, still my favorite pie apple to this day.  I’ll never forget to way that apple tasted and the way it made me feel.  I was in upstate NY at an apple picking party complete with hay ride and cider press.  I had never seen anything like that before.  Until the moment I ate that apple I thought the whole idea of an apple picking party seemed silly but in one bite I totally got it.

This is the season when every market and menu has an abundance of apples.  I love apple pie!  Not as much as Kyle, who has been known to eat a full pie in a day by himself, but I sure do look forward to apple pie time of the year.

But my favorite apple flavor isn’t the caramel-sugary goodness of apple pie…  It’s the tart, refreshing flavor of green apple.  I love green apples diced, made into sorbet, soda, chips.  You name it.  As long as it retains that crisp flavor.  In a new dessert at Birch and Barley I’ve combined all my favorite tart ingredients.  A baked-to-order lemon cake, green apple sorbet, diced green apples, yogurt panna cotta, passion fruit gelee and passion fruit curd.  In a time of year when everyone is focused on transitioning to rich winter food I wanted to keep it refreshing and light.

A Little Friendly Competition!

10 September 2012

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We know our cooks can cook. We are constantly impressed with their work ethic and talent, working 14 hours a day to make food they are proud of.  But besides family meal, (which they take very seriously,) we haven’t see what our cooks at Birch and Barley can come up with from scratch.  So naturally we were really excited when NRG decided to do an iron chef style contest at each restaurant.  The winners will compete in a BBQ-off at the company picnic in a few weeks.

Each restaurant was to come up with their own rules for their contest.  We decided to give a nod to Cochon 555, a pig centric cooking competition held yearly, by having our own version, Cochon 666.  Get it.  With all the whole pigs we have been getting in at Birch and Barley, it just seemed appropriate.  The rules were as follows:

  • 3 courses (appetizer/entree/dessert) needed to be prepared in 1.5 hours
  • Of the 4 cuts of meat offered (liver, loin, belly, shoulder) at least 3 had to used to create an appetizer & entree
  • pantry items are fair game
  • the dessert would include a secret ingredient, to be announced at the start of the 90 minute contest

Oh, and did I mention each restaurant had to get a “celebrity judge”…  We were lucky enough to lure in Nycci Nellis, who offered a great, positive energy sprinkled with just the right amount of critique.  Perfect.

So it began.  Pastry Assistant Jes Kearney, Meat Cook Mike Hanney, Entremet Gennaro Esposito and Hot apps cook Paul Kostandin spent 90 minutes cooking and I was one of the lucky taste testers!  Pork & black garlic sausage with pan seared gnocchi and pesto, stuffed pan roasted loin with fried green tomatoes, shaved ice – Philly style and half smoke with the most perfect spaetzel I’ve ever had.  Hanney even rigged a smoker out of two pots and a beer pipe.  In the end it was Paul that took the prize, (although it was close…  everything was really really great!)  His menu was amazing!  Appetizer of tortelloni stuffed with cranberry bean purse served with seared bacon/veg and pan seared deviled pork liver.  The liver was so creamy.  The entree was seared pork loin with grilled watermelon, a spicy stir fry of bok choy &  sugar snap peas, and a biscuit puree.  For dessert Paul made a puree of plums and ginger which he drizzled over shaved ice then topped with whipped cream and candied ginger.

Besides bragging rights, which is the best prize of all, Paul won a gift card to Woodberry Kitchen, one of our favorite restaurants, and a trophy unlike any I’ve ever seen.  A pig skull painted red with… well, you can see it in the pictures below.

It was a proud moment for both Kyle and I, watching our young, aspiring chefs create and be judged by us and themselves, (Kyle was sure to tell his cooks the self judging was going to be the hardest part…  Having people taste your food when you know there are things that could be better.)  I can’t wait to see what they come up with next!

Now, on to the show…

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Top 5 Kitchen Tools for Home or Work

20 July 2012

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I have lots of toys in the kitchen.  Everything from a giant ice cream machine that churns two gallons at a time, to a refractometer that measures the amount of sugar in a sorbet.  I love all my toys but I could get along without a lot of them.  Here are my 5 favorite kitchen tools and my favorite brand of each.  I love them in both my home and professional kitchen and I think you will too.

