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Easter Donut Nests

Easter nest donuts FI
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An easy and quick Easter treat that the whole family can help with! Decorate store-bought donuts with a simple homemade frosting to make "nests" you can fill with marshmallow Peeps and chocolate eggs.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 store-bought chocolate frosted donuts (see notes 1 - 2)
  • 2 cups (230 g) powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) milk or cream (approximate amount)
  • 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 teaspoons (10 g) cocoa powder
  • pinch of salt
  • assorted Peeps and small candy-coated chocolate eggs (see note 3)

Equipment needed:

  • 1 quart-sized zip top bag (gallon-sized bag can be substituted)
  • 1 wooden skewer

Instructions

  1. Sift the powdered sugar and/or cocoa powder only if they are very lumpy (measure first, sift second!). Set aside.
  2. Place the softened butter into a medium-sized bowl. With either a whisk or hand beaters, mix the butter well until it is smooth and slightly fluffy.
  3. Add the vanilla and a few drops of milk to the bowl, along with the cocoa powder, pinch of salt, and about 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar. Whisk or beat until smooth. Continue to whisk or beat in the remaining powdered sugar in small amounts, alternating with a few drops of the milk, until all the powdered sugar has been incorporated and the frosting is smooth and pliable but still holds its shape. You may end up needing a little more or less milk than the 2 tablespoons called for. (If your frosting ends up too thick or too thin, see note 4!)
  4. Spread the donuts out onto a piece of parchment paper, wax paper, or aluminum foil.
  5. Place the frosting into a quart-sized zip top bag. Press down the frosting to one corner of the bag. Squeeze out as much excess air as possible from the bag and seal it. Twist the top of the bag so the frosting forms a firm cone shape in the corner of the bag.
  6. With the wooden skewer, poke 8 - 10 small holes, close together, in and around the corner of the bag containing the frosting. You can make the holes smaller or larger by either poking all the way through to the thickest part of the skewer, or just using the tip of the skewer. Adjust the frosting pattern by widening some holes if needed, or adding more.
  7. Pipe the frosting onto the donuts in a circular shape until you are happy with the appearance of the "nests."
  8. Fill the center of each frosted donut with a marshmallow Peep or chocolate eggs.
  9. For best results, serve immediately (recommended), or store at room temperature for 1 - 2 hours, tightly covered. Leftovers can be kept at room temperature, tightly covered, for 1 - 2 days.

Notes

1.  I used Entenmann's brand of chocolate frosted donuts that come in an 8 pack. Depending on how much frosting you use on each donut and the size of the donuts you are using, you may be able to frost up to 10 - 11 donuts. If you want to make more, you can always make a double batch of frosting.

2.  Powdered donuts are not recommended as it may make the frosting harder to adhere to the donut.

3.  ***If serving these donuts to young children: the Cadbury Mini Eggs I used are not recommended for young children as they pose a choking hazard.*** 

4.  If your frosting ends up too runny or too stiff, don't worry, here's what to do: For too thin frosting, just sprinkle in a small amount of extra powdered sugar (start with about 1 tablespoon). Whisk that in and add a little more if needed, until the frosting holds its shape well on the whisk or beater. For too thick frosting, add only a couple drops of extra milk at a time, whisking or beating in between, until the correct consistency is achieved. A very small amount of liquid can change a lot, so go slow! 

5.  The frosting can be made 3 - 4 days ahead of time, stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Before using, let the frosting come to room temperature and then whisk it well.

6.  The nutrition information below was calculated using 1 Peep as the filling for each donut. This nutrition information is an estimate only, provided by an online nutrition calculator. This information should not be considered a substitute for professional medical, health, or nutritional advice. See our full disclosure policy.

Nutrition

Keywords: Easter donuts, Easter nest donuts

Find it online: https://nibbleanddine.com/easter-nest-donuts/