The good news: Oh my GOD is Peepshi – a.k.a. sushi that has been constructed from Peeps and an assortment of other cavity-creating substances – ever cute.
The bad news: Cavity-creating substances are frequently insanely delicious, which means that you will make Peepshi “for the kids”…and in the process eat millions of little Peep remnants (you know, the ones that you cut off in pursuit of a perfectly-shaped piece of nigiri) yourself.
Okay. Now that we’ve established that you’re making Peepshi, because of course you are, let me tell you how to do it. This geniusness was originally created by Serious Eats, but now that I’ve made one batch and am thus clearly an expert, I’m going to tell you the little discoveries that I made over the course of the Peepshi-making process that I thought were extra wonderful.
First, here’s what you’re going to need:
- Prepared Rice Krispie treats
- Assorted Peeps (and Bunny Peeps please)
- Red Fruit By The Foot
- Some type of small round candy (I used decorating candy, but red Nerds are better)
- Scissors
- A knife
And I guess you don’t technically need the ginger and wasabi, but I personally think they’re the best part, so grab yourself some yellow Fruit Roll-Ups and some green Fruit Gushers too, please.
Now that we have our supplies, let’s start with the basics. You know, so you don’t get all intimidated and give up before you’ve even started embracing The Wonders Of The Peep.
This is the most basic form of Peepshi, and also perhaps the most satisfying, because to make it you get to decapitate a Peep.
First, mold about a tablespoon’s worth of Rice Krispie treat into an oval, then press down on the oval with your palm to give it a nice, flat top and bottom.
Like that.
Then say a tiny Peep prayer before snipping the head and neck off of one of your innocent baby duck marshmallows. Flip over the now-headless Peep, and snip a little tail into one of the ends.
So simple. So lovely.
Obviously this Peepshi (and all Peepshi, always) should be garnished with ginger (thinly sliced strips of yellow Fruit Roll-Up) and wasabi (a green Gusher).
Ready to take it a step further? Of course you are.
To take your nigiri to the next level, add a seaweed wrap. I like the bunnies (Beeps?) for this one, mostly because they look absolutely terrified (sorry, but if you’re making Peepshi you probably have a similarly questionable sense of humor).
The bunnies are pretty poofy, so you’re going to want to use your scissors to cut off the back half before laying them atop your beautifully shaped Rice Krispie Treat beds.
Or you can just use Peeps and be all basic. Your choice.
Whichever adorable creature you choose, the final step is to use a knife to cut a thin ribbon of Fruit Roll-Up and wrap it around both duck/bunny and Treat, just below the animal’s horror-stricken face. Use a dab of water if you have trouble getting the Roll-Up to stick to itself.
Enjoy.
I love these because they are ludicrous, and also because they are an excellent way to use up all those Peep heads that you removed during your nigiri-making.
To make a Peep Maki roll, first cut a slice of Rice Krispie Treat that’s about 1/4″ thick, then use a rolling pin or heavy glass to flatten it out.
Trim the edges to make them neat, then form the flattened Treat into a circle. Use a little Fruit By The Foot (trimmed if it’s too wide) to swaddle your marshmallow-y rice, then tuck a Peep (or Beep) head into the middle. If you can fit more than one head in there, good for you.
Next up: my personal favorite.
OK, these are my favorites. Not in real-life sushi form – because I do not enjoy consuming gelatinous fish eggs the size of tapioca balls – but in this incarnation? YES.
To make tobiko rolls, follow the first few steps for the maki roll above (flatten the Rice Krispie Treat strip, shape it into a circle, and then wrap the circle with Fruit By The Foot). Then tuck a piece of Peep into the bottom of the emptied-out center (about halfway up), and fill up the rest of the space with whatever circular candies you happen to enjoy (decorative candy balls, mini M&Ms, Nerds, etc).
Now finally, for the most Peepshi experienced among you:
The Rainbow Inside-Out Roll.
This is not for the faint of heart, as it involves multiple shades of Peep.
Flatten out a strip of Rice Krispie Treat, then top it with a strip of Fruit By The Foot that is ever-so-slightly shorter than the Treat strip. Add little pieces of Peep in a variety of colors, then roll it all together into a big ball of delectable marshmallow carnage.
Anything that is both delicious and ridiculous is obviously a thing that must be tried, so there you go:
Peepshi.
Have at it.