1) The Offset Spatula

Great for decorating cakes and transferring delicate projects, an offset spatula is a great tool to have around the kitchen.  I recommend getting it in 2 sizes, a 4″ and an 8″.  The best bang for your buck is Ateco.  It will get the job done for a reasonable price.

2) The Balloon Whisk

Promise me you will never buy cool whip or canned whipped cream again.  Please.  It is way too easy to make your own whipped cream.  All you need is cold heavy cream, a bowl and a balloon whisk.  Simple.  If you like it sweet add 1/4 cup of powdered sugar for every 2 cups of cream you whip.  Homemade whipped cream is delicious and an easy way to impress people.  You’d be surprised how many people don’t know you can whip your own cream.  Unless you are going to whip a lot of cream I’d stick with a medium size whisk, like this one, which I have and love.

3) The Bowl Scraper

This might seem like an extra tool you can skip.  You can just use a rubber spatula to get all the product out of a bowl, right.  Sure, I guess you can BUT using a bowl scraper is ideal.  It is firm yet pliable, allowing you make one swift swoop through almost any batter or dough and remove it all, leaving next to nothing behind.  In every kitchen I’ve worked in, a bowl scraper is a sacred tool.  We have about a dozen of them, always an arms length away.  For a few bucks it’s worth a try if you bake a lot at work or home.

4) The Gram Scale

Most people resist buying a scale as long as they can.  ”It’s too fussy” or “I don’t need one” are comments I hear form home cooks all the time.  The fact is you don’t need one, but your world will open up if you make the investment.  There are so many great chefs out there that post recipes in ounces and grams.  Plus, if you want something to be as close to perfect as possible every time, a scale will help achieve that.   Plus, I can measure 12 cups of flour 12 times faster with a scale…  In a kitchen, every second you save is an extra second to work on something fun.  When buying a gram scale you want to make sure it goes in single increments.  Some go up by 5 grams at a time so try to avoid that.  After all, you are getting this to be more accurate, right?  My favorite scale is the Escali digital scale.  I keep one in my car at all times just in case (true story!)  It runs forever and has a 5 year warranty, so in most cases you can get it replaced if something does happen.

5) The Immersion Blender

This is, by far, the tool I am most obsessed with.  If you work for me chances are this has been your birthday or Christmas gift at some point along the way.  If you want it smooth and it isn’t, this will do the trick.  If you need to make a caramel shiny, this will do the trick.  Making corn ice cream and need it to infuse more?  No problem, just hit it with the immersion blender.  My cooks know nine times out of ten my solution to anything liquid needing help will be “Did you try using the immersion blender on it?”  They can be a bit fussy so I usually stay away from models with multiple attachments but I do like when the bottom half is removable for easy cleaning.

I could keep going on and on about all the tools I love and  I can’t promise that you will love these particular models as much as I do, (it takes years and lots of trail and error to figure out what works best for you,) but it’s a good start.

Brunch at Birch & Barley

13 July 2012

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Kyle and I LOVE BRUNCH…  Of course we like eating it but unlike most chefs we like cooking it as well.  If you’ve ever worked in a restaurant with brunch you probably know that not many chefs love (or even like,) working Sunday brunch.  You are exhausted from Saturday night service and you can count on the fact that someone will be late.   The menu doesn’t include your normal mise en place so setting up the stations is a pain.  You can count on every customer ordering at the same time.  It basically has all the ingredients to create what is known as an epic sh*t show.

But the food is oh so good and the guests are all happy to be there.  And it doesn’t hurt that at brunch it is socially acceptable to consume alcohol before noon…

Last Sunday, between frying doughnuts and baking sticky buns, I scurried around the kitchen snapping pictures of brunch service at Birch and Barley…  Hope it inspires you to get off your bum on Sunday morning and get some brunch.  If you come to Birch I recommend the Corned Beef Hash with Duck Eggs or the French Toast…  I’m getting hungry just thinking about them!

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Happy Friday!

29 June 2012

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When close friends of mine get married I LOVE to make their wedding cake.  It’s such an important part of the day and it takes a huge cost and stress off their plate.  My friends Jem and Ann-Margret were married last weekend in NY and I wasn’t able to attend (Boo!) but I did send a pretty cake for them to enjoy.   Congratulations!!!

