Easter is still a few weeks away, but I’ve decided to start making a few things early this year, in hopes of inspiring friends to do some baking this spring. It’s also the first day of Spring today, though the weather outside would not indicate that. Anyway, Easter and Spring … birds and nests and easter eggs. Cookies.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract (can also be substituted by almond extract, or double the vanilla)
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
48-72 egg shaped candies, such as Cadbury Mini-Eggs or M&M Eggs
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a mini-muffin pan liberally with baking spray.
In a medium work bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, sugar and oil on medium speed. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and coconut extract. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, and mix on low speed until a dough is formed. Divide the dough into the prepared mini-muffin pan cups. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of each muffin well, and top with 1 tablespoon of coconut. Spread the coconut to the edges. It will shrink a bit as it bakes.
Bake the cookie nests for 11-13 minutes. The coconut should be starting to brown. Allow the cookie nests to cool for about 10 minutes in the pan before removing to a cooling rack. Using a paring knife, “twist” to loosen the cookies before removing. When they are nearly fully cooled, place 2-3 egg candies in each one.
