macaroon cookie bird nests

By ctozzi

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups All purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 2/3 cups butter, softened
• 6 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon juice from a fresh orange
• 10 cups sweetened flaked coconut, divided in to 6 cup and 4 cup portions
• Cadbury Mini Eggs (2 10oz. bags)

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from rookno17.com

Preparation

Step 1

Step 1: In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.




Step 2: In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, vanilla and orange juice and beat till smooth.




Step 3: In 1 cup increments, mix flour in to the butter mixture. Add the 6 cups flaked coconut and beat to combine.




Step 4: Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.




Step 5: Preheat oven to 350. One at a time, scoop dough into 1.5" balls (about the size of a large walnut, roll between your palms, then roll in the bowl of remaining coconut (4 cups). Arrange on an ungreased baking sheet, at least an inch apart (cookies will spread slightly). A standard cookie sheet should accommodate a dozen cookies at a time. Bake 16-18 minutes, until the cookies puff and are lightly browned.




Step 6: Remove from oven. Immediately press three eggs in to the center of each cookie. You may want to lightly press the edges of the cookie inward to give the nest a fuller shape (optional).





Step 7: Cool on a rack for 15 minutes. With a thin spatula, gently move cookies on to a rack to finish cooling.