Sunday, March 6, 2016

No-Bake Birds Nest Cookies

Messy Messy Fail - Pior to having a successful concert (see below), I was not happy that I ran out of programs to hand out!  I was quite sure one-hundred would have been enough, but apparently not.  I guess that's a good problem to have - a great turnout!  

Tidy Victory - Had a super successful side-by-side concert with some of my select string students from the district along with musicians from the Western New York Chamber Orchestra.  This orchestra is an ensemble in-residence right down the road at SUNY Fredonia.  I chair the event and am happy to report that everything went smoothly.  Phew!


Often times I look back upon my childhood for new post inspiration.  I remember my mom (Nana Patti) would make so many fun treats for us of which many I've surely forgotten about.

I've been trying to come up with some fun Easter posts that I could publish......but nothing too solid was materializing.  

Recipes to make with your leftover Easter eggs?  Egg salad, duh.

A fun Easter project?  We all know how limited I am in the crafting department.  Although I was still pretty proud of my decoupage sheet music bunny last year!

It was literally while I was driving from the middle school to the high school where I work that I remembered these fun little no-bake treats Nana Patti would make that looked like little nests.

PERFECT!

I called Nana Patti for the recipe and POOF - my newest post was born.

The UPKer ended up helping me "bake" these that same evening - we put them together in a snap!

So here is what you need to make your own no-bake birds nest cookies:

  • 11 oz. bag of butterscotch chips
  • 12 oz. bag of chow mein noodles
  • 10 oz. bag of Whopper Mini Robin Eggs


Here is what you do:

  • Pour the bag of butterscotch chips into a large microwave safe bowl.

  • Melt the butterscotch chips - in 30 second intervals microwave and stir the chips until melted and smooth.

  • Add the bag of chow mein noodles to the melted butterscotch and fold carefully so as not to break up the noodles too much.  Fold until completely covered.

  • Using a large spoon or small ladle, drop spoonfuls of the covered chow mein noodles onto a cookie sheet covered with wax paper or a Silpat mat (love these!). 


  • Use your finger to make a slight indentation in the middle of each cookie to serve as "the nest".

  • Immediately place 2-3 (or more if you are 4 years old) of the mini eggs in the indentation and press down slightly.


  • Let your little birds nests dry for 30 minutes and enjoy!
  • Recipe yields about 24 cookies
  • Prep time - 15 minutes
We really enjoy these no-bakes, especially since they aren't chocolate.  I feel like we are always eating chocolate, so it's nice to switch it up with butterscotch.



The whoppers do add a little hint of chocolate to the overall flavor, though.

These would look adorable on your Easter meal table displayed on a pretty plate. 

The UPKer and I had a really nice time making these - he enjoyed helping me measure, stir and place the whopper eggs in quite the strategic fashion.  Just be careful of the kids when taking the melted butterscotch out of the microwave - it's hot!

Try making these with the ones you love for your Easter celebration!



Do you have a treat from your childhood that you love to make?