When I went home for spring break, one of the first things I did was spend some time in my kitchen baking anything and everything. Cookies, scones, cupcakes, you name it, I made it. Every Easter my mom and I would whip up cookies and cakes galore for our friends and family, but now being away from home during Easter for the first time, I find myself missing being in the kitchen. Like most millennials, I turned to the Internet. Below are five easy Easter treats that I found that anyone could make in a basic dorm kitchen, while they may not be as yummy as some of the treats I made with my mom, but at least they remind me of past Easters with her.
1. Cadbury Egg Chocolate Nests
What you’ll need: 2 cups chow mein noodles, 1 cup milk chocolate chips, 1 cup butterscotch chips, 1 (12 oz) bag mini Cadbury eggs
Directions: Place the chow mein noodles in a large bowl. Melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips in separate bowls in the microwave for 20 second intervals until melted. Stir until smooth. Save about 1 tablespoon of the melted milk chocolate, and pour the melted milk chocolate and butterscotch into the bowl with the chow mein noodles. Stir until coated. Spray a silicone muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray, then add a large spoonful of the mixture to the muffin cup. Press lightly in the center of the cup to form the nest. Finally, dip the back of Cadbury eggs in the remaining melted milk chocolate and place in the middle of the nests. Enjoy!
2. Easter Candy Popcorn
What you’ll need: 10 cups of popped popcorn, 3 tablespoons of butter, 3 cups of mini marshmallows, 1 (12 oz) bag of Easter milk chocolate M&Ms, 1 (12oz) bag of Hershey’s milk chocolate candy coated eggs
Directions: Make sure you get all the un-popped kernels out of the 10 cups of popped popcorn and salt it liberally before you start. Melt the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Once the butter is melted, add the mini marshmallows and alternate microwaving for 20 seconds and stirring. Stop until the marshmallows are just melted. Slowly pour the marshmallow mixture over the popcorn and fold lightly until the popcorn is mostly covered. The more you add, the stickier the popcorn will be, but make sure to keep some of the marshmallow mixture. Pour the popcorn onto a cookie sheet with foil and pour the remaining marshmallow mixture on top. Sprinkle the M&Ms and Hershey’s milk chocolate candy coated eggs over the popcorn and allow the popcorn to cool. Break apart into pieces and serve.
3. Easter Egg Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites
What you’ll need: 1 bag of waffle style pretzels, 1 bag of Hershey Kisses, 1 bag of Easter Peanut Butter Eggs M&Ms
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and scatter the waffle style pretzels all over the baking sheet. Make sure none of the pretzels are overlapping or too close to one another, 1 cm between each pretzel is more than enough. Place one Hershey’s kiss on each pretzel. Place in the oven for about 2 minutes, but make sure you are watching to make sure the chocolate doesn’t melt to a liquid. While the chocolate is soft, quickly press a peanut butter M&M onto each pretzel. Let cool and enjoy!
4. Easy Easter Fudge
What you’ll need: 1 (12 oz) bag of chocolate chips, 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk, 1 bag of mini marshmallows, 1 (10 oz) bag of mini Cadbury eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
Directions: In a microwave-safe bowl, add together the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir the mixture until smooth. Add 1 1/2 cups of mini marshmallows and stir only until evenly distributed, over mixing will cause the marshmallows to dissolve. Line an 8 by 8-inch pan with wax paper and pour half of the mini eggs in the bottom of the pan. Pour the chocolate mixture over the top and smooth it out. Scatter the remaining mini eggs on top. Chill for 30-45 minutes, cut into pieces and enjoy!
5. Bunny Chow
What you’ll need: 9 cups Corn Chex, Rice Chex, or Wheat Chex cereal, 1 cup white chocolate chips, 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/4 cup butter or margarine, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Directions: In a large bowl, measure out cereal and set aside. In a large microwavable bowl, microwave the white chocolate chips, the peanut butter and the butter for one minute. Stir and microwave for about 30 seconds more or until mixture is stirred smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Pour the white chocolate mixture over the cereal and stir until evenly coated. In resealable 2-gallon plastic bag, pour half the powder sugar, then add the cereal mixture into the bag and add the remaining powdered sugar. Shake the bag until well-coated. Remove the mixture from the bag and into an air-tight container. Add candies, mix, and store in the refrigerator.