Tag Archives: coconut

Easter Bird Nest Treats

For Easter this year, my parents decided to host brunch at their house, rather than go out and eat.  Since brunch would be at home this year, everyone decided to contribute to the spread.

The Englishman was already making lamb chops and his Easy Irish Soda Bread, but I felt I should contribute to the feast as well.  After spending way too many hours looking at delicious Easter desserts on Pinterest, I finally decided on these adorable Macaroon Nutella Nests from Two Peas and their Pod.

This recipe is really easy to make and the result is so cute!  I followed it exactly, except subbing Nutella for an organic cocoa spread I found at Whole Foods (I love Nutella, just couldn’t find it).

These treats would be a perfect addition to anyone’s Easter Basket.

Easter Bird Nest Treats (original recipe here)

Ingredients:

2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 large egg white
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut
1 cup organic cocoa spread
Robin Chocolate Eggs (I used the Whole Foods brand)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk, egg white, vanilla extract, and salt.  Mix until combined.  Add in the shredded coconut.

3. Scoop up the dough with a spoon and place dough on the parchment paper.  Form the cookies into the shape of a nest (mine started more as a round ball) and then gently press down the center with your thumb.  Don’t press too hard or the cookie will start to fall apart.

4. Bake cookies for 20 minutes, or until slightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and press your thumb down in the center of the nests again.  Again, do this as gently as possible to form a nice little thumbprint in the middle of the cookie.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then move to a cooking rack or a plate.

5. Once cookies are cool,  place about a tablespoon of cocoa spread in the center of each nest. Place 2-3 egg candies in the center of the nest. *Note: My cookies weren’t quite cooled enough yet and some of the candy eggs ended up getting cracks down the middle.*

Once the treats are finished, either serve immediately, or store in a Tupperware container for up to 3 days.

Happy Easter!

Carrot Cake Bites

Sometimes I find myself in the mood for a sweet snack but not too sweet.  I stumbled upon this little gem from Oh She Glows and knew I had to make it immediately.  It’s the perfect bite sized snack with just the right amount of sweet,  salt, and of course a healthy component (carrots! raisins!).

Below is my version of the recipe with a few changes, mainly due to the fact that I did not have all of the ingredients on hand and was too lazy to go to the store.  Such is life.

Carrot Cake Bites  (adapted from Oh She Glows)

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup regular oats
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup shredded carrots, packed
  • 1/4 cup raisins, soaked in water overnight
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup agave nectar
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • Pinch of ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

*Note: The original recipe calls for walnuts which I had to omit because I am unfortunately allergic.  I think pecans would bring a nice nutty texture to this recipe.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F and line 1 baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and oats in a large bowl. Add in the coconut, raisins, and shredded carrots. In a small bowl mix the maple syrup, agave nectar, vanilla, and ground ginger. Add this to the flour mixture and stir until combined.

Drop about 1 heaping tablespoon of dough onto lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Shape into a ball with hands. Bake for about 12 minutes and cool for 10 minutes on a baking rack.

Yield 12-15 cookies depending on how big your scoops are.

Delicious goodness in one little bite!

Devour. Eat. Repeat.