Posts Tagged ‘nut free Easter’

I made these nut-free chocolate nests this week for the first time ever. They were so easy! Adding the bright blue Peeps created an eye-catching treat. (I’ve never liked Peeps, but after making these, I dislike them a bit less!)

I can’t believe how easy these were to make. If you want to try, here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 bag chow mein noodles
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• peeps

Everything in our house has to be nut free, so I used semi-sweet chocolate chips from Target which did not have a “may contain nuts” or “made in a facility which also processes nuts” warning label. I melted the bag in a double boiler and added about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Once melted take the chocolate off the heat and mix in the chow mein noodles. I used just enough so they were all coated with chocolate.

I used this brand of chow mein noodles that is nut free and had no warning statements on the label.

Next, simply start making your nests. You’ll want to take about a 1/4 or 1/2 cup amount of the mixture and shape it into a nest. I put them all on a parchment paper-covered pizza pan and that worked fine for me. This is incredibly messy, but who’s every complained about melted chocolate all over their fingers?! (I actually started out using those food safety gloves, but they slipped off and were more in the way than helpful, so I ditched them.)

After shaping your nests and getting all the chocolate washed up, top your nests with your favorite color peep. The blue Peeps nearly jumped off the shelf at me in the store, so I used them.

Once I put the little guy in the nest it was clear that I’d created a “bluebird of happiness.”

That made me wonder about the origin of that phrase, and so I checked out Wikipedia which says: “The mythology of the bluebird of happiness has deep roots that go back thousands of years. It is a widely accepted symbol of cheerfulness, happiness, prosperity, hearth and home, good health, new births and the renewal of springtime.”

All that and nut-free too! So, if you want to put a smile on your face today, try a bluebird of happiness!

Or if you can’t find blue peeps, any color makes for a really cute treat.

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