Easter Birds' Nests

Here in Philadelphia, we've had a week straight of clear blue skies, sunshine, and mid-60s — the kind of weather that's good for your soul and wakes your spirit up after the cold of winter. And the fig tree is blooming on the roof deck...a sure sign of warmer days ahead!

For Easter, I was on dessert duty. I had planned to make carrot cake cupcakes (recipe forthcoming), but I also wanted a little something else to add to my spread. I found a cute idea on Pinterest (I really heart Pinterest, by the way!) for these chocolate peanut butter birds'  nests. They are no-bake, quick, and super easy (they are also a great, edible craft to make with kids). And most importantly, they taste good!

Happy Easter and Passover to everyone! 

Birds' Nests (makes 2-3 dozen nests — mini-muffin size)

Ingredients:
6 oz. (1/2 bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips
6 oz. (1/2 bag) butterscotch chips
1/2 - 1 cup creamy peanut butter (I used 1/2 cup for a stronger chocolate taste)
6 oz. chow mein noodles
Mini Cadbury eggs or colored jelly beans (your choice!)

Directions:
Grease the wells of a mini-muffin tin (or regular muffin tin if you want larger nests). I used cooking spray in the interest of time, but you could also use butter if you have the patience!

In a large microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate and butterscotch chips in 30-second intervals until melted, stirring between each session. (It only took me three 30-second sessions.) Be careful not to overheat the chocolate, as it will get dull and lose its sheen.

Once melted, add the peanut butter to the melted chocolate, and mix well until smooth and completely combined.

Add the chow mein noodles to the chocolate, carefully stirring until completely coated. Scoop about one tablespoon of filling into the mini-muffin cups and shape a well into the middle of it. Place your candy into the nests (if you want the candy to stick to the nests permanently — you can also put candies into the nests after they've chilled if you don't want them to stick).

Tip: Once you melt the chocolate and mix in the chow mein noodles, work fairly quickly to get your nests together. The ones that were done while the chocolate was still melty and smooth looked the prettiest.

Chill the nests until hardened, about 1 hour. Once chilled, gently remove the nests from the muffin tin (use a spoon or butter knife as a lever to pop them out). Refrigerate until ready to serve.


Click here for a printable recipe!