 

 

 

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Recipe: Chickpea Salad

16 June 2012

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One of my favorite lunches at Buzz is this chickpea salad.  When we make it the recipe is designed to make the “perfect” amount.  It makes 15 and a half portions.  unfortunately (insert sarcastic tone here) we can’t serve the half portion, leaving me just enough to have for lunch!  I love everything with chickpeas but what’s great about this is it is both light and incredibly flavorful.  I especially love it in the spring and summer, when it’s hot.  The acidity from the lemon is so refreshing.  I like to toss the cucumbers in salt and let them absorb the seasoning and purge excess water for about 15 minutes, just be sure to rinse and pat dry before adding to the salad.  It is an extra step that take about a minute but it’s worth it.  If you are bringing this to a party I recommend garnishing with some fresh lemon wedges so people can add more acid if they like.  Plus the flavor might dull a bit during transport and a fresh squeeze of lemon will perk it right up.

Chickpea Salad Recipe

Serves 6-8 as a side

3 cans chickpeas drained and rinsed
1 seedless cucumber, peeled, sliced in half and cut into 1/2″ thick pieces
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, split
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
2 lemons, juiced
1 cup feta, crumbled
A few dashes red wine vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
salt & black pepper to taste

Directions

1) Toss the cucumber in 3 tbsp kosher salt and allow to sit for 15 minutes.  Rinse with cold water and pat dry.

2) Place the chickpeas, feta, cucumber, dill, olive oil and tomatoes in a bowl and toss.

3) Add a few dashes of red wine vinegar (1-2 tsp,) the olive oil and half the lemon juice.  Toss, taste and adjust as needed until it is as tart as you like it (I love acidity so I end up loading it up with vinegar and lemon)

This is perfect for a light lunch or picnic salad.  Come to think of it, this would be a great addition to any 4th of July cook out.  Enjoy!

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Recipe: Gluten Free Brownies

14 June 2012

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This post is more than just a recipe for gluten free brownies. Don’t get me wrong, the recipe is awesome.  You can make them with the reccomended gluten free flour blend or all purpose if you don’t need them to be gluten free.  The result either way will be the same: fudgy, rich brownies!  If you served them without mentioning they are gluten free no one would ever know. But what I love about this recipe is where it came from.

Chef’s careers are built on blood, sweat and reputation. For a chef, pastry chef especially, this “reputation” is usually built from desserts based on recipes that have taken countless hours to perfect.  They are the lifeline of a pastry chef’s career. I should point out that an amazing recipe left in the hands of an uninspired chef won’t yield the same result; it takes years of training to make a series of simple (or complicated) recipes combine into one plate in perfect balance.  But at the start of it all, is a great recipe.

When it comes to gluten free cooking I have spent lots of time reading about it but not a lot of time executing it.  Not because I don’t want to, because it’s hard to find the time. If you follow me on Twitter you know that I often tell people to follow @ideasinfood. They send tweets throughout the day that get your creative juices flowing, share ideas and techniques  and even their recipes on their website and in their book (which you should get right now!). They are the kind of chefs that I aspire to be: they willingly share what they have learned, inspiring new ideas, and ultimately, greatness from cooks and chefs all over the world.  The internet is an amazing thing!

Their gluten free flour blend is what I used as a base to make these brownies and because of it, I now have a product I can proudly share with guests at Buzz Bakery. I only had to make one small adjustment.  I substituted the arrowroot for 1.5 times the amount of cornstarch.  Sometimes great ideas just give you a jumping off point and you run with it from there.

A few days after trying this recipe out my sous chef tested out a gluten free brioche, again using an Ideas in Food gluten free blend, a little extra xantham gum and my brioche recipe.  It turned out amazing and now we can offer great gluten free french toast for brunch at Birch & Barley. Stay tuned for that recipe as well!

So now you can see why this brownie recipe is so much more than just another gluten free brownie recipe. It is proof that one great recipe or idea can inspire another and that there are extremely talented chefs out there willing to share ideas to move food forward.  I know this soundy cheesy but I love this part of my job!  Enjoy!

PS-  This recipe is sized down from the giant size we do at Buzz to a more manageable size that can be made at home.  It is however in gram measurements.  Don’t fret!  If you are a serious home cook and you don’t have a scale yet it’s time to invest!  Here is a link to the scale I have at home (and at work for smaller projects.)  I just LOVE this model…  Reasonably priced and very accurate.

