Bird's Nests

With Easter coming this is the perfect time to share these cute candy-filled, bird's nests. Similar to rice crispy treats, these bird's nest are made with marshmallows, but also have chocolate chips and butterscotch chips to give the nests a warm brown color. A marshmallow chick would make them even more complete. I used Jelly Belly "Cold Stone" jelly beans for the eggs because the colors were just like bird's eggs but any jelly beans or egg shaped candies would work.

Serves: 12
Start-to-Finish: 40 minutes + cooling
Recipe By: Amber Brunson

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, cubed
4 1/2 cups marshmallows
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/8 cup chocolate chips
1/8 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup coconut flakes
2 cups chow mien noodles
2 cups rice crispies
24 jelly beans (approximately 1 cup)
marshmallow chicks (optional)

Directions:

1.  In a large saucepan, melt butter and marshmallows over low heat until smooth, stirring occasionally.
2.  Add the peanut butter, chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips.
3.  Stir continually for 2 minutes or until smooth.
4.  Remove from the heat.
5.  Stir in coconut flakes, chow mien noodles, and rice crispies until well coated.
6.  Divide into 12 mounds on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. (The mixture will be very warm; greasing your hands with butter will help with the heat and keep the nests from sticking to your hands.)
7.  Using your fingers, shape each mound into a nest; press an indentation in the center of nest. (For those of you wondering how rice crispies treats could possible take 40 minutes to make ... well, it happens in steps 6 and 7.)
8.  Fill each nest with three or four jelly beans or candy eggs.
9.  Refrigerate until cool.