PEEPS EASTER GARDEN CAKE: Peeps Day!

Today is PEEPS Day. Yes, a holiday devoted to the sweets of my childhood, especially at Easter. So, I thought I'd post this darling (and easy) PEEPS Garden Cake. Recipe is from the PEEPS recipe site. The recipe calls for a Betty Crocker cake mix (since it's originally a Betty Crocker/General Mills Recipe), but you can use your favorite cake mix or your favorite chocolate cake recipe and frosting recipe from scratch.

PEEPS EASTER GARDEN CAKE

Ingredients
1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist Devil's Food cake mix
Water, oil, and eggs called for on cake mix box
1 container Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy chocolate frosting
1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs  (I use Famous Chocolate Wafers)
1 can (6.4 oz) Betty Crocker green decorating cake icing
8 to 12 PEEPS® marshmallow bunnies (different colored bunny peeps are fun!)
1 can (6.4 oz) Betty Crocker orange decorating cake icing

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13 x 9-inch pan with cooking spray.
Make cake as directed on box for 13 x 9-inch pan. Cool in pan on cooling rack until completely cooled, about 30 minutes.
Spread chocolate frosting on top of cake; sprinkle with chocolate cookie crumbs.
Use green icing to make garden rows, using photo as guide.
Insert toothpick halfway into base of each PEEPS® marshmallow bunny. Insert bunnies, toothpick side down, into cake.
Use orange and green icings to make carrots on cake, using photo as a guide.
Cut into 4 rows by 3 rows to serve.

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CHOCOLATE PEEPS FOR EASTER

"Are You My Mother?"

Of all my childhood Spring Confection memories, PEEPS stand out. My sister and I still buy each other PEEPS around Easter, although we rarely eat the sugary marshmallow-y creatures any more. She buys me purple rabbits; I buy her classic yellow chicks -- the original PEEPS. You see where this is going? I'm a purist, but since this is a Chocolate Blog, I've made room in my Easter PEEPS inventory for Chocolate PEEPS.

So, PEEPS: You love them or hate them. People do all sorts of things with PEEPS, only some of which involve giving them to kids at Easter or eating them straight from the box. For me, it's the elastic quality of the "old" PEEPS that's fun for me--pulling them apart.

Chocolate PEEPS Bunnies off to work in the fields

Chocolate: The ultimate in the ever improving PEEPS. Chocolate-Covered PEEPS are available from the original company in both Dark and Milk chocolate. These are not the small peeps packed together in rows. No, these Chocolate Peeps come in individually wrapped packages, as well as in a three pack. Sadly, in the big ones, the cool sparkly coating of sugar is missing, and I think it would have been a nice buffer between the chocolate and marshmallow to make it stand out from the rest of the chocolate marshmallow candy.

However, the Chocolate Dipped PEEPS do have the sugar. I love the three pack of PEEPS Chocolate Dipped Chicks (both dark and milk chocolate), as well as the Dark and Milk Chocolate PEEPS Chocolate Dipped Mousse Flavored Marshmallow Chicks!

I'm a fan of Chocolate Eggs, and PEEPS has a very fun individually boxed hollow milk chocolate egg with a PEEP chick inside. Maybe it's been around for awhile, but I missed it.

And, just as an aside, Jacques Torres makes fabulous chocolate, and they sell Chocolate-Covered PEEPS. Their name: Chirp'N'Dales. They are adorable. Also, Asher's Chocolates makes Milk and Dark Chocolate Dipped PEEPS.

Other great uses for PEEPS:

1. Make PEEPS S'Mores, especially with the chocolate covered ones.
2. Plop a Chocolate Covered PEEPS down in your Hot Chocolate or Coffee.
3. Decorate cakes or cupcakes with PEEPS.
4. Create Your Own PEEPS Diorama.
5. Bake PEEPS in your brownies!

Want to make your own Chocolate Covered PEEPS using the original PEEPS?

