Best Birds Nests Recipes

BIRDS' NESTS IV

Steps:

• Separate the eggs. Chop the nuts fine.
• Cream together 1 cup softened butter and sugar. Add the yolks, and beat well. Add the flour, and mix well.
• Make small balls out of dough. Roll balls in egg white, and then in the nuts. Place balls on greased cookie sheets, and press center of cookie with thumb. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 8 minutes. Press center of cookie again, bake until lightly browned 4 to 6 minutes. Cool cookies on racks.
• To make frosting, begin by blending the water, shortening, vanilla, and 1/4 cup softened butter or margarine together thoroughly. Slowly add confectioners' sugar, and mix until smooth and creamy. More water may be needed to make desired consistency.

CHOCOLATE BIRDS' NESTS

Steps:

• Melt 8 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir in 2 cups canned potato sticks. Coat a 6-cup muffin pan with cooking spray and scoop some of the chocolate mixture into the cups; make an indentation in each to form nests. Chill until set, at least 3 hours. Fill with marcona almonds.

BIRDS' NESTS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, stir together the crispy rice cereal and coconut. In a large saucepan, combine corn syrup, brown sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla. Cook over medium heat stirring frequently until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat, and stir in the coconut and cereal mixture until it is well coated. Set the mixture aside until cool enough to handle.
• Form the mixture into balls, then make an indention in the center so that they look like little bird nests. Place two or three jelly beans into each nest.

CHEESE-FILLED BIRDS' NESTS

Steps:

• Make syrup:
• Bring water, sugar, honey, zest, and juices to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then simmer until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Cool syrup.
• Make filling:
• Stir together cheeses, honey, zest, and cinnamon.
• Assemble and bake nests:
• Preheat oven to 350°F and butter 2 shallow baking pans (about 1 inch deep).
• Gently pull apart strands of kataifi in a large bowl to loosen, then toss with all of butter. Pack a 1/3-cup measuring cup with strands and invert into a baking pan to form a mound. Make 36 more mounds (18 in each pan) in same manner.
• With your finger, make a 1-inch-deep depression in top of each mound to form a nest. Spoon filling into holes, then sprinkle pine nuts over filling.
• Bake birds' nests in upper and lower thirds of oven, rotating pans halfway through baking for even browning, until nests are pale golden, about 35 minutes. Discard zest and drizzle all of syrup over nests (syrup will gradually be absorbed). Cool birds' nests in pans on a rack.

CHOCOLATE BIRDS NESTS

Steps:

• Microwave first 3 ingredients in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 40 sec.; stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Stir in corn flakes.
• Spoon mixture evenly into 12 paper-lined muffin cups. Hollow out a small space in the center of each corn flake mixture to create a nest. Refrigerate 1 hour.
• Fill nests with malted milk eggs.

CEREAL BIRDS' NESTS

Steps:

• In large microwavable bowl, microwave butter and 3 cups of the marshmallows uncovered on High about 2 minutes, stirring after every minute, until smooth. Gently stir in cereal until thoroughly coated.
• Spray 1/2 cup measuring cup with cooking spray. Measure rounded 1/2 cupfuls cereal mixture onto waxed paper-lined cookie sheets. Shape into nest shapes.
• To make the birds, cut feet, beaks and wings out of the taffy candy. Adhere to each of the remaining 9 marshmallows with a small amount of the frosting. Cut tops off orange slice candies; use frosting to adhere on top of each marshmallow for crest. Place 2 miniature chocolate chips on front of each marshmallow with frosting for eyes. Place 1 marshmallow in each of the cereal nests.

CRISPY PEANUT BUTTER BIRDS' NESTS

Steps:

• Spray 24 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray. In large microwavable bowl, microwave marshmallows and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Continue to microwave in 30-second increments, stirring until smooth. Stir in peanut butter until blended. Gradually stir in cereal, pretzels and peanuts until well mixed.
• Divide cereal mixture evenly among muffin cups, pressing mixture in bottom and up side of each cup to form nest, using lightly buttered hands. Let stand until set, about 30 minutes.
• Remove nests from muffin cups. Place about 3 malted milk eggs in each nest.

EASTER BIRDS NESTS (PEANUT BUTTER FREE)

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large pot adding the vanilla once it's melted.
• Mix in marshmallows.
• Once marshmallows are completely melted and mixed with the butter, add the cornflakes.
• Spray fingers with Baker's joy or butter to avoid sticking. With a spoon place tennis ball-sized portions of the mixture on wax paper, flattening them out and creating a sulcus (for lack of a better word) in the center of each.
• Place a 3 jelly beans in the center of each treat to represent eggs.

BREAKFAST BIRDS NESTS

Steps:

• Line bottoms of greased or sprayed muffin cups with hash browns. Bake 15 minutes at temperature suggested on package. Remove from oven. Gently crack an egg in each cup. Sprinkle with bacon and cheese. Return to oven and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Carefully remove from pan prior to serving.