A.K.A., candy Mama doesn’t want me to know about. The Easter Bunny, apparently, left a partial bag of jelly beans in a cupboard. Mama decided the quickest way to get them out of the house was to make a treat for my teachers. We’re calling it Bunny Bark. Isn’t that funny? Bunnies don’t bark!

It’s super simple to make. Mama melted white chocolate chips in something she called a double boiler then spread it out in a baking sheet.

After a minute or two, we scattered jelly beans over it. (I even retrieved my personal stash of Easter beans to help fill in some gaps.)

Once it cooled and hardened, we broke it apart…

…and bagged it. (No need to store in the fridge.)

Not only is this a pretty gift, but it was fun to make (and yummy to eat).

Love, Jude

Bunny Bark

2 12-oz bags white chocolate chips (may also chop white baker’s chocolate)
½–1 cup jelly beans

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler (or in smaller batches in the microwave in 20-second intervals). To set up a double boiler, simmer water in a medium saucepan and set a bowl over it (not touching the water). Be careful when you stir the chocolate and remove the bowl, as steam can escape from the saucepan, and it’s hot! When the chips are nearly melted, remove the bowl of chocolate and continue stirring until fully melted.

Pour the melted chocolate onto a jelly roll pan or baking sheet lined with waxed paper or parchment paper; our sheet is about 16” x 13”. Spread out the chocolate and then give the baking sheet a little shimmy or a tap to encourage the chocolate to smooth out. Allow to cool a couple minutes, then sprinkle jelly beans on top—in however dense a manner as desired.

Note: This recipe may be halved. You can use milk or dark chocolate—or swirl white and brown chocolates together. You may also substitute malted chocolate eggs in place of the jelly beans.

Bonus recipe! We made birds’ nests with other leftover candy. For a tutorial, see how this lovely lady does it. Mama melted a bag of mini marshmallows with ¾ stick of butter, then mixed in 2 bags of chow mein noodles. She rubbed a bit of butter on parchment paper so the nests wouldn’t stick and greased up her hands really well before diving in to the gooey mess. (I did all the measuring; she did all the forming.) Have someone else (like a little kid!) place the candied eggs in the nests while the marshmallow is still sticky, so that they stay put. If you miss your chance, then microwave a small cup of marshmallows for 10–15 seconds until they’re melty, then use that as glue to hold them in place. We made 2 dozen nests, and I still had Easter candy left over. (The Easter bunny was very generous with candy this year, as opposed to years past.)