GLUTEN FREE (or regular if you like) BROWNIE RECIPE

340 grams butter

198 grams 100% unsweetened chocolate

57 grams dark chocolate (I like 72% E. Guittard)

450 grams sugar

1.5 tsp salt

1.5 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp espresso powder

6 eggs

150 grams sugar

265 grams  Ideas in Food GF Flour Blend, substituting the arrowroot for 1.5 time the weight in cornstarch  (or equal parts All Purpose Flour)

2 cups toasted walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1) Place the butter, 100% chocolate and dark chocolate into a bowl over a double boiler.  Keep the heat on low and stir occasionally to prevent scorching.

2) While the chocolate is melting place  the eggs and the smaller amount of sugar (150 grams) into a bowl and whip until nearly at the ribbon stage (light and foamy but not super thick)

3) Once the chocolate is meted remove from heat.  Add the larger amount of sugar (450 grams,) salt, vanilla and espresso powder.  Whisk to combine.

4) Fold in the whipped eggs.  Sift the all purpose or gf flour blend over the chocolate mixture and stir in until smooth. Add the toasted walnuts last.

5) Spread into a sprayed quarter sheet tray lined with parchment and sprayed.  (If you are making these at home a traditional 11×7 brownie pan should do the trick but may require a few additional minutes to cook.)  Bake at 300 degrees in a professional convections oven (325 degrees at home) checking after 20 minutes (it may take up to 30 minutes depending on the oven and fan speed.)  A small pairing knife inserted into the center of the brownies should come out clean when the brownies are done.  Cool before cutting (if you can wait that long!)

These are great so many ways.  At the shop we serve them in individual pans with all kinds of fun things in or on them.  Just remove the espresso powder and walnuts and you’ve got a great base recipe.  Nutella cheesecake swirled on top.  Peanut Butter cookie dough baked right in.  But the best way to eat them is warm with a scoop of ice cream on top. Oh, and thanks Ideas in Food, you are an inspiration, as always!

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Recipe: Simple Summer Ceviche

18 May 2012

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After an intense week of cooking, eating and drinking in Atlanta, Kyle and I wanted to keep it light for a few days. A few weeks ago at a BBQ hosted by the Birch & Barley cook Kyle made an awesome ceviche that really hit the spot. I love raw seafood of any kind and I would drink vinegar and lime juice by the glass if I could, so ceviche is a welcome addition to any meal. I think the sliced vegetables served with ceviche should be just as important as the fish. It really makes it a meal. Honestly, the produce (avocado, cherry tomatoes and bell peppers) could stand on their own, making a nice vegetarian salad. I am a huge fan of tofu, which you could replace the fish with and do a vegetarian “ceviche.”

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RECIPE
4 appetizer servings

1 pound snapper or tilapia fillet, skin off
1/4 red onion
1/2 red pepper
1/2 orange pepper
3 TBSP cilantro, chopped
1 cup sweet yellow cherry tomatoes, split in half
3 limes
1 lemon
2 TBSP rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 ripe avocado
Maldon or other large grain sea salt

DIRECTIONS

1) Slice red onion and bell peppers as thin as possible. If you have a mandolin that is ideal but a sharp knife will do the trick.
2) Layer the onions, peppers, cilantro and tomatoes in a jar or glass. Pour the lime juice, lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil directly over the vegetables. Allow to sit while you prepare the fish and avocado.
3) Place the chilled fish on a clean cutting board. Slice on a slight bias 1/4 in thick, transferring each slice to the serving platter, shingling them. Sprinkle lightly with Maldon sea salt.
4) Split the avocado and remove the pit. Use a spoon to gently dig out the flesh. Try to keep it in one large piece. Slice the avocado into 1/4″ thick slices and lay over the fish. Sprinkle the avocado with sea salt as well.
5) Shake up the vegetables and citrus until well combined. Pour the mixture over the fish/avocado, covering them eventy. Sprinkle with maldon salt.
6) Cover and allow to sit in the refrigerator at least 2 hours but up to 5. Serve cold with grilled bread.

Kyle and I enjoyed this on our patio with delicious cocktails in our hands. The weather was just perfect and the sun was going down. It just made the ceviche taste that much better.

