Easter Treats: Chicks in a Chocolate Nest

We made easter themed cupcakes, but we also attempted something new...

Chicks made with crushed cookies and covered in coconut. Nest made of popcorn and chocolate.

Too many cooks spoil the broth? Nah. Well yeah sometimes it can be annoying, but actually I’ve had plenty of fun cooking with others in the kitchen. Me and my buddy Kate have recently been baking up a storm, and we always have a laugh while doing it. So now that it’s Easter time, we thought it was a great excuse to have make some fun, and tasty, creations.

We decided on making some little chicks and cookies that we’d seen in a women’s magazine. They looked pretty basic so didn’t think they'd be too difficult for our amateur skills. They weren’t, but boy they were messy. The little chicks would be especially fun for kids to make as they don't require baking, and they are really hands-on. Your hands get covered with sticky crud that looks like vomit but acts like cement. More fun than it sounds. They ended up working out well, and they tasted good. The cookies on the other hand looked o.k. but the taste was bland and the dough was annoying to work with, so I won’t bother sharing the recipe for those. I have a much better sugar cookie recipe that I would use instead if I were to make them again. Let me know if anyone needs it.

Oh and after we’d made the little chicks we decided they needed a nest. We had some leftover popcorn from earlier in the day, and Kate had a great idea to melt some chocolate and mix it into the popcorn to make a nest. We just lined a bowl with tinfoil then pressed the chocolaty popcorn mixture into the bottom to create a nest shape. We then put it into the fridge to set. Once set, the foil then easily peeled off and we had our nest. It was a great idea and not one I’d have thought of myself. See, collaborating in the kitchen can be a great thing.

I don't have precise measurements on how to make the nest, since we were just winging it. It was basically just several handfuls of popcorn, and about a cup of chocolate chips (melted). All mixed together. But as for the little chicks, here's the recipe adapted from a 'Woman's Day' magazine:

LITTLE CHICKS

Ingredients:

250g plain sweet biscuits, crushed finely

395g can sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup (60g) desiccated coconut, plus 1 cup (80g) extra

yellow food colouring

16 natural almonds

mini chocolate chips

Method:

In a large bowl, combine the biscuits, sweetened condensed milk and the first measurement of coconut.

Once mixed thoroughly, roll level tablespoons of mixture into 16 balls to form the bodies. Set these aside on a lined baking tray.

Use the remaining mixture to roll smaller balls to make the heads. Press a head and body piece together to create a chick. Repeat until all are complete.

To make the coloured coconut, put the extra coconut in a small plastic bag, then add several drops of yellow food colouring. Seal the bag and shake and rub the bag in your hands until the coconut is coloured.

Toss the chicks in the bag to coat. (If they have dried out too much, dip them in a shallow bowl of warm water and shake off excess water before coating in the coconut).

Place the chicks back on the lined tray and decorate them with the almonds to create beaks and chocolate chips for the eyes.

Makes 16.

"tweet tweet" happy easter!