Easter is not only a special religious holiday in our home, but it also means holiday time to spend some quality time with the family. I have fond memories of all the egg treats over Easter from when I was growing up and it’s heartwarming to see the same delight that my children have when they walk into a store and see all the brightly coloured eggs lined up.
So, I thought what a better way to spend quality time and to enjoy the excitement of Easter eggs than to bake a special Easter treat to enjoy.
This was a fun baking activity for everyone and there were parts where even Lily, at 18 months, could enjoy helping. Jamie, who is 5, really enjoyed watching the marshmallows melt down into one big pot of melted mellow, as he called it. When he began “making” the nests he was so excited to see what they were becoming.
Brody, three, was very hands on with the making of the icing and just couldn’t wait to taste it. The speckled eggs were a hit & I think more were eaten than were actually placed onto the nests.
Ingredients
• 400g bag of Marshmallows
• 6 cups Rice Krispies
• 2 TB butter
• Speckled eggs for the top
Butter cream icing
• Green Food colouring
• 125g Butter (I use the white wooden spoon as you get a better colour base)
• 250g icing sugar
• 2 TB Milk
• 1 TSP Vanilla Extract
Extras needed
• Spray & Cook
• Grease-proof paper
• Cupcake/Muffin pan
• Piping bag for icing
• Icing Tip (of your choice)
Instructions
1. Grease a cupcake/muffin pan with spray & cook
2. Slowly melt the marshmallows & butter on a low heat in a large pot on the stove, stirring continuously
3. Once melted ensure its stirred together, then add the Rice Krispies & stir until it’s all well combined.
4. Spoon into the greased cupcake/muffin pan. Once it’s cooled slightly press down with grease proof paper to make a nest shape (Getting the kiddies to help here is great to get those fingers working). If it’s too sticky leave it to cool for another 2 minutes & try again.
5. Let set for 30 minutes
Icing
1. Place butter into a mixer & beat the butter until light & fluffy.
2. Slowly add the icing sugar until it’s all combined (scrape down the sides to make sure the butter is mixed in properly)
3. Add the Vanilla Essence & milk & mix well.
4. Sneak a taste to make sure it’s perfect
5. Gather the little ones to help add the colouring. They just love seeing the icing change from white to green.
Assembling the nests
Put your icing into the icing bag with the nozzle (if you don’t have an icing bag you can simply scoop the icing into the nests with a spoon). I usually place the piping bag inside a glass, as this supports the bag while you are filling it with the icing.
1. Pipe/Spoon the icing into the nest
2. Add a few speckled eggs onto the icing
Enjoy!
Contributed by Leigh-Anne McHugh of Clamber Club Sports Bryanston
Tel: 082 342 9277
Email: sportsbryanston@clamberclub.com
Website: www.clamberclub.com