No bake birds nest

Who doesn't like an easy no bake cookie?  Haystacks, macaroons, or frog cookies (are just a few names for this recipe) are a very quick and easy cookie to put together and I especially love to make them at least one time during the spring season because they make the cutest nest for the delicious mini egg.   Another bonus to this recipe is they are peanut-free so that means you can send them to school in your kids lunch box. 

Recipe 

1 1/4 cup sugar

5 Tbsp coco powder 

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups oats

1 cup flaked sweetened coconut 

1.  In a large pot over low heat combine sugar, coco powder, milk, butter and salt.  Bring to a low boil.  Once boiling allow to low boil for 3 minutes.  Stirring often. 

2. Remove from heat and add vanilla, oats and coconut until incorporated.

3.  Drop by the tablespoon onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.   To make the nest press into the middle of the cookie with a spoon but be careful not to break the shape (you might need to shape with your hand a little).  Place some colourful mini eggs into the centre of each nest and allow to cool and harden. 

These are best consumed the same day but will last stored in an air tight container. 

Bunny Cookies

These cute little bunny cookies are the perfect spring time cookie for Easter!   My kids loved getting these in their lunch boxes this week.  

Our very favourite sugar cookie recipe can be found over here!  These cookies are so quick and simple to mix up but they do require about 15 minutes in the fridge before you roll them out.  To dye them colours you simply add the colour you want just as the dough is coming together.   I personally like to use gel food colouring.  The colours turn out bright and vibrant and you don't have to use a lot to get the colour you want. You can make 2 different batches to make a lot of cookies or you can do what I did and separate the dough to get 2 colours from one batch.  

This is my all time favourite hack for rolling out cookie dough!!!  Lay out parchment paper then place down two paint sticks on either side of your dough.  Start rolling out your dough until your rolling pin sits evenly on both sticks.  This ensures that all your cookies are the same thickness, which in turns means they will have the perfect bake :)  If you want a thicker sugar cookie just double up the paint sticks and place 2 (one on top of the other) on either side. 

Cool your cookies on a wire rack.  Once they are cooled you can pipe a little "cotton" tail on these bunny cookies.  I used this delicious Vanilla butter cream icing from Sally's Baking Addiction and a  Wilton #1A tip.   On some of them I even added coconut to make them look more "fluffy".