Easter Birds Nest Cookies Recipe

I know it’s not quite Easter just yet, but to be totally truthful I was torn between grabbing a bag of Cadbury mini eggs (my weakness) and trying the M&M’s crispy eggs that I spotted instead. It’s quite a tricky dilemma, you know! Ha!

So I did what any self-respecting chocoholic would do, I made up a good excuse (mainly to myself) to buy both. And what better excuse than a spot of Easter baking in the kitchen with the kids on a Sunday afternoon?

I’ll admit, this recipe started off as a bit of an experiment…and let me tell you, it paid off! They were delicious and got the thumbs up all round from all three of my children. (Parents will know how rare it is to please EVERYONE, right? It’s practically unheard of!)

If you like chewy Anzac biscuits, you’ll love these birds nest cookies. The ingredients do differ from Anzac biscuits, but the coconut and the chewy texture make them the nearest think I’ve tasted to an Anzac biscuit using different ingredients!

The best part is that they are super easy, and the kids will love getting involved from start to finish. From weighing and measuring, to mixing, moulding and decorating, there are plenty of jobs the kids can help with to keep them involved and entertained. Oh, and let’s not forget the ritual post-baking licking clean of the bowl that the white chocolate gets melted in! They’ll all be putting their hand up to help with that job!

Ingredients

125g softened (but not melted) butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 egg (large)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

125g shredded coconut

150g white cooking chocolate (I used white chocolate button melts)

Your choice of mini eggs to decorate

Method

Preheat oven to 170 C

Combine the softened butter, sugar and vanilla essence in a bowl.

Mix in the egg

Add the baking powder and shredded coconut..

The mixture will form into a stiff (slightly crumbly) dough like consistency.

Using golf ball sized amounts mould into a nest shape with your hands.

Place into a muffin tin – perfect for holding their shape in the oven.

(I initially had them lined up in the oven on a sheet of baking paper, but quickly had to rescue them when they started to melt and lose their shape!)

Cook for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. (I kept a close eye on mine as I didn’t want the coconut to burn, but also needed the cookie mixture to cook sufficiently.