Let the kids help whip up these easy Easter treats

You can't escape it even if you run like a bunny.

Supermarkets, drug stores, candy stores, convenience stores, service stations and restaurants are brimming with Easter candy in all shapes, sizes and colors. This is the time of the year for jellybeans, chocolate-covered marshmallow creatures, hollow and solid chocolate rabbits, bunny cakes, decorated cupcakes and doughnuts, and giant fruit-filled, chocolate-slathered "eggs" iced to the hilt.

And, for those who prefer more demure sweets, confectionaries pull out all the stops with fancy lines that cost $12 and more per pound, particularly luscious fruits of the season dipped in the finest chocolates.

But you need not have a degree in candy-making to whip up some treats for family and friends. The following recipes are so easy that the kids can do themselves — younger children will need adult supervision. And if dyeing and decorating Easter eggs is getting dull, this might be the year to add a sweet new tradition.

Weather, barometric pressure and humidity affect candy-making, but by using convenience items, you should be able to prepare these no matter what's happening outside. If it is stormy, turn on the exhaust fan and keep the kitchen cool as you work — even if it means turning on the air conditioner for a short time.

Use vanilla, butterscotch, coconut or pistachio pudding mix in this recipe instead of the chocolate, if desired. This recipe yields about 12 medium "eggs," but you can make smaller eggs and other shapes for dipping.

• 1 stick ( 1/2 cup) butter
• 1 box (6-serving size) chocolate pudding mix (not instant)
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1 pound (about 3 cups) confectioners' sugar, unsifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup nuts, finely chopped
• 6 to 8 ounces (3 to 4 1-ounce squares) unsweetened baking chocolate, melted, for dipping

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the pudding mix and blend well. Add the milk and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the confectioners' sugar all at once. Add the vanilla and nuts and stir until smooth. Let cool slightly.

You will have a stiff but malleable mixture that can be formed by hand into "eggs," balls, logs, triangles and similar shapes. Divide the dough mixture into 12 pieces and form egg shapes on wax paper. Chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator before dipping.

The chocolate can be melted in the microwave oven, in the top of a double boiler over hot water or in a "water bath" using an electric frying pan.

Microwave method: Place the chocolate in a microwave-proof container (glass is preferred) and heat, uncovered, on high power for 30 seconds. Remove from the oven and stir well to distribute the heat. The chocolate will begin to melt slowly. Return the container to the oven and keep heating the chocolate with 15-second spurts of high power, stirring well after each heating. When the chocolate is almost melted, do not continue heating. Stir well until the chocolate melts completely and is smooth.

Double-boiler method: Place hot water in the bottom of a double boiler and place the pan over medium heat on the stove. Add chocolate to the top of the double boiler and place it over the hot water. Stir the chocolate as it melts. Be sure the top of the double boiler does not come into contact with the water; the water also should not simmer or boil. Be careful to keep water and steam out of the chocolate, otherwise it will harden and you cannot use it for dipping.

Electric frying pan: Pour hot water to a depth of about 1 inch into an electric frying pan. Turn the heat to very low. The water never should reach a simmer — as soon as you see bubbles beginning to form, turn the heat off or down. In a metal or heatproof bowl, place the chocolate, then place the bowl into the water bath. Stir often as the chocolate melts. Adjust the water temperature as needed to keep the chocolate melted for dipping, keeping steam and water out of the chocolate.

To dip the eggs: Using a two-pronged carving fork (for large eggs), drop eggs one by one into the melted chocolate and turn to coat. You can swirl the candy to roll off excess chocolate, or let the excess drain slightly, then move the egg to wax paper. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight, until the chocolate is set.

Gently remove the eggs from the wax paper. If the chocolate has puddled, trim the excess gently with a sharp paring knife or cover it with piped frosting. Decorate as desired.

Makes at least 12 "eggs."

M&M's candies are not easy to chop — a food processor fitted with a steel blade merely pulverizes them, and they tend to slide all over a cutting board when hit by a knife blade — so we substituted mini-M&M's candy for baking. Fats in the butter and peanut butter in the ingredients tended to make the candies slide out of the mixture, however, so work fast. If you want to chop large M&M's, use a hand chopper or place the candy in a sturdy freezer bag and tap with a hammer or the side of a sturdy plate until roughly chopped — you want to see the colored coating.

• 1 jar (7 to 7 1/2 ounces, about 2 cups) marshmallow creme
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted and cooled
• 3 cups crisped rice cereal, such as Rice Krispies
• 1 cup chopped plain chocolate-coated candies, such as M&M's

In a large bowl, combine the marshmallow creme, peanut butter and cooled butter. Mix until well-blended. In another large bowl, combine the cereal and candies and add to the marshmallow mixture. Mix well.

Using greased fingers, shape to form 1 1/4-inch balls. Form into egg shapes. Place the eggs as they are made into candy paper muffin cups or mini baking cups.

Chill for 30 minutes to set. Store slightly covered in the refrigerator or in a cool dry place.

Makes 30 to 45 eggs, depending on size.

You can make these mints first thing Easter Sunday morning and they will be ready to serve at brunch or to take to late-morning church services. They are foolproof — if you don't like the shape or size of a mint you've made, throw it back into the frosting mixture, melt it and try again.

If your local supermarket does not carry dry cake frosting mix, look for boxes at stores that carry cake-decorating and candy-making supplies and at craft stores, pharmacies and some hardware stores. This recipe was tested using Wilton Creamy White Icing Mix, $2.99.

If desired, use another flavoring oil such as orange or lemon or a drop of either to make a signature flavor. If you have not worked with flavoring oils before, read the directions on the bottle and follow these precautions: