The Best Edible Nests

I enjoy cooking, and baking is one of my favorite things to do. Sometimes, Kai has helped me out in the kitchen. He’s surprisingly proficient at flipping eggs and quesadillas. He also likes 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 led to these best nests.

Hash Brown Nests

There are many hash brown nest recipes out there. This one is based on The Big, Fun Kids’ Cookbook by the Food Network. (By the way, it’s an excellent kids’ cookbook for creative recipes for kids.) The recipe is easy.

• Thaw shredded, frozen hash browns.
• Combine with a small amount of melted butter, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
• Use 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 nests will turn a crispy, brown color, and when they’re popped out of the muffin mold, they look like nests. There are recipes online that show how to bake eggs in the nests, which is an option. Or, after they’re baked, they can be filled with scrambled eggs or any other filling that sounds good.

Peanut Butter Crunchie Nests

Another nest can be made from Peanut Butter Crunchies, which are a taste of my childhood. They don’t require baking, and now it’s one of my husband’s favorites. Here’s the recipe:

• Melt an 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 on the stovetop – whatever you prefer.
• Mix in 1/2 cup of peanut butter.
• Add 4-5 cups of Corn Flakes.
• Scoop spoonfuls onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. I use the trusty thumb-press scoop I mentioned above, but a regular spoon also works well.
• Make an indentation and shape with a spoon to make nests.
• Solidify by putting them in the refrigerator for ten or so minutes.

That’s it. The nests can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Fill the nest’s indentation with Jelly Bellies.

Rice Krispie Nests

The third nest is made from this popular Rice Krispies recipe. However, I use Smitten Kitchen’s Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats recipe, which is similar to the standard one but takes it to another level.

• Using either the traditional or new recipe, make a batch of Rice Krispies Treats.
• Butter a muffin pan, and, like the Hash Brown Nests, put a scoop of the mix into each muffin cup and press it into the shape of a nest.
• Let set, then fill the nest with whatever you like. There is a wide variety of candy eggs, jelly beans, and various 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?