Best Nest Cookies Recipes

BIRDS NEST COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter and brown sugar.
• Add egg yolks and vanilla.
• Sift flour and salt and stir until combined.
• Roll teaspoonful of dough into balls.
• Dip in slightly beaten egg white and roll in finely chopped nuts or flaked coconut.
• Place on ungreased baking sheet and press thumb into center of each. You can also you the handle of a wooden spoon.
• Bakeat 350 deg. F. for 5 minutes, Indent again. Bake 8-10 minutes more.
• Cool then fill with candied cherries or assorted jams or jellies.

BIRD'S NEST COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter and sugar.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; mix on low speed just until a stiff dough forms, about 2 minutes. Transfer dough to a piece of plastic wrap, wrap tightly, and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Place chocolate, heavy cream, and espresso powder in a medium heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring occasionally, until chocolate has melted. Remove bowl from heat, and set the chocolate ganache aside to cool, stirring occasionally.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out chilled dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2 1/4-inch-round cookie cutter, cut out 24 cookies; place them on lined baking sheets. Chill cookies until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Bake cookies until set, about 14 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For colored coconut, combine a few drops of food coloring with 3 tablespoons water in a medium bowl. Stir in coconut; mix until evenly colored. Spread on an ungreased baking sheet; bake just until dry, about 12 minutes, being careful not to brown. Let coconut cool; transfer to a small bowl.
• When the ganache has cooled to room temperature, whisk until it becomes stiff enough to pipe. Transfer ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-inch-round tip, and pipe around perimeters of cookies. Dip each cookie, ganache-side down, into plain or colored coconut. Fill "nests" with candy-coated chocolate eggs, 2 or 3 eggs per nest.

CARROT CAKE NEST COOKIES

Steps:

• Make the cookies: Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Whisk the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat until well combined, then beat in the carrots and walnuts. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture until just combined.
• Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls, then roll in the coconut. Arrange 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Make a deep indentation in the centers with the handle of a wooden spoon. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are set and the coconut is golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on the pans.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a medium bowl with a whisk until light and fluffy. Mix in the confectioners' sugar until fluffy. Refrigerate until ready to use. Transfer the filling to a resealable plastic bag. Snip a corner and pipe the filling into the indentation of each cookie. Top with jelly beans.

EASTER NEST COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375° F. In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, flour, butter and egg until dough forms.
• Shape dough into 24 (2-inch) balls. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• Frost cookies. Add coconut to a 1-quart resealable food-storage plastic bag. Add 2 to 3 drops food color, shaking bag to blend color. It may be necessary to add 1 to 2 teaspoons water to help disperse the color evenly or additional food color until desired color is reached.
• Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon coconut onto each cookie. Top with jelly beans.

BIRD'S NEST COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spread coconut on non-greased cookie sheet. Toast in oven, stirring occasionally, until it turns light golden, about 25 minutes.
• 2. Remove coconut from cookie sheet and set aside.
• 3. Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees. In large bowl, add butter and sugar and whip until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla.
• 4. In medium bowl, combine flour and salt. Blend into creamed mixture.
• 5. Form dough into 1-1/4-inch balls. Roll heavily into toasted coconut.
• 6. Place coconut cookies 2 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. Make indentation with thumb in center of each cookie. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.
• 7. Remove cookies and cool completely. Fill indentations with M&M'S® Brand Speckled Milk Chocolate Eggs.

BONNIE'S EASTER NEST COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. This recipe makes 30 cookies. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Sift together the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Using a hand mixer, mix the shortening, sugar, milk, egg white and the vanilla in a large bowl until well blended. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Add the coconut and mix well. Form into 30 one-inch balls. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet. Depress the center with your thumb, leaving a thumbrint in the center of the cookie. (that is the nest that holds the eggs) Bake in a pre-heated oven for about 10 or 12 minutes, depending on your oven, just until the bottoms start to brown and a hint of brown reaches the tops of the cookies. Remove from the oven and place the Jelly Belly beans, 4 or 5 to a nest. Return the cookies to the oven and bake 5 minutes more. Watch them carefully the last couple of minutes to make sure they don't melt. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Happy Easter!

NO BAKE BIRD'S NEST COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine butter, peanut butter, cocoa, milk, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat.
• When the mixture has reached a soft boil, stir in sugar.
• Stir the boiling mixture for 1 minute, to ensure sugar has dissolved.
• Remove from heat, and stir in Shredded Wheat. Eyeball the amount, and adjust until you reach the desired consistency. In order to form the nests, it will need to be shapeable.
• Spoon 1 tablespoon of the batter on a sheet pan lined with wax paper, shape the nests, making a hole in the center for the "eggs". Gently press the 2-3 jellybeans in the nest.
• Refrigerate the cookies for at least 2 hours before serving. After this time they can be left in the fridge, or stored at room temperature in airtight containers.

GLUTEN-FREE BIRD'S NEST COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine butter and brown sugar in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract and salt.
• Sprinkle xanthan gum over flour in a separate bowl; mix together very well. Beat flour mixture into the butter mixture until dough comes together. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 2 cookie sheets.
• Mix coconut flakes and pecans in a shallow bowl. Beat egg whites in a small bowl.
• Pinch off small pieces of dough and roll into balls. Dip into the egg whites then roll in the coconut mixture. Place 2 inches apart on the greased cookie sheets. Press 3 milk chocolate pieces into the center of each cookie, like eggs in a nest.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

NEST COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sift the flour and salt into a medium bowl. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed in a large bowl until just combined; add the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar and mix just until the dough starts to come together.
• Put the egg wash and coconut in two separate medium bowls. Form 1¼-inch balls of dough (about 1 tablespoon each); dip each ball in egg wash, then roll in coconut. Place the balls about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet; press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Bake until the coconut is golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and press the back of a teaspoon in the center of each to re-form the indentations. Transfer to a rack to cool.
• Place the chocolate chips in a medium glass bowl. Bring the cream just to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, pour over the chocolate chips and let sit for 2 minutes, then stir until the cream is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.
• Spoon ½ teaspoon of chocolate into the center of each cookie and let set for 5 minutes. Top each cookie with 3 chocolate eggs.

WASP NEST COOKIES

Steps:

• Prepare cookie sheets by greasing and flouring; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 300F/150°C.
• Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Cook until mixture reaches thread stage (230F/110C). Remove from heat.
• Stir in almonds and chocolate chips using a wooden spoon.
• Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
• Gradually add icing sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until well blended.
• Add almond and chocolate mixture and stir well.
• Drop by half teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cookies are very dry.
• Let stand 10 minutes.
• Transfer to wire racks to cook completely.