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Janice Peacock’s Peep Roasting Tutorial
Roasting Peeps has been my spring tradition for about 15 years. Over the years I’ve tried many studio-‐cooking experiments, but by far the most fun and delicious are flame-‐broiled Peeps. Sally Prasch first introduced me to the concept of Peeps and the torch when we encapsulated these sugary shmallows inside of borosilicate tubing. For me this led to encapsulating all sorts of other things – Skittles, coffee beans and small sculptures of men. Ah, but that is a story for another day. I typically roast Peeps in the spring when the Easter Peeps are available. Fortunately, you don’t have to wait for Easter to roast Peeps, since the company that makes them, Just Born, has Halloween, Christmas and Valentine’s Day Peeps as well. If you can’t get your hands on any Peeps you can moisten a regular marshmallow and roll it in sugar. You won’t have that adorable chick shape, but the sugar on the outside is key to getting that crème brulee-‐burnt sugar taste. For the last couple of years the Northern California Society of Glass Beadmakers has gotten together at my house for our spring garden party. I do a little demo and we roast a few Peeps. I’d like to thank Patty Lakinsmith for taking these photos. Get Ready The first thing you need is a box of Peeps. I prefer the yellow chicks, but any other colors are great too. There are Peeps shaped like bunnies, but the chicks are the ones I like the best. You also need a bunch of bamboo BBQ skewers. We do not use mandrels for this delicate operation, because in my studio all of my mandrels are not really that clean. A beautiful latticino used as a skewer can also be a nice touch, especially if you are trying to impress a special guest. And of course, you’ll need a torch. www.janicepeacock.com
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Peep Prep First, you must prepare your Peeps for roasting. This is one of my favorite parts – you get to stick that skewer right through that little chick. Quite fun! Note: If you have real chickens in your yard (as I do) never let them see you do this. So that you do not get your Peeps dirty, I use the traditional beadmakers technique of putting the skewers in a jar full of rice with my other beads on mandrels, that way they are ready for the flame. I’ve got the torch fired-‐up and I’m ready for some roasting. I use a GTT Mirage, but any torch will do. I use tanked oxygen, but a concentrator is also adequate for this type of work. Flame Time The technique used to roast Peeps is very delicate. Most soft glass flameworkers will be able to use their skills of dashing glass rapidly in and out of the flame so that it does not shock to their advantage. Those quick, light movements make the Peep just start to toast to a golden color. Keep the Peep as far out in front of the visible flame as possible – they do not need much heat before they start to get gently brown and start to get molten on the inside. I like to use a neutral flame, similar to when you are making glass beads. A slightly bushy, soft flame is important so that you do not super-‐ heat your Peep. Peeps can easily reach a fireball state that is not desirable. (See Troubleshooting) It doesn’t take much to get the Peep to a perfectly delectable state. You may enjoy them delicately toasted, or, a little more Cajun-‐style. As you continue to develop your skills as a Peep-‐roaster you will figure out the best way to get the results you are looking for. Copyright 2012 Janice Peacock
Eat a Peep!
Of course, the main reason that we roast Peeps, other than because it is amusing, is that you get to eat them after you cook them! Just blow on them a little so that they are not like molten lava.
