Easter Marshmellow Nest

Yesterday, my kids and I polished off our fifth bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs since February. What is it about those things? Pastel candy-coated chocolate. They just make us happy.

And they work well as payment. The kids cleaned the entire living room the other day in exchange for a handful of them. I’ve been thinking about making these nests for weeks, and how they’d make a perfect Easter treat, whether as a gift, or as a favor for guests to take home at the end of dinner. Of course, you can always just eat them yourselves, like we did.

Marshmellow Nest

3 cups sweetened coconut

4 packets (28g total) unflavored gelatin

2 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon corn syrup of honey

1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract Cadbury Mini Eggs or jelly beans

1. In a nonstick skillet set over medium heat, toast the coconut (stirring frequently) until it begins to turn golden brown. Spread out on a baking sheet to cool.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, 1/2 cup of water, and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and boil until the sugar mixture reaches 230 degrees (the soft ball stage).

3. While the sugar mixture comes to a boil, sprinkle the gelatin over 1 cup of water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and let it dissolve.

4. When the sugar mixture comes to temperature, turn the mixer on low speed, and slowly pour in the sugar mixture. Slowly raise the speed to high, and beat for 10 minutes. Beat in vanilla.

5. Spoon marshmallow into a large pastry bag fitted with a star tip (such as Wilton 1M), and pipe a 3 inch solid circle onto the toasted coconut. Pipe another circle of marshmallow on the outer edge of the bottom circle to create a nest. Sprinkle with more coconut to coat. Place Cadbury Mini Eggs or jelly beans in the center.

Enjoy !!!