1. Melt some good dark chocolate or milk chocolate (about 16 oz/depending on how many you plan to make)

2. Remove PEEPS from package. I would use Chicks since they're the original, but the other shapes (rabbits, etc) work well.
3. Insert a lollipop stick into the Peep. If you're using the chicks, put stick in the widest part (maybe this is why they're sideways standing up in the packaged ones--and why bunnies work better). 
4. Dip the Peep into the melted chocolate. Two choices: Either cover the entire Peep or just dip one end as you would chocolate covered strawberries. Be sure and let any excess drip off.
5. Put on wax paper covered plate or cookie sheet and freeze or refrigerate for 20 minutes. 

Question? When is a PEEP, not a PEEP? When it's Chocolate-Covered.

Chocolate Dipped Peeps complete the flock!

EASY CHOCOLATE EASTER BUNNY CAKE!

I love this easy Betty Crocker recipe for A Chocolate Easter Bunny Cake. You can always make your own chocolate bundt cake from scratch or use a mix. Love the Chocolate Bunnies in the photo, but if you can't find them, use whichever chocolate bunnies you have. This is so adorable, and a great easy Easter centerpiece! You can always elaborate on the decorations by adding chocolate Easter Eggs or chicks or jellybeans.

Easy Chocolate Easter Bunny Cake!

Ingredients 

CAKE 
2 Tbsp cocoa
1 Betty Crocker™ SuperMoist™ dark chocolate or devil’s food cake mix
 3 eggs
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup water
1 cup good quality dark chocolate, chopped

ICING 
3 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 to 3 Tablespoons milk

DÉCOR 
Bunch fresh mint sprigs
2-3 large chocolate bunnies, unwrapped
10-12 pastel malted candy eggs

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Generously spray 12-cup fluted tube or bundt pan with baking spray. Sprinkle with cocoa to coat pans; tap to remove excess cocoa.

In large bowl, beat cake mix, eggs, butter, and water with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in chocolate.

Spoon batter into pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Place cooling rack or heatproof serving plate upside down over pan; turn rack and pan over. Remove pan. Cool completely, about 2 hours.

In medium bowl, beat powdered sugar, corn syrup, cream, and peppermint extract on low speed until blended. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add just enough milk to the icing to make it thin enough to stick to a spoon, dripping off of the spoon slowly when tipped down toward bowl.

Spread icing onto cooled cake. Place a bunch of mint sprigs in the center of cake. Add a chocolate bunny in center of the mint sprigs. Press malted eggs around the top and sides of the cake. Press second chocolate bunny onto the side of the cake. Garnish with additional mint sprigs, and small Easter chocolate eggs, as desired.

So easy! Happy Easter!

18 LAYER NO BAKE MATZO S'MORES CAKE: Passover

Here's an easy and delicious Passover dessert. I found this recipe for No Bake Matzo S'mores Cake on the back of the Manischewitz Matzo Box. Right up my alley, with a few tweaks! Nothing you can do about replacing the matzo with graham crackers if you're serving this during Passover. However, you can replace the non-dairy whipped topping with marshmallow creme. There are several kosher varieties, including at least one that's kosher for Passover.

Here are some tips, too! 

First, you can half this recipe. How many people are you feeding, after all?

Second, it's easier to prepare each layer separately before stacking.

18-Layer No Bake Matzo S'mores Cake  
Recipe from Back of Manischewitz Matzo Box 

Ingredients:
21 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted in the microwave
2 tsp ground espresso
16-ounce container frozen non-dairy whipped topping, thawed (or substitute Passover Marshmallow Creme - yes, it does exist!)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp almond extract
1 box (16 oz) Manischewitz Matzo
1/2 cup chopped almonds
White chocolate and fresh berries for garnish (optional)
 
Preparation:
Add ground espresso to melted chocolate; mix well. Set aside.
Using beater attachment of mixer, whip topping as you slowly add sugar and almond extract and form soft peaks.
Separate half whipped topping into another bowl. Add about 1/2 cup of cooled, melted chocolate into one of whipped topping bowls. Gently fold chocolate into topping using rubber spatula.

To Assemble Cake:
Using pastry brush or knife, shmear layer of melted chocolate onto top of each matzo square.
Layer each chocolate covered matzo with whipped topping, alternating between white topping and chocolate topping. Sprinkle chopped almonds over each layer before adding next chocolate covered matzo.
Repeat until you have come to last piece of matzo.
Garnish top of cake with shaved white chocolate, fresh berries and any leftover chopped almonds.
Refrigerate for up to two hours before serving.