Celebrate the season with these simple and super cute birds nest treats – perfect for serving at Easter or any springtime get together! 

Chocolatey, crunchy, and easy to make, these birds nest cookies are undeniably adorable.
 

Makes 25 nests

INGREDIENTS
•    2 cups (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
•    2 cups (12 oz) peanut butter chips (or substitute with butterscotch, caramel or white chips)
•    5 cups (12 oz) chow mein noodles (or substitute with pretzel sticks or puffed rice cereal)
•    60 (1 9-oz bag) Cadbury chocolate mini eggs (or other egg-shaped candies)

INSTRUCTIONS
Combine the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt 1 minute, stir, then continue to melt in 20-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. 
Add the chow mein noodles and gently stir until they are well coated. 
Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment. To make each nest, spoon about 1/4 cup of the chow mein mixture onto baking sheet. Use the spoon to spread it into a round shape with a slight indentation in the middle. 
While the chocolate is still wet, place 3 mini eggs in the center of each nest.
Refrigerate the trays to set the chocolate, for 10-15 minutes. Once set, the nests can be removed from the trays and served. 

Recipe courtesy sugarhero.com

 

INGREDIENTS

 

Cupcakes

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature

• 3/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 packages (16 ounces each) Driscoll's Strawberries

 

Frosting and Decoration

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces

• 6 3/4 cups confectioner's sugar, whisked before measuring (plus extra as needed)

• 1/3 cup whole milk (plus extra as needed)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• Pastry bag and star tip, such as Wilton 1M 

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 18 cupcake wells with paper liners.

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl to aerate and combine; set aside.

Whisk egg whites and milk together in a small bowl combine; set aside.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl once or twice; beat in vanilla. Add the flour mixture in four additions, alternately with the egg white/milk mixture. Begin and end with the flour mixture and beat until smooth on low-medium speed after each addition. Chop enough hulled strawberries to equal 1 cup and fold into batter.

Divide batter evenly in pan. Bake for about 22 minutes or until edges are turning light golden brown; a toothpick inserted in center will show a few moist crumbs.

Cool pan on rack for 5 minutes then remove cupcakes to a cooling rack to cool completely.

 

Frosting and Decoration

In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl once or twice. Add remaining sugar, milk and vanilla and beat on high speed until silky smooth. Frosting is now ready to use.

Use pastry bag and tip to pipe a swirl of frosting on top of each cupcake. Slice remaining strawberries as desired to decorate tops of cupcakes. 

 

Suggestion: Hull berries. Slice berries lengthwise very thinly. Arrange the slices tips facing up in a ring around the cupcake, about ½-inch in from the edge. Create another ring inside the first one. Place a cut berry top in the middle to form the "blossom" center.

Servings: 24 cupcakes

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups flour, all-purpose

• 1 cup whole wheat flour

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp ground ginger

• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

• 2 tsp cinnamon

• 1 cup oil

• 4 large eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 3 cups shredded carrots

 

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 oz cream cheese

• 1/4 cup butter

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional

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INSTRUCTIONS

Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in a muffin tin, or butter each tin and dust with flour, shaking off the extra.

In a large bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, combine the oil, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until well combined. Stir in carrots until everything is incorporated together well.

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. Scoop into muffin tin, with muffin liners or by spraying a muffin tin. Fill about 2/3 of the way full.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. The cupcakes are done when the tops bounce back when lightly touched, or a toothpick comes out clean from the center.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream together softened cream cheese and butter. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add vanilla and beat again. Stir in chopped pecans if using.

Once the cupcakes are cooled, spread each one with frosting. 

Recipe courtesy of superhealthykids.com

INGREDIENTS

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• Nonstick cooking spray

• 1 package (3 ounces) orange-flavored gelatin

• 1 1/2 cups boiling water, divided

• 1/2 cup mandarin oranges, drained

• 2 cans (12 ounces each) Carnation Evaporated Milk, chilled, divided

• 1 package (3 ounces) lemon-flavored gelatin

• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained

• 1 package (3 ounces) strawberry-flavored gelatin

• 1/2 cup frozen strawberries (about 8) thawed, drained

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INSTRUCTIONS

 

Coat a 9x5-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

For Mandarin Orange Layer - Dissolve orange gelatin in 1/2 cup boiling water in small bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes. Place dissolved gelatin, mandarin oranges and 1 cup evaporated milk in blender; cover. Puree for 10 seconds or until well blended. Pour into loaf pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set.

For Pineapple Lemon Layer - Follow process for Mandarin Orange Layer substituting lemon gelatin and crushed pineapple. Pour mixture over Mandarin Orange Layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set.

For Strawberry Layer - Follow process for Mandarin Orange Layer substituting strawberry gelatin and strawberries. Pour mixture over Pineapple Lemon Layer. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

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To unmold: Run point of knife around top of pan. Dip pan into a large pan of warm water for 15 to 20 seconds. Lift from water. Place serving platter on top of pan. Invert mold and platter together, shake slightly to loosen. Gently remove mold. Cut into slices and serve.

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Hint: For a festive Easter dish: After placing the mold on the platter, toss green tinted coconut around it and top with your favorite jelly beans to give it an Easter basket effect. The kids will love it.