Atlanta Food & Wine Festival

16 May 2012

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Wow! What an amazing weekend. Kyle and I just got back from the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival. Kyle was invited to present dishes in the tasting tents on two days of the 3 day event.

On Friday he represented the Georgia Growers Association by preparing a dish using only local produce. He decided to do a composition containing watermelon dressed lightly in white balsamic vinegar and olive oil, fresh blueberries, candied pecans and vidalia onion soubis. It was a huge hit, especially because most of the food at the event was heavy and meat driven. The pecans were grown in Georgia, shipped with DC to be candied then driven down with us on a 10 hour car ride. They were delicious and worth the effort!

On Sunday Kyle participated in the Fried Chicken Trail. He and 5 other chefs presented their best fried chicken. Kyle did Buttermilk Fried Chicken served with buttered pecans, crispy smoked chicken skin and a freshly fried brioche doughnut glazed in maple chicken jus. It was by far the most complicated of the dishes at the event. Not only were we crazy enough to attempt to fry 2 different items on our dish, they also “couldn’t find” our marinated chicken until 10 minutes after the event started. We were doomed from the start. Luckily, Southern Hospitality is a real thing and the amazingly talented and sweet chef from Magnolias in Charleston, SC jumped over to help me plate up our dishes. It was hard work but it was worth it because people really loved the dish. We went through about 650 portions. And yes, I had to make 650 doughnuts…

But enough about us, I want to talk about our food experience in Atlanta. Having never been to Atlanta I wasn’t sure what to expect. I honestly didn’t expect much simply because I hadn’t heard much. Boy was I pleasantly surprised. I had some amazing meals while I was there. Abattoir was possibly one of the top 20 meals I have ever had… That is saying a lot since I’ve been eating out at great restaurants for the last 6 years. Rumor has it that the chef has just taken over. I was with a group of 6 and we ordered all the snacks, cold appetizers and hot appetizers. About 18 dishes in all. Some standouts include an octopus hot dog which was a cased sausage made from octopus, pork and chicken (I think). It was AMAZING. It had a beautiful texture, full octopus flavor and was served on a nicely toasted roll with condiments that made the flavor reminiscent of taco yaki. The pork rind came to the table “still talking to us” as the waiter put it. They were giant pillows of sizzling fried pork skin. They were simple but by far the most delicate texuture I’ve ever had. The charcuterie board had many lovely components. My least favorite was the prosciutto powder, which had a little more funk than I like but the blood sausage, which was still a brilliant red, was very impressive. Fried chickpeas, something very easy to make and usually good but not great, were made special with a cumin-salt seasoning that really had great flavor. My only regret was that we didn’t get back for entrees before we left.

Other notable meals were Fox Bros BBQ, where we had our first meal in Atlanta. Some of the local chefs told me there was much better BBQ at other shops but those pork ribs were the juiciest, most perfectly smoked and cooked ribs I have ever had. Maybe it was an extra “on” day in the kitchen but I’m sure glad we ate there. The braised collards were great too. Holeman and Finch was another knock out. The pan fried sweetbreads with bok choy and sorghum glaze was outstanding. Rabbit livers, carbonara and tartare were other standouts. We got the infamous burger and it was really really good but I think the chef is putting out some really great stuff and the burger is good but not as good as his more creative dishes. Although if I were sitting at the bar sipping cocktails for a few hours and then got that burger, I’d be one happy customer!

Empire State South wins for best hospitality. They stayed open extra late every night serving really well executed cocktails to loud, and at times obnoxious, chefs. I can’t even count the number of Pimm’s Cups I had over the course of 3 days. And we stopped in for a quick (and I mean 45 minutes quick) lunch on Friday and even though they were packed we got our food fast and perfect. Everything was very very good but the big standout was the most simple thing on the table. There was a side of rice and red beans that was so perfect beyond belief it blew my mind… And Kyle’s too. I absolutely LOVE when something that is normally not the star of the show jumps out at you like that. Attention to the little details like that are what separate a chef from a great chef.

I wish I had taken more pictures but I was so busy enjoying the food (and company) I just snapped quick shots with my phone. Atlanta, thanks for an amazing weekend! Can’t wait to see you next year.

Recipe: Homemade Peeps!

