Chocolate-Coconut Nests With Jelly Bean Eggs

I was having a little too much fun in the kitchen the other night -- so much fun I felt transported back to elementary school. Making these Easter-themed nests is very similar to an elementary school art project. They're messy and they require very few ingredients and not too much coordination. They also challenge you to just let go and not be too much of a perfectionist.

These nests came together on a whim. I had an open bag of coconut after making the carrot-coconut scones, and we had some jelly beans in the house after a recent jelly bean craving prompted us to buy two bags of them. And you know me, I always have chocolate in the house. And guess what? Coconut, jelly beans, and chocolate are the only ingredients you need. (Unless of course you are feeling super silly and have some bunny sugar decorations on hand. Then you can add those to the nests -- you know, because the Easter Bunny could be getting ready to hide those eggs for an Easter egg hunt.)

Chocolate-Coconut Nests With Jelly Bean Eggs

Ingredients

10 ounces sweetened coconut
10 ounces milk or dark chocolate, chopped (I used Lindt milk chocolate)
Jelly beans
Bunny sugar decorations (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment, and spread the coconut out on the pan. Toast coconut in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring or tossing it every 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool slightly.

Place chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and microwave for 1 minute. Stir, and continue microwaving in 30-second increments until chocolate is melted and completely smooth.

Line a couple of sheet pans with parchment paper, and have your jelly beans at the ready.

Transfer toasted coconut to a large bowl, and stir in the melted chocolate. Mix until coconut is completely coated in chocolate.

Using a cookie scoop, place scoops of the chocolate-coconut mixture on the sheet pans. Use the back of the scoop to make a small hollow in the middle of each nest. (If the nests spread out too much, you can squish them back together a little, but this is the part where you have to relax and put the perfectionism aside.) Place three to five jelly beans in each nest (and tuck a bunny sugar decoration in each nest if desired).

Transfer sheet pans to fridge, and let nests firm up, about 1 hour. (Store in an airtight container in fridge.)

These quick and easy treats are not only the perfect after-Easter-dinner sweet, but they also make adorable Easter decorations. Not to mention they could be a fun Easter morning family project. Little kids (and big kids, speaking from personal experience) would have so much fun molding the little nests and tucking jelly beans into them.