This holiday, Amanda Pallagi-Naim plans on turning out 500 Easter peeps from her kitchen.
Of course, as Executive Pastry Chef at Ciclo in Four Seasons Austin, she’s got a lot more mouths to feed than most of us. We loved the look of these sweet seasonal treats, so we asked Chef Pallagi-Naim to show us exactly how she makes them.
Want to try this at home? (Tip: They’re great to make with kids.) Chef has created a simple and user-friendly guide with helpful tips for making these delicious, light and colorful peeps for you to share with your family and friends. And, if you’d rather try the chef-made version, just head to Ciclo!
Ciclo’s Executive Pastry Chef Amanda Pallagi-Naim grew up in McAllen, Texas and moved to Austin in 2004 to attend college. Here she begins preparing her signature Easter peeps by soaking gelatin sheets. Photo Christian De MassisFirst introduced at Ciclo in 2018, the peeps were Chef Amanda’s idea and were inspired by her grandfather’s love of the Easter treat. Photo Christian De MassisUsing a double boiler, Chef Amanda, who started her Four Seasons’ career after graduating from college in 2008, combines the ingredients for the marshmallow peeps. Photo Christian De MassisAfter cooling, the whipped marshmallow mixture can either be cut into shapes with an Easter-themed cookie cutter, or piped into duck shapes on parchment paper which has a layer of colored sugar on top. Photo Christian De MassisPiping is the trickiest step, but practice makes perfect and no matter the shape, the sugar coating makes everything look wonderful, says Chef Amanda. Photo Christian De MassisUse the excess sugar to lightly coat the tops and sides of the shapes. To make your own colored sugar, add a few drops of food coloring to granulated sugar and mix until the color is dispersed evenly. Photo Christian De MassisAfter working the brunch buffet at Ciclo, Chef Amanda will be celebrating Easter with her own family in Austin. Photo Christian De Massis
Cover photo Executive Pastry Chef Amanda Pallagi-Naim by Christian De Massis
