Spring Chicks and Egg Nests

It’s been an interesting spring so far: lots of rain with mostly chilly days, yet loads of daffodils and tulips blooming all over. There are moments when the sun peeks out from behind the clouds, and the warm rays remind me that it is really April, after all. There have been nights, clear and bright, when the air is fresh and fragrant with new growth, and I can smell the hints of spring all over. Today, the wind is gusting at monster speeds, but spring soldiers on: I’m on duty this weekend, monitoring and taking care of the baby chicks that are hatching out of their eggs, after meticulous care to keep them warm and safe. As of this morning, I can hear cheeping coming from a couple of the eggs, and these two have small pecked-out holes, where the chicks are planning to emerge. A few of the other eggs are rocking back and forth, the chicks presumably desperate to start on their way out.

I’ve never experienced this before, watching new life appear from inside an egg. It reminds me of some crucial themes of springtime: birth, life, growth. It also reminds me that Easter is already this weekend, and that there are many delicious egg-themed candies out there for children who have not yet seen real eggs hatching. Still, I tend to think of Easter candy as a great celebration of the major symbols of spring. Of course, I probably should go and eat some leek or rhubarb to celebrate spring, as opposed to another little bag of Cadbury eggs. But those eggs can come in handy when making spring desserts especially for little ones (or the young at heart, the perpetually sweet-toothed).

I saw these chocolate egg nests in a magazine a long time ago, and I thought that this year, what with eggs hatching and spring apparent all around me, these would be a good treat to try out. They’re simple to make, and though not complex in flavor, they still are absolutely yummy. My 4-year old neighbor will be receiving one of these that I made today, and although I hope she enjoys it, I’m not sure it will compare to the sight of newborn chicks, just out of their shells.

Chocolate Egg Nests

Yield: About 8 nests

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. butter
1 oz. dark chocolate
7 oz. milk chocolate
¾ cup shredded wheat, shredded
About 24 candy-coated eggs

Directions:
1. In a double boiler, melt the butter and the chocolates. When just melted, remove from heat and let cool only a moment.
2. Add the shredded wheat to the melted chocolate and combine. With your hands, form small mounds, about 2 or 2 ½ inches across. Place these mounds on parchment paper. After a few moments, firmly place 2 or 3 candy-coated eggs in the center of each mound.
3. Cool completely (preferably not in the refrigerator).