It’s getting close to the end of the school year for my kids. This is the time that parents are asked to donate cupcakes to sell in order to make money for field trips and end of the year activities. My kids have needed cupcakes once a week for over a month now, so I decided I wanted something a little different, something with a little more pizzazz. So instead of cupcakes, I made Egg Nest Treats in cupcake liners. They were really easy and quick to make and did not cost me a fortune to make. You might also want to make these for Easter parties at school and Easter dinners. I made a batch of these and they sold out fast.

Ingredients

¼ teaspoon water

3 drops of green food coloring

½ cup flaked coconut

3 Tablespoons butter or margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups miniature marshmallows

5 cups rice cereal

Speckled jelly beans (can also add chocolate eggs, colored marshmallows, or other jelly beans)

Stove Top Directions

In a small bowl, mix together water and green food coloring. Stir in coconut until coconut is tinted. Spread on a baking sheet to dry. Place 16 cupcake liners in muffin pans and set aside for later use. In a large saucepan, melt the butter and then add the vanilla and marshmallows. Stir until completely melted. Remove from heat and add rice cereal and stir until cereal is well coated. Spray hands with butter flavored non stick cooking spray. Place mixture into each cupcake liner and press down so as to leave a small recess in the middle, like a birds nest. Cool completely. Add the grass on top of the cupcake. Press in three different colored speckled jelly beans.

Microwave Directions

You can choose to make the mixture in the microwave if you desire. Instead of cooking on the stove top, place the butter, vanilla, and marshmallows in a microwave safe bowl. Heat on HIGH for 3 minutes, but make sure to stir after 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Continue following the stove top directions for placing the mixture in the cupcake liners and decorating after cooled.

Adapted from: Robin’s Egg Nest Treats