Dark Chocolate Macaroon Nests with Starburst® Jellybeans

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #StarburstJellybeans #Kroger #CollectiveBias

My Dark Chocolate Macaroon Nests with Starburst® Jellybeans are a naturally gluten-free treat, combining the sophisticated flavor of dark chocolate and coconut with a fun and festive nest shape, perfect for your Easter egg hunts and family brunches.

My kids are 11 and 9 now but they’re still into egg hunts and Easter baskets. And every year since they were born I’ve filled plastic eggs with Starburst® Jellybeans. Their bright flavor from real fruit juice just makes them so much better than the other brands on the shelves this time of year. I’m personally a fan of the Starburst® FaveREDS Jellybeans (strawberry, watermelon and cherry – YUM!) but my kids prefer the Starburst® Original Jellybeans and the Starburst® Sour Jellybeans.

The Starburst® Sour Jellybeans are what I’ve used to fill my dark chocolate macaroon nests. Beyond Easter basket treats and surprises for Easter egg hunts jelly beans are just fun to use in recipes. Their bright, vibrant colors look so fresh and Spring-y on a buffet table – and that’s why I’ve created these little nests.

The macaroons are so simple to make. They whip together in one bowl – a mixture of dark cocoa powder, sugar, egg whites, a little salt and vanilla plus a lot of coconut. No flour = no gluten and Starburst® Jellybeans are gluten-free as well and I know an increasing number of my friends who have someone in their family for whom that is a consideration. 

Of course my Kroger provided me with everything necessary for my macaroon recipe and all three varieties of the Starburst® Jellybeans. They have an impressive Easter selection plus the Starburst® Jellybeans are on-sale for just $2.00 per bag! You can fill a whole lot of plastic Easter eggs AND macaroon nests with just one bag. 

These little nests really are a treat. They’re decadent without feeling heavy. The dark chocolate and coconut bake together to form a moist and delicious macaroon. The fruity burst of flavor from the Starburst® Sour Jellybeans is an added bonus and make for a most excellent Easter confection. 

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Dark Chocolate Macaroon Nests with Starburst® Jellybeans

Ingredients

• 7 oz. bittersweet chocolate chopped
• 2/3 c. granulated sugar
• 1/4 c. dark cocoa powder
• 1/4 t. sea salt
• 3 large egg whites
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 3 c. sweetened coconut divided
• 1 bag Starburst® Sour Jellybeans

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with racks set on upper 1/3 and bottom 1/3 of oven.
• Melt the chocolate in the microwave. Start with 1 1/2 minutes. Remove and stir. Continue to microwave in 30 second intervals just until chocolate is melted.
• In a clean glass bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Add the egg whites and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
• Whisk in about 3/4 of the melted chocolate.
• Stir in 2 1/2 cups of the coconut and the rest of the melted chocolate.
• Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
• Put the remaining 1/2 cup coconut into a shallow dish.
• Scoop about 1/4 cup of macaroon mixture into a rough ball. Roll the top of the ball into the coconut.
• Place the macaroon onto the sheet pan and make an indentation in the top using the back of a tablespoon - this indentation is the inside of the "nest" - where you will place the Starburst® Sour Jellybeans AFTER the macaroons have been baked.
• Repeat this process until you have formed 12 macaroon nests.
• Bake for 13 - 15 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking time.
• Allow nests to cool completely.
• Fill each macaroon nest with about six Starburst® Sour Jellybeans. Serve.

Notes

Adapted from Serious Eats