Marshmallow Bird's Nests

I love marshmallow Peeps.  This time of the year, they're available in just about every store.  I simply can't resist tossing a package into my cart each time I go shopping.  Thankfully I only get groceries once a week!  There's just something about the crunchy sugar exterior and the fluffy marshmallow interior that I absolutely love. 

A couple years ago, I tried my hand at making homemade Marshmallow Peeps.  Admittedly, my chicks turned out looking more like walruses than birds, but they were delicious.  Go ahead and check out my walrus peeps--it's okay to laugh!

Since this week is Easter week, I wanted to come up with some fun Easter/Spring themed ideas to share.  Last week I had a couple of nights that I couldn't sleep, so I laid in bed planning out this week's recipes.  One of those late night brainstorms led the the idea of marshmallow bird's nests.  I still have 3/4 of the bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs in my pantry and I knew I wanted to use them again.  This recipe was the perfect use!

The marshmallow nests were way easier to make than the marshmallow peeps.  I just piped a circle with the marshmallow and then after I sprinkled the sugar on, I was able to reshape the nests if necessary.  The sugar created a good barrier between my fingers and the sticky marshmallow.  You'll want to work quickly as you make these because the marshmallow in the bag will start to set as you work.

These were fun to make, and even more fun to eat! 

Marshmallow Nests

Makes 10 3" nests

Ingredients:
1 package unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup cold water
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
Colored sanding sugar
40 Cadbury Mini Eggs

1.  Pour 1/3 cup cold water into the bowl of your stand mixer.  Sprinkle gelatin over water.

2.  In a medium saucepan, combine 1/4 cup water and 1 cup sugar.  Stir over medium-heat until sugar dissolves.

3.  Boil sugar, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a temperature of 238 degrees.

4.  Pour syrup over gelatin.

5.  Using the whisk attachment, start your mixer on the lowest possible speed.  Once mixture has cooled, increase speed to medium-high.  Beat marshmallow mixture until peaks form and the mixture is able to hold its shape.  Mine took almost 15 minutes to reach this state.

6.  Scoop marshmallow mixture into a large pasty bag with a half-inch tip (or for easier clean-up, use a gallon Ziploc bag and cut a hole in the end to pipe).

7.  Sprinkle a large baking sheet with colored sugar.  (You can easily make your own.)

8.  Pipe marshmallow into a circle. 

9.  Sprinkle the tops and sides of the marshmallow nest with sugar.  If necessary, use your fingers to shape the marshmallow into a circle or flatten down any tips from where you ended piping.

10.  Press 4 Mini Cadbury Chocolate Eggs into the center of each marshmallow nest.

11.  Allow the marshmallows to harden, about 30 minutes.  Store in an airtight container.

Marshmallow recipe from:  The Novice Chef