Introduction: Nested Pudding Eggs

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These little desserts are my homage to all things springtime and sweet.  I carved an egg shape into a cupcake, iced them in several ways to resemble nests then filled them with colorful, creamy pudding. 

Ingredients
24 cupcakes 1/3 cup sized
1-1/2 pounds tub chocolate icing
2-3 ounces mini pretzel sticks
1 cup shredded coconut
1 package vanilla pudding mix
Gel or liquid food coloring
Candy holiday decorations

For the cupcakes
Follow the package directions for baking and cooling cupcakes using a 1/3 cup-sized muffin pan with your favorite super moist chocolate cake mix.  Meanwhile, cut out a cardboard egg-shaped template shorter than the rim of the cupcake tin. I just traced a small egg onto a piece of cardboard and cut it out. Place the egg template on top of a cooled cupcake and using a sharp knife make a very shallow tracing of the shape then pinch out the centers leaving a ¼ inch depression.  Reserve crumbs for another use. 
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Make the nests
Frost each cupcake with a thin layer of icing.  One method of making a nest is by placing the broad side of a table knife flat against the icing and flicking it quickly away creating spikes.  To make other nests use the pretzels or the coconut.   In each of two small bowls combine 1/2 cup of icing and in one add the pretzels sticks; the other the coconut. Cover the pretzels with icing and press onto the cake to resemble twigs.  Mix the coconut into the icing and press onto the cupcake forming a nest.  (Note if there are jagged cavity rims, smooth the icing over the edges to cover.)  Move the nests to a serving platter with a spatula.
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For the fillings:
Follow the vanilla pudding package directions and divide equally into as many smaller bowls as you want colors.  Add as much food coloring to each bowl to create the color you prefer.  Spoon the filling into the nest hollow and gently shake to level.  Refrigerate until set.  Decorate with the candies and serve within an hour to avoid the candy melting into the pudding.