And enjoy! Fun Fact: Each pack of 5 Peeps has only 160 calories. Another Fun Fact: You should never eat 5 roasted Peeps in a single day. Trust me on this. Troubleshooting Many beginning Peep-‐roasters have a little trouble. Here’s some advice to get you started in the right direction. Peeps do not need to be annealed. They will not break if cooled too quickly, and will ruin your kiln if you put them in it. Peeps are best eaten immediately after roasting. Note the actual chickens in the background of this picture. Hopefully they did not see the Peep roasting, or they may need many years of therapy. Another common problem for newbies is the fireball, also known as over-‐reduction, to use a glass term. Like reduction with glass, once you’ve reduced too much, there is no going back to how it was before. You must either learn to like your Peeps this way, or correct your technique. If you do not find Peeps in this condition to your liking, perhaps your dog or husband will. www.janicepeacock.com
[email protected]
Roasting Peeps has been my spring tradition for about 15 years. Over the years I’ve tried many studio-‐cooking experiments, but by far the most fun and delicious are flame-‐broiled Peeps. Sally Prasch first introduced me to the concept of Peeps and the torch when we encapsulated these sugary shmallows inside of borosilicate tubing. For me this led to encapsulating all sorts of other things – Skittles, coffee beans and small sculptures of men. Ah, but that is a story for another day. I typically roast Peeps in the spring when the Easter Peeps are available. Fortunately, you don’t have to wait for Easter to roast Peeps, since the company that makes them, Just Born, has Halloween, Christmas and Valentine’s Day Peeps as well. If you can’t get your hands on any Peeps you can moisten a regular marshmallow and roll it in sugar. You won’t have that adorable chick shape, but the sugar on the outside is key to getting that crème brulee-‐burnt sugar taste. For the last couple of years the Northern California Society of Glass Beadmakers has gotten together at my house for our spring garden party. I do a little demo and we roast a few Peeps. I’d like to thank Patty Lakinsmith for taking these photos. Get Ready The first thing you need is a box of Peeps. I prefer the yellow chicks, but any other colors are great too. There are Peeps shaped like bunnies, but the chicks are the ones I like the best. You also need a bunch of bamboo BBQ skewers. We do not use mandrels for this delicate operation, because in my studio all of my mandrels are not really that clean. A beautiful latticino used as a skewer can also be a nice touch, especially if you are trying to impress a special guest. And of course, you’ll need a torch. www.janicepeacock.com
[email protected]
Peep Prep First, you must prepare your Peeps for roasting. This is one of my favorite parts – you get to stick that skewer right through that little chick. Quite fun! Note: If you have real chickens in your yard (as I do) never let them see you do this. So that you do not get your Peeps dirty, I use the traditional beadmakers technique of putting the skewers in a jar full of rice with my other beads on mandrels, that way they are ready for the flame. I’ve got the torch fired-‐up and I’m ready for some roasting. I use a GTT Mirage, but any torch will do. I use tanked oxygen, but a concentrator is also adequate for this type of work. Flame Time The technique used to roast Peeps is very delicate. Most soft glass flameworkers will be able to use their skills of dashing glass rapidly in and out of the flame so that it does not shock to their advantage. Those quick, light movements make the Peep just start to toast to a golden color. Keep the Peep as far out in front of the visible flame as possible – they do not need much heat before they start to get gently brown and start to get molten on the inside. I like to use a neutral flame, similar to when you are making glass beads. A slightly bushy, soft flame is important so that you do not super-‐ heat your Peep. Peeps can easily reach a fireball state that is not desirable. (See Troubleshooting) It doesn’t take much to get the Peep to a perfectly delectable state. You may enjoy them delicately toasted, or, a little more Cajun-‐style. As you continue to develop your skills as a Peep-‐roaster you will figure out the best way to get the results you are looking for. Copyright 2012 Janice Peacock
Eat a Peep!
Of course, the main reason that we roast Peeps, other than because it is amusing, is that you get to eat them after you cook them! Just blow on them a little so that they are not like molten lava.
And enjoy! Fun Fact: Each pack of 5 Peeps has only 160 calories. Another Fun Fact: You should never eat 5 roasted Peeps in a single day. Trust me on this. Troubleshooting Many beginning Peep-‐roasters have a little trouble. Here’s some advice to get you started in the right direction. Peeps do not need to be annealed. They will not break if cooled too quickly, and will ruin your kiln if you put them in it. Peeps are best eaten immediately after roasting. Note the actual chickens in the background of this picture. Hopefully they did not see the Peep roasting, or they may need many years of therapy. Another common problem for newbies is the fireball, also known as over-‐reduction, to use a glass term. Like reduction with glass, once you’ve reduced too much, there is no going back to how it was before. You must either learn to like your Peeps this way, or correct your technique. If you do not find Peeps in this condition to your liking, perhaps your dog or husband will. www.janicepeacock.com
[email protected]
