So, Easter is on its way. Do you celebrate big for Easter? We do…..big. One of my sisters, Marilyn, and I tend to go just a bit overboard on holidays. We decorate inside and out. We fill plastic eggs for the traditional egg hunt. We get little gifts for each kid. Consequently, we are the ones that have become responsible for the family Easter evening dinner.
Now, normally I have this rather large gathering at my house but this year I begged (I mean asked) Marilyn if she could host. You see, my house is out in the boondocks on an old farm. It is still fairly close to most of my family members but when the spring rains come it is MUDDY. We don’t have a large amount of parking except in the grass at the edge of our yard and there have been times when our guests have gotten themselves stuck out there. And, then there is the very likely event that the kids hunting eggs are going to get muddy. They are usually wearing their cute little easter outfits and I hate to see them ruin a sweet little frilly dress by falling on their tuckus in the mud. Anywhoo…Marilyn (or Mert as we affectionately call her) very kindly agreed to host. I have offered to help with the bulk of the food and the planning of course.
We figured out the menu and Mert assigned dishes to the other sisters and sister-in-law. Like most families, we have pretty much the same menu each Easter so this was not a huge deal. We always have ham and everyone thinks that Marilyn makes the best ham ever so she bakes that. We will have mac and cheese, cucumbers soaked in vinegar (a family favorite), deviled eggs, cherry jello with banana slices (another family fav) and potato salad among other things. For the dessert table anything goes but there is one sweet that I always, always, always make. I’m not even sure if very many people eat them but I do and my sister-in-law, Bev, does and my mom used to as well. In fact, my mom used to make a candy that was very nearly the same recipe and these remind me of her so I make them. They are chocolate nests with Cadbury eggs and they tell me that Spring is coming.
These little yummies are crunchy and delicious with a hint of butterscotch to complement the semisweet chocolate. The crunch comes from chow mein noodles and Rice Krispies. I fill mine with Cadbury eggs but you can use anything you like, even jelly beans. I like to put several of these cute little treats in a cake stand to display on the kitchen table.
This is a very quick and easy recipe. You can do the whole thing in less than 30 minutes…easy.
First, in a large bowl, mix 10 cups of chow mein noodles and 4 cups of Rice Krispies. You won’t use the entire 2 bags of noodles. You should have about 2 cups leftover. I used the Spring Rice Krispies but it isn’t necessary. It just happened that I had some in my pantry and I thought that the little green pieces would look cool poking through the brown “twigs” of the nest. Kind of like a real nest with little bits of leaves entwined in it.
Melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips in a glass bowl in the microwave on 50% power. It takes my microwave 4 minutes to do this. Make sure to stir this mixture every 30 seconds. Another tip….make sure that the melting chocolate comes into contact with ABSOLUTELY NO water. This can happen if your bowl, measuring cup, spoon, or spatula is still slightly wet from washing. Most people learn this lesson the hard way. The chocolate will “seize up” turning it into a lumpy, hard glob and you will not be able to save it.
After the chocolate and butterscotch chips are melted and smooth carefully pour the mixture over the noodle/cereal mixture and stir. Keep stirring until all the noodles and cereal are covered. At first it will seem like you don’t have enough of the melted mixture but keep stirring and it will be fine…..trust me.
Immediately scoop out ¼ cup mounds of the mixture and drop on parchment paper. Make a little indentation in the top of each mound for the eggs. I usually scoop out 2 at a time and add 2 or 3 candy eggs before the coating begins to harden. You will need to work pretty quickly.
Allow the completed nests to harden at room temperature for an hour or so and then store in an airtight container. There is no need to refrigerate these and they last for a week or so….if you don’t eat them all before then. I hope that this brings a little Springtime joy and whimsy to your table. I plan to post another Easter recipe this week but just in case I don’t see you…Happy Easter!
Chocolate Nests
These little yummies are crunchy and delicious with a hint of butterscotch to complement the semisweet chocolate. The crunch comes from chow mein noodles and Rice Krispies. I fill mine with Cadbury eggs but you can use anything you like, even jelly beans.
Ingredients
- 10 cups Chow Mein Noodles - you will need 2 bags
- 4 cups Rice Krispies
- 4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 cups butterscotch chips
- 1 bag of Cadbury Eggs or whatever egg shaped candy you prefer
Directions
- Step 1 In a very large bowl, mix 10 cups of chow mein noodles and 4 cups of Rice Krispies.
- Step 2 Melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips in a glass bowl in the microwave on 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds until melted completely.
- Step 3 After the chocolate and butterscotch chips are melted and smooth carefully pour the mixture over the noodle/cereal mixture and stir. Keep stirring until all the noodles and cereal are covered.
- Step 4 Immediately scoop out ¼ cup mounds of the mixture and drop on parchment paper. Make a little indentation in the top of each mound for the eggs.
- Step 5 Place 2 or 3 eggs in each nest.
- Step 6 Allow the completed nests to harden at room temperature for an hour or so and then store in an airtight container.
