Chocolate & Cereal Birds Nests {Preschool Activities}

This is an updated recipe. Original post from April 2012.

I recently attempted this recipe with 9 toddlers...that's 9 children under the age of two. It was a success other than the fact that I didn't have butter, so substituted margarine. It happened to be really cheap watery margarine and ceased my chocolate. Actually, the water separated from the margarine and made the chocolate turn to the consistency of sand when I stirred the cheap margarine in (after melting in the microwave). This resulted in us having to use the chocolate like modelling dough to mash the cereal bits in when it cooled a bit. The little ones had a grand time and it added to the realistic quality of eating "bird's nests". My pride refused to let me document the first attempt, so I made it again with my own preschooler at home. She was eager to get into the kitchen with me and I'm sure she ate more than her fair share of ingredients before they could make it to the muffin pan. My first attempt with the toddler's yielded 12 bird's nests (doubled recipe). The second attempt gave us 8 treats on a single recipe.

Maple Bird's Nests

 Ingredients needed:

250 gram package Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

3.5 oz  Maple Mini Wheats Cereal - yields about 2 cups when crushed

3 tablespoons melted butter

2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup

200 grams of Candy Coated Chocolate Eggies

Part 1:

• Measure cereal into a resealable food storage bag. 
• Let the kids smash it up.
• Line a muffin pan with 8 liners.
• Melt your chocolate in a double boiler, add maple syrup and butter*Caution- mixture will be hot*.

Part 2:

Mix crushed cereal into the chocolate mixture and spoon into muffin liners.

Chill for at least 2 hours, add chocolate eggies to each nest.

Enjoy your treats and don't forget to share!

Optional:

• Maple Mini Wheats can be substituted for any other flavour Mini Wheats
• Package in cellophane candy bags to give away.
• Add 1/4 cup of almonds or crushed pretzels to the chocolate and cereal mixture (reduce crushed cereal to 1 cup or about 2.5 oz)
• Substitute crunchy or smooth peanut butter instead of Maple Syrup.
• Use butterscotch or peanut butter chips instead of semi sweet chocolate. I would omit the Maple syrup and use 2 oz. butter as called for in the original recipe.

Disclosure:

My recipe is adapted from ~ "The New Cookie Book" by Atkinson, Farrow, and Bassett.

Hermes House: Anness Pub. , 2003 (Page 216).

Original Ingredient List:  7 oz chocolate, 2 oz unsalted butter, 3.5 oz Shredded Wheat Cereal, Candy Coated Chocolate Eggs

Disclosure: I receive occasional perks and am posting as part of the Kelloggs Canada Blogger Network. All opinions remain honest and my own.