9 April 2012

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Easter has come and gone which is an emotional roller coaster for peep lovers! I have friends that are OBSESSED with peeps and eagerly await their appearance on grocery store shelves every year. They consume as many as they can until they are no longer available. I even have a few friends that buy about 50 boxes and snack on them for the rest of the year. The only problem is they get stale pretty darn quick.

Well, fear no more lovers of Peep! At the request of a friend, here is a recipe that is not only easy but will satisfy your need for a peep fix year round. Who knows, next year you may even skip the store bought peeps all together. If you’ve already made my Green Tea Marshmallows then this recipe will be a piece of cake. Same technique, just slightly different recipe.

Necessary Tools

Kitchen Aid mixer with a whisk attachment
Candy thermometer
Piping Bags (2 should do the trick)
#10, 11 or 12 Piping Tip
#1 or #2 Piping Tip
Rubber Spatula or Bowl Scraper

Recipe
Yields 24-50 peeps depending on how large or small you prefer to pipe

5 tsp powdered gelatin
2/3 cup cold water
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp lemon extracts (or flavor of your choice)
2 4 ounce bottles each of each color of sanding sugar you want to use. (Don’t worry, there will be a lot left for next year!)
4 ounces melting chocolate

Directions

1) Before you begin mixing anything make sure you gather all the tools you’ll need. Once marshmallows are finished they begin to set so you don’t want to be scrambling to get the tips in your piping bags. Place half your sanding sugar on a cookie tray or large plate. Marshmallows are very sticky and you will be piping the peeps directly onto the sanding sugar then sprinkling with more to coat. If you are using more than one color of sanding sugar you can use several large plates, each covered with half the sugar, reserving the other half.

2) Place 2/3 cup water in the bowl of a mixer. Sprinkle with the powdered gelatin, trying to cover the surface evenly. Allow to sit and bloom/soften while you prepare your sugar syrup.

3) Place the remaining 1/2 cup water and sugar in a pot and stir to combine. Use a wet paper towel, hand or pastry brush and wipe any granules of sugar from the sides of the pot. This will help to ensure that your sugar doesn’t crystalize.

4) Place the pot over a medium high heat. Using your candy thermometer cook to Soft Ball (238 Degrees F)

4) When the sugar gets close to 238 degrees turn on your mixer, fitted with a whip attachment, to a low speed to start mixing the water and gelatin. Once the sugar is ready, increase the speed to medium-high and slowly pour the sugar mixture down the side of the bowl. Once it is fully incorporated, add the lemon extract and allow to whip about 5-7 minutes until white, fluffy and cooled.

5) Now we need to move quickly because our marshmallow mix is ready to go. Grab your piping bags, already fitted with the #10, 11 or 12 piping tips, and a rubber spatula or bowl scraper and fill each bag with some of the mixture. If you can’t fit it all in the bags then cover the remaining mix with a damp towel.

6) Now we pipe! You can really dictate the size of your peeps and make them as big or small as you want. For classic size peeps pipe a mound of marshmallow with the circumference of a silver dollar. Pipe a smaller mound, about the circumference of a quarter on top. When you are done piping stop applying pressure and quickly pull the piping bag/tip toward you to create a little “beak.” If it looks a little crazy don’t fret! The sanding sugar and eyes will help them look a lot more like peeps. Plus, practice makes perfect! Continue piping until all the marshmallow is gone. Leave about 1″ of space between each peep so you have room to coat with sugar and so they don’t stick together.

7) Take the remaining amount of each color of sanding sugar and sprinkle the peeps with it. Once they are mostly coated you can pick them up carefully and toss in the sugar they are sitting on. They will be soft and fluffy so handle with care.

8) Now for the eyes. We use royal icing when we make peeps at Buzz Bakery but you can use melting chocolate. It’s a lot faster! Warm the meting chocolate as instructed on the package. Put into the piping bag fitted with the #1 or 2 piping tip and pipe two little eyes on each peep.

9) Your peeps are now ready to eat (they are amazing fresh!) or store in a container with a tight fitting lid until you get a craving for some peeps. They will last about 5 days in a sealed container. And pack up all that sanding sugar and keep it for next time you make peeps!

As you can see from my pictures below, some are instructional and some are just us being goofy around the bakery. When you see how cute your peeps are you may be inclined to take wacky pictures of them too. At least I warned you…

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