Instructions: Melt the candy base of your choice in a double boiler over moderate heat. Add the shortening when the chocolate, white chocolate, or peanut butter chips are entirely melted; stir to blend. Add the chow mein noodles to the melted candy, and toss to thoroughly blend the mixture. Try to avoid breaking the noodles as you blend.

Working quickly, drop about a tablespoon of the candy-and-noodle mixture onto wax paper in the form of a birds nest. Immediately place three jelly beans or one peanut-coated candy in the center of each nest as you go. (It helps to have two people working quickly before the candy begins to set, so get the kids involved in filling the nests.)

Let the candies cool completely before storing in an airtight container, with wax paper between each layer. Tip: We doubled our batch to prepare enough peanut butter nests for our Easter gathering. In order to keep the candy soft while we worked to shape
the nests, we prepared the mixture in a metal bowl and placed it over the pot of steamy warm water used to melt the candy while we worked. We simply stirred from the bottom of the bowl to keep the mixture soft while we assembled the birds nests. You may want to do the same if you double your candy-making efforts.

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