Three recipes for no-bake, last minute Easter treats that are quick to whip up and fun for the whole family to make and eat. (Each uses only 3 or 4 ingredients!) Please the Easter Bunny with cute little White Chocolate Birds Nest Cookies or a quick white chocolate bark loaded with sweet and salty crunchy treats. Or stir together an easy batch of Chippy Chocolate Nests - who doesn't love the irresistible combination of dark chocolate with a touch of salt? Potato chip sticks are the surprising element in these irresistible little nibbles. (Skip to recipes.)
Cooking with Eric
Meet Eric. He's Meredith's little brother; 9 years old and excited to be cooking. Eric loves Sponge Bob Square Pants and playing with trains. When he grows up he wants to be a farmer and a YouTuber (be on the lookout for his name about 10 years from now!) He tells me he's very good at driving his dad's quad and he loves playing Popcorn Tag on the trampoline with his younger brother. When I asked him if he and his little brother ever fight, he started laughing uncontrollably and couldn't answer me, so I took that as a possible 'yes'. Eric's favourite sport is soccer and his favourite subjects at school are recess and lunchtime, but when pressed he did say that his next favourite subject is art. He's also a keen and eager little chef.
For our first time cooking together we whipped up these quick and easy White Chocolate Birds Nest Cookies, plus we stirred together a fun batch of White Chocolate Bunny Bark all themed for Easter and springtime. (We also made a tasty pasta dish which I'll share in another post.)
Melting chocolate is a fun and simple project to cook with kids - decorating the nests and the bark is the best part!
Hopping Down the Bunny Trail - Making Birds Nest Cookies and Bunny Bark
Easy peasy - just melt some chocolate (white, milk, or dark - your choice) in a bowl over simmering water or in the microwave. Stir until it's smooth and luscious.
Pour little blobs of it onto parchment paper or tin foil.
Build up your nests with pretzels, toasted coconut, and of course, fill them with a few candy eggs.
Then find an Easter Bunny to share them with!
Or pour yourself a big slab of melted chocolate and load it with pretzels, toasted almonds, and candy-coated chocolate eggs.
Load it good and full. When it hardens, break it into chunks. Bunny Bark heaven.
You can make a fun rainbow-hued version with blobs of coloured white chocolate swirled into it.
Or Whip up a Batch of Chippy Chocolate Birds Nest Cookies using melted chocolate and potato chip sticks. I got this recipe from a colleague who made up a big batch for the staff at our school - they were a hit! (Thanks, Pat.)
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Kitchen Frau Notes: You can, of course, substitute milk chocolate or semi sweet dark chocolate for the white chocolate in these recipes. I found the potato chip sticks at our local bulk food store.
For other fun, kid-tested Easter treat recipes, check out my:
- Rice Krispie Easter Egg Nests,
- No Bake Rocky Road Bars,
- Surprise Jellied Easter Eggs,
- Jam Tarts,
- Homemade Raspberry Marshmallows,
- 3 Ingredient No-Bake Cereal Bars
- or have some fun Cookie Painting.
If you're looking for a little bit more elegant feasting, try:
- Strawberry Meringue Pie,
- Moelleux au Chocolat,
- a Classic Pavlova,
- Lemon Meringue Pie,
- Coconut Raspberry Mochi Bars
- mini Lemon Coconut Pavlovas,
- or traditional Angel Food Cake with Strawberries and Stabilized Whipped Cream.
1. White Chocolate Birds Nest Cookies
- 1 to 2 cups white chocolate chunks, chips, or discs (150-300gms)
- a handful of pretzel sticks (gluten free if necessary)
- a handful of shredded, unsweetened coconut, preferably the long threads
- candy coated mini chocolate eggs
Toast the coconut: spread it out on a baking sheet and toast it in a 350°F/180°C oven for 5 to 8 minutes, or until it's golden brown. Stir it halfway through. Watch it carefully as it can quickly burn. Allow it to cool.
Spread a sheet of parchment paper out on the table or onto a cookie sheet.
Break the pretzels into smaller pieces.
Melt the chocolate in a glass or metal bowl set over a small pot of simmering water. (Or melt it in the microwave: put the chocolate into a glass bowl or measuring cup. Microwave on high power for 1 minute. Then keep microwaving it in 30 second increments, stirring after each one, until most of the chocolate is melted. The remaining bits will melt as you stir it until it's smooth.)
Scrape the melted chocolate into a spouted measuring cup or pitcher. Pour small puddles of chocolate onto the parchment paper. Only pour two puddles at a time so you have time to work with them before the chocolate sets. Stick pieces of pretzel into the chocolate around the edges to make nest shapes. Place three candy coated mini eggs into the center of each nest. Sprinkle the toasted coconut over the rest of the nest to fill in any white spaces. Pour two more chocolate puddles and make two more nests. Continue until all your nests are made.
Allow the birds nest cookies to harden at room temperature or put them into the fridge to speed up the process. Store the nests in an airtight container in single layers with wax paper or parchment paper in between the layers. They will keep, at a cool temperature or in the refrigerator, for several days.
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2. Chocolate Bunny Bark
- a handful of blanched whole almonds
- 1 to 2 cups white chocolate chunks, chips, or discs (150-300gms)
- a handful of pretzel sticks (gluten free if necessary)
- a handful of candy coated mini chocolate eggs
Toast the almonds: spread them out on a baking sheet and toast them in a 350°F/180°C oven for 10 to 15 minutes until they are golden, stirring them halfway through. Watch them carefully so they don't burn. Allow the almonds to cool.
Melt the white chocolate in a glass or metal bowl set over a small pot of simmering water. (Or melt it in the microwave: put the chocolate into a glass bowl or measuring cup. Microwave on high power for 1 minute. Then keep microwaving it in 30 second increments, stirring after each one, until most of the chocolate is melted. The remaining bits will melt as you stir it until it's smooth.)
Scrape the melted chocolate into a spouted measuring cup or pitcher. Pour the melted chocolate onto a piece of parchment paper set on the table or onto a baking sheet. Spread the puddle of chocolate out with a spatula until it's about ¼ inch (.6cm) thick. Cover the surface of the chocolate with the pretzels, toasted almonds, and candy coated mini eggs until it is filled in. Allow the chocolate to harden, either at room temperature or in the fridge. When it is firm, break it into treat-sized pieces.
Store the pieces in an airtight container in single layers with wax paper or parchment paper in between the layers. They will keep, at a cool temperature or in the refrigerator, for several days.
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3. Chippy Chocolate Birds Nest Cookies
- 8 oz semisweet chocolate
- 2 cups plain, salted potato chip sticks/shoestring potato chips (check the bulk food store for these)
- candy coated chocolate mini eggs or drops
Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring until it is melted, or in the microwave (on high power for one minute, then in 30 second increments after that, stirring each time, until it is melted).
Stir in the potato chip sticks, tossing them gently until they are completely coated in the chocolate. Drop mounds of the mixture onto parchment paper or foil, using a heaped tablespoon for each nest. Use the spoon to push any stray bits of chip in and shape the mounds into a nest. Make a shallow dip in the center of each nest and fill it with three candy coated eggs. Allow to harden at room temperature or place the nests in the fridge to harden more quickly.
Store the chocolate nests in an airtight container in single layers with wax paper or parchment paper in between the layers. They will keep, at a cool temperature or in the refrigerator, for several days.
Guten Appetit!
For more fun cooking projects to make with kids, see the ‘Cooking With Kids’ series here.
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