Spring Bird's Nests

    These little bird nests are really fun to make. My calling in my church is to teach the 12-14 year old girls. Along with this calling I attend a weekly activity with the girls. Since Easter is this Sunday, I thought an edible spring craft would be fun, I was right. The girls had so much fun making and eating these.
     I found two different recipes for bird's nests. The first recipe is similar to a rice krispy treat, but you use dry chow mein noodles instead of crispy rice cereal. You melt butter and marshmallows together to form a "glue" that holds the little chow mein noodles together. This would be a great activity to make with kids. As long as they can roll the rice krispy like "dough" into a ball and make an indentation in the middle. These nest tasted good, but they weren't out-of-this-world good. They tasted similar to a rice krispy treat. The look of these little nests brought more oohs and aahs than the actual flavor.
     The chocolate nests were a little more messy, but really yummy. I liked the flavor of the chocolate nests better, but they were a lot harder to stick together.  I was thinking how cute these would look in miniature sizes placed on cupcakes as a spring/Easter treat. If you enjoy Rice Krispy treats or chocolate covered chow mein noodles you should think about these treats for your next spring get-together. These nests would also make a great craft activity for a spring festival or Easter gathering.

Bird's Nests
adapted from Bake at 350
3 cups (heaping) miniature marshmallows
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups dry chow mein noodles
small eggs shaped candies


Line a cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper. Over medium heat, melt the butter and marshmallows until smooth. Stir in salt and vanilla. Once mixed in stir in chow mein noodles. Remove from heat and work quickly.


Coat your hands with shortening, butter didn't work as well. Grab a small handful of noodles a little larger than a golf ball, about 1/3 cup. Form the handful into a ball, pressing together while placing your thumbs in the middle to form a nest. Place the nests on the wax or parchment lines sheet and allow to cool. Once cool fill nests with egg shaped candy of your choice.



Chocolate Bird's Nests
adapted from Thanksgiving Point
5 oz crunchy chow mein noodles (1 small can)
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
1 tsp. vegetable shortening
Candy Eggs


Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Melt the chocolate and shortening together in a microwave or over a double boiler, stirring until melted. Stir in vanilla and allow to cool slightly, but do not let it set up. Stir in the chow mein noodles until evenly coated. Drop the coated noodles onto the baking sheet with a large spoon. 


For 5 large nests, form into circle about the size of an adult palm or half that amount for 10 small. Use your fingers to sculpt the noodles into a round shape and to form an indentation in the middle of the nest. Place eggs in the nest while chocolate is still wet. Place nests in the refrigerator to harden.