I was a little worried that, with his new spiritual interests, Purcell would decline to celebrate our favorite Christian holidays. Fortunately, he assured me this will not be the case, particularly when it comes to marking one of our family favorites, the Twelfth Day of Easter.
It was my own mother who realized that the twelfth day after Easter is really the longest a marshmallow Peep can last and still be edible. By the twelfth day these dear little chicks need special treatment, such as steaming, to remain more edible than Styrofoam. Hence, our delightful tradition of steamed Peep Pudding.
If you've ever tried a real Hasty Pudding for Independence Day, or a real Figgy Pudding for Christmas, I think you'll agree that Peep Pudding deserves a place in the pantheon. She served this memorable dish the first time I brought Purcell home for dinner, so it has a special place in our personal pantheon as well. Unfortunately, my mother never wrote down her recipe, but here is what I think she did to make an individual serving:
Place four Peeps (any color you wish) in a small heat-safe bowl.
Set the bowl on the rack of a steamer and steam covered for about 30 seconds.
When you take off the lid you should see them beautifully puffed up to about four times their size! They will shrink back down when cool air hits them.
Using a hot pad, remove the bowl.
Have some grated chocolate bunny ready and immediately toss a little on top.
Enjoy!
The grated chocolate bunny is optional but really adds to the feeling that Easter is happening all over again. The true beauty of it is that you really can live in the Easter moment all year long!
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