Peeps in marshmallow nests are adorable. And they are so easy and fun to make, you can have your little ones help you make them.
You can make these treats dairy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free if you’re careful about the brands of the ingredients you use. Rice Krispies, for example, aren’t gluten-free, but some brands of crisped rice cereal are. Remember that, even if you use only “safe” ingredients, someone with a severe food allergy may not be able to eat them if your kitchen isn’t safe.
Peeps in marshmallow nests
Ingredients:
1/4 c butter or dairy-free margarine
4 c miniature marshmallows
Green food coloring (optional)
5 c Rice Krispies cereal (or a gluten-free brand of crispy rice cereal)
Green decorating sugar (optional)
Peeps
Jelly beans
Instructions:
Grease two muffin pans. If you use silicone muffin pans, you don’t need to grease them.
In a large pan, melt the margarine slowly over low heat. Add the marshmallows and stir constantly until they’re completely melted. Don’t try to hurry this part. Take your time.
When the marshmallow mixture is completely smooth, stir in green food coloring if you’re using it. Mix well.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cereal.
Scoop the warm cereal mixture into the muffin pans. Push the cereal firmly against the bottom and sides of the cups, forming a nest shape. This is easiest to do if you put on some food-handlers gloves and use your hands. The back of a greased spoon works, too.
Sprinkle each nest with green sugar, to give it a little bit of sparkle.
Let the nests cool completely, then remove them from the muffin pans.
Add a few jelly beans to each nest, and place a Peep on top.
Makes 24.
Read More
“Let ALL the children come,” including those who need gluten-free food: Victoria Marckx, church school director at St. Demetrios Orthodox Church, Winnipeg, Manitoba, explains how her parish makes it possible for people with severe food allergies to share in pot lucks and parties.
Recipes on Charlotte’s blog: If you’re looking for traditional or not-so-traditional treats for Pascha, you’ll find recipes here.
6 exceptional multicultural Easter picture books: These six lovely books show the ways that people in other countries and cultures celebrate Easter.
Buy the Book: Catherine’s Pascha
FINALIST IN THE 2015 USA BEST BOOK AWARDS
Catherine doesn’t like vegetables. She doesn’t like naps. She doesn’t like it when her mom combs her hair. She loves hot dogs, chocolate cake, and her best friend, Elizabeth. Most of all, she loves Pascha! Pascha, the Orthodox Christian Easter, is celebrated in the middle of the night, with processions and candles and bells and singing. And Catherine insists that she’s not a bit sleepy.
Celebrate the joy of Pascha through the magic of a book: Catherine’s Pascha. Available on Amazon, Bookshop.org, and my webstore.
