Peeps Brulee
Preamble
I came into the kitchen the other day to find my girlfriend doing something disturbing: she was gleefully watching small animals blow up in the microwave.
The result was astonishing: All the flavor of creme brulee and cotton candy, but without the need for a blow torch (shame, really). So without any further ado, I present my new-found favorite cheap-ass dessert: Peeps Brulee!
Method
First, select the choicest Peep from the box. Most Peeps are wrapped in packages of six, so if you somehow screw up your first attempt, relax: You'll have five more tries before you have to admit you're inept.
Place your favorite little guy on a small saucer, salad dish or Dale Earnhardt commemorative collector's plate. Make sure the plate is microwave-safe; otherwise, you'll end up with something resembling Jeff Goldblum in the 1980s remake of The Fly.
Admire the innocence and simplicity that the Peep represents...
...and begin bombarding it with delicious radiation!
Set the microwave to cook on High (does anybody EVER use anything else) for 30 seconds (add 15 seconds for each additional peep). The magic begins almost immediately!
Gaze in wonder as the Power of Peep is revealed.
Ding! As soon as the microwave stops, fling open the door and greet the peep with fattitude!
The peep's 15 seconds of grandeur expire quickly, and he soon begins the quick descent into deliciosity. Warning: Do NOT dive into the peep at this point, as he will kill you! If you have a candy thermometer (and gee, I hope you don't!), you will probably find that the molten core of this little fellow is about 18 zillion degrees centipede (of course, I didn't measure it, but I'm still pretty sure this is true.)
Once deflation seems complete (probably about a minute), dig in with a spoon.
For best results, do ungodly things to the head...
...like twirling it around the spoon like cotton candy. Notice how the eye creates a delicious "I just nuked a baby animal" feel to the affair.
Keep going...
The bottom isn't pretty, but if you notice that the peep has soiled itself, you know you've done it right (the brownness is actually caramelized sugar, much like a roasted marshmallow, but inside-out.)
As the peep hardens, you get a medley of tastes and textures: pieces of taffy-life stringiness, shards of brittle caramelized sugar, and creme-brulee style crunchy goodness. So now do it again!
Voila! Peeps Brulee: entertainment AND dessert for less than a buck!
