may 2 easter leftovers

May 02, 2001

Still have Easter candy?

Transform those abandoned goodies into culinary delights

By MEG H. PARTINGTON

megp@herald-mail.com

Photo: KEVIN G. GILBERT / staff photographer

It's been almost three weeks since you filled those Easter baskets with sweetness galore.

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Now the once-elaborate bunnies are missing their ears and hard-candy eyes, the peeps have turned to rocks and the multicolored jellybeans have sunken into heaps of plastic Easter grass. But the thought of tossing all those treats that you so diligently combed store aisles for makes your head - and wallet - hurt.

Why not transform those abandoned goodies into culinary delights?

Peeps can be substituted for marshmallows in recipes, said Wendy Esch, product manager at the Bethlehem, Pa.-based JustBorn Inc., the manufacturer of Marshmallow Peeps.

Peeps can be floated in hot chocolate, and added to ambrosia salad or sweet potatoes, Esch said.

Michael Toth, culinary arts instructor at Washington County Technical High School, suggested using peeps in crispy rice treats.

Brenda Casabona, an owner of DeFluri's Fine Chocolate in Martinsburg, W.Va., said peeps can also be added to a brownie recipe to make a rocky road version. She recommended cutting them into bits with wet scissors or a wet knife.

Chocolate bunnies can be chopped into pieces and used in recipes instead of chocolate chips, Casabona said. The stiff-eared hollow or solid favorites also can be melted for use in chocolate sauces and glazes, she said.

Have a few too many peanut butter eggs nesting in your children's baskets? Peel off those festive wrappers and melt them down for a tempting dessert.

"You can make a fabulous peanut butter pie," Casabona said.

If your jaw can't handle gnawing on any more jellybeans, gumdrops or strands of licorice, use them as decorations on cakes and cookies, said Susan Fussell, manager of communications for the Vienna, Va.-based National Confectioners Association/Chocolate Manufacturers Association.

Chewy, colorful leftovers also can be used to enhance springtime gingerbread houses, Fussell said. Use green frosting to hold the gingerbread pieces together and to attach window boxes to the houses, she said, then decorate with jellybeans or gumdrops.

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