[title subtitle=”WORDS: Catherine Frederick
images: Jeromy Price”][/title]
Chocolate Easter bunnies are a must for the kiddos, but adults need a sweet treat too. Whether you give these as a gift, use them as edible table décor, placeholders for your Easter meal, or simply bake them up because they’re so darn cute, you can’t go wrong with these adorable, edible nests.
Method
Preheat oven to 350°. Place 24 cupcake liners into muffin tins. Combine one box white cake mix, three egg whites, 1 ¼ cups buttermilk, 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil, and 1 teaspoon lemon extract in a mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixer until combined, then mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour mixture into cupcake liners and bake for 16 – 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not over bake. Let cool completely. Spread (1) 6oz package of shredded coconut onto a cookie sheet and toast until lightly brown, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
Assembly
Place one unwrapped cupcake upside down into each of the (8) half-pint Mason jars. Top with one Tablespoon of store bought lemon curd, spread to cover cupcake. Place (1) 16oz container of cream cheese frosting into a piping bag or a double lined Ziploc® bag with the corner cut about ¼” from end. Pipe frosting on top of lemon curd. Spread to cover cream cheese. Top with 1 Tablespoon toasted coconut. Add another unwrapped cupcake, right side up. Top with 1 Tablespoon of apricot-pineapple preserves (from a 16oz jar). Spread to cover. Pipe another layer of frosting to cover preserves and to form a slight mound. Press toasted coconut into frosting to make a nest by pushing in the center of the frosting with your thumb, creating an indention. Cover frosting with coconut completely. Add three candy coated blue eggs in the center. Repeat for each jar. Makes 8.
