Birds’ Nests

Two years ago, Caitlin and I designed the Grim Peeper, our submission for the Washington Post’s annual Peep Contest.  Unfortunately, we haven’t had the time to collaborate on any recent peep project.

And yet, I still had a bag or two of those yellow marshmallows sitting around the kitchen, chirping to be used.  Around Easter, I noticed a few food blogs featuring bird’s nests, combining chow mein noodles with some of the ubiquitous bagged candy.

Though I liked the concept, the idea of chow mein noodles and chocolate did not sound appealing.  Pretzel sticks and chocolate, however, sounded like a winner.  And with that in mind, I set out to mold my own pretzel nests, complete with chocolate eggs and sitting birds.

*Before handling the melted marshmallows, be sure to allow the mixture to cool a little.  Otherwise, you’re likely to get burned.  It’s also helpful to grease your fingers with vegetable oil.  Finally, mold the pretzels into a basic form at first.  After a few minutes, the treats will have settled, and will be easier to mold into a more precise and detailed shape.

birds’ nests

PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 10 minutes
YIELD: 10 Big Nests or 20 Small Nests

WHAT TO GRAB:
3/4 of a 1-pound bag of thin pretzel sticks
1 10-ounce bag of large marshmallows
4 tablespoons butter
Shredded coconut
Whoppers Robin Eggs (I like the miniature eggs)
1 bag of Peeps

HOW YOU DO IT:

1.  Grease a muffin tin.  I used a large muffin tin (with six tins), but a mini-muffin tin would probably work even better.

2.  In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Once the butter is completely melted, add the marshmallows.  Stir the combination until the marshmallows are completely melted, and have mixed with the butter.

3.  Working in batches, break a handful of pretzel sticks in half, and then add the pretzels to the sauce pan.  Keep adding the pretzel sticks until you have added about three-fourths of the bag, and the pretzel sticks are well-coated with the melted marshmallows.  Once you have finished adding the pretzels, remove the pan from the heat, and allow the mixture to cool briefly.

4.  Coat your hands with vegetable oil.  Working quickly, remove the pretzels, and press them into the muffin tins.  Once you have molded the pretzels into the shape of a nest, you can remove them from the tins, and allow them to cool.

5.  Once cool, add the shredded coconut, the robin eggs, and a peep.  Serve!