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–+ servings
a sugar cookie with pastel chocolate eggs in a coconut nest.
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Easter Cookies

The cutest bird's nest Easter cookies made with a simple cookie topped with vanilla buttercream, toasted coconut and chocolate flecked eggs.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 12 minutes
Servings 24 cookies
Calories 240kcal
Author John Kanell

Ingredients

For the Coconut Flakes:

  • 5 oz coconut flakes sweetened

For the Cookies:

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour 500g
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • ½ cup cornstarch 60g
  • 2 sticks butter 230g, room temp
  • 1 cup sugar 240g
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Buttercream:

  • 1 ½ sticks butter 200g, unsalted, room temp
  • ½ bag confectioner’s sugar 350g
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp heavy cream

For the Chocolate Speckle:

  • 1 tbsp cocoa powder nice quality
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 bag chocolate eggs

Instructions

For the Coconut Flakes:

  • Preheat oven to 325F.
  • Spread out coconut on a baking sheet.
  • Bake for about 5 -10 min.

For the Cookies:

  • Increase oven temp to 375F.
  • Sift flour, salt, cornstarch into a medium bowl. Give it a whisk.
  • In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
  • Scrape down the bowl before adding eggs.
  • Add eggs. Mix until combined.
  • Add dry ingredients to the wet.
  • Mix on low with a paddle attachment until just combined. Drizzle in vanilla.
  • Transfer dough to parchment paper.
  • Roll into a disk.
  • Chill for about 1 hour.
  • Press to flatten and roll between 2 pieces of parchment paper.
  • Roll dough to ½ inch.
  • Use 2.5 inch circle cookie cutters.
  • Place cookies onto a baking sheet with a silpat.
  • Bake for 12 min.
  • Let cool before decorating.

For the Buttercream:

  • In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and confectioners sugar together. Add a cream and vanilla.
  • Transfer to a piping bag.
  • Snip off the tip.

For the Speckles:

  • Mix cocoa powder and vanilla in a bowl.
  • Using a paint brush, splatter chocolate eggs with mixture to create a speckled, robin’s egg look.

For the Assembly:

  • Pipe a ring of buttercream on each cookie.
  • Press on toasted coconut to create a nest look. 
  • Add speckled eggs to the nest.

Video

Notes

  • Rolling the dough out between layers of plastic wrap makes moving it around, as well as storing it in the fridge or freezer, much easier.
  • When you toast the coconut make sure to remove it half-way through baking and toss it around as the edges will burn quickly.
  • Make sure to let the cookies cool for at least 5 minutes to set before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely
  • The cookies need to be cooled completely before frosting
  • For making buttercream your butter needs to be at room temperature and soften to avoid lumps
  • Make sure to add the confectioner's sugar gradually when making the buttercream to avoid making a mess
  • You can store the cookies in a cool dry place for up to 5 days or can be frozen

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 110mg | Potassium: 23mg | Sugar: 22g | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 0.2mg