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Earlier this year Firecracker wanted to make some cookies. My husband grabbed one of my cookie cookbooks (Cookies: Over 300 Step-By-Step Recipes For Home Made Baking
The cookie bars were an almond cookie base, topped with jam, and marshmallows.
Now, my kids LOVE marshmallows. I’m talking bribery-status treat level here!
The cookies were quite fun and incredibly sweet. I had used a huckleberry jam from Knott’s Berry Farm.
I knew I had to try them again for Easter using Peeps!
I can’t recall having Peeps since making my famous (hey, the recipe was published in the Chicago Tribune last year!) Peeps Lemon Drop Martini FOUR years ago.
Peeps seem to get a bad rap (wrap?) these days. They’re one of those “love ’em or hate ’em” types of foods. Whatever. They’re delicious, and my kids, no surprise, quite enjoyed them. I’ll be sure to grab a small pack for their Easter baskets this year.
I used the bunny shaped Peeps because once cut in half, they’re thin enough to layer on the cookie bars. And to avoid any gruesome looking cookies, I used a pineapple and apricot jam instead of strawberry.
To make the cookies you first make the cookie base and let it cool. Then you top it with your jam before layering on sliced marshmallows. You need to cut them in half and place the cut side down to ensure they’ll stick. You then pop them back in the oven under the broiler.
Now, our oven has been busted pretty much since we moved into this home two years ago. The oven is older and runs into an “overheating” error that fails at a mere 350 degrees F. To work around the error we have to have the fan on the microwave running and the kitchen window open. Additionally, anything over 375 degrees F requires that nothing be on top of the stove, too. That means, I don’t get to use my broiler, so my marshmallows don’t get the toasty golden look to them (the Peep bunny faces did melt creating the allusion of toasted marshmallows). Ah well.
Peeps Cookie Bars
Ingredients:
- 1 stick butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 C superfine sugar
- zest 1 lemon
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 C ground almonds
- 1 egg
- 1 C flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- approx. 1/2 C jam
- 1 pkg (3 oz) bunny Peeps
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9″x9″ cake pan (option to also line with parchment paper/foil).
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, and lemon zest with an electric hand mixer. Add in the vanilla, almonds, and egg until combined. Mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt until a dough is formed. Spread dough evenly in prepared pan. Bake 20 minutes. Let cool.
- Spread jam over the baked cookie base.
- Cut Peeps in half horizontally and place, cut side down, on top of the jam. Return to oven and broil until marshmallows are golden.
Be sure to check out these other Easter recipes:
Brussels Sprout Potato Cakes by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Candied Lemon Zest Jalapeño Deviled Eggs by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
Carrot Cake Cookies by Daily Dish Recipes
Curried Deviled Eggs by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Dried Cherry and Almond Scones by Family Around the Table
Easter Egg Sugar Cookies by The Redhead Baker
Eggs Benedict Breakfast Bake by Cookaholic Wife
Greek Lamb Keftiko by Caroline’s Cooking
Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Roasted Pork Loin with White Wine Sauce by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Maple Apple Baked Oatmeal by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
Peeps Cookie Bars by Sew You Think You Can Cook
Easter Bread Cheesecake – Pasca by All that’s Jas
Spring Veggie Crudités with Fresh Pea Hummus by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Vanilla Bean Mocha Biscotti by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
Vegetable Breakfast Casserole by Simple and Savory
by Giada De Laurentiis and is featured in her Las Vegas restaurant.
and 
. (Personally, I prefer the latter.)
As part of our Valentine’s themed school unit, I thought it’d be fun to bake muffins with the boys. It was the perfect way to end the lessons
as wedding gifts. We decided to keep both of them. And for four years they were both used once a year, on Valentine’s Day. It became our Valentine’s tradition to have fondue that night, and because we had two pots, we could do one cheese fondue and one chocolate fondue without having to worry about clean up between courses.
#BundtBakers is a group of bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bundt cakes with a common ingredient or theme. This month Sneha of 
Sew You Think You Can Cook 