Cooking and baking are some of my favorite things to do, and sometimes Kai has helped me out in the kitchen. He’s surprisingly proficient at flipping eggs and quesadillas and enjoys dumping the contents of measuring cups into bowls and stirring mixtures. So, I’ve been thinking of making something edible and spring-themed with him the next time we are together, which has led to these best nests.
There are lots of hash brown nest recipes out there, but this one is based on The Big, Fun Kids’ Cookbook by the Food Network, which by the way, is an excellent kids’ cookbook for creative and well, fun, recipes for kids. They’re easy: first, thaw shredded, frozen hash browns, then combine with some melted butter, salt and pepper in a bowl. I like using a small thumb press measuring scoop to drop spoonfuls of hash browns into the greased, individual cups of a muffin pan. Form the nest, pressing the hash browns into the cup and bake for at least 40 minutes. The nest will turn a crispy, brown color, and when it’s popped out of the muffin mold, it will look like a nest. There are recipes online that tell how to bake eggs in the cups, and that’s an option, or you could add some scrambled eggs, or anything else that sounds good, into the baked nest after it has cooled.
Another nest recipe includes Peanut Butter Crunchies, which are a taste of my childhood, and then as I made them, became a part my children’s memories. Here is the recipe: melt one 11 ounce package of Nestle Toll House Butterscotch chips. I’ve tried other brands, but Nestle Toll House is the best. Melt them in the microwave or over the stove – whatever you like to do. Mix in 1/2 cup of peanut butter, then add 4-5 cups of Corn Flakes. That’s it. To make the nests, I use the trusty thumb press scoop I mentioned above, but a spoon works well. Scoop spoonfuls onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Make an indentation and shape with a spoon to make nests. Help the nest solidify by putting them in the refrigerator for ten or so minutes, then the nests should be ready and can stay in an air-tight container at room temperature. Fill the indentation with Jelly Bellies.
The last nest made from this popular Rice Krispie recipe, along with some other springtime ideas. I use Smitten Kitchen’s Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats recipe, which are similar to the standard one, but definitely another level. Old or new recipe, make a bowl of Rice Krispie Treats. Butter a muffin pan, and like the Hash Brown Nests, put scoop of mix into each muffin cup and press into the shape of a nest. Let set, then fill the nest with whatever you like. There are a wide variety of candy eggs, jelly beans, and different forms of Peeps out there. For the nest in the picture, I used Whopper’s mini Robin Eggs.
Do you have a spring-themed recipe that you especially like to make at this time of year with your grandchildren?
This was really great and inspired me to make these sometime. Thank you for sharing.