I am a Honey Bee

All about my adventures with cooking, crafts, and travel

coconut

Trail Mix Cookies

Trail Mix Cookies- soft cookies loaded with oats, chocolate chips, coconut, nuts, & raisins. Perfect to eat while hiking or just at home.

Trail Mix Cookies on crumpled wax paper on a cookie sheet pan.

These cookies come loaded with everything- oats, coconut, nuts, chocolate, and raisins- so every one is a bit different and so good. They are perfection in every bite.

…

Read More

Slow Cooker Almond Joy Chocolate Clusters

Slow Cooker Almond Joy Chocolate Clusters are great to whip up for homemade holiday gifts. Making them is basically hands off as you use a slow cooker!

Post Contains Affiliate Links. Read my full disclosure HERE

It’s time to get baking cooking, making candy, and decking halls. Fa la la la la, la la la la.

I’m sure that you are just as stuffed as we are from Thanksgiving, but I’m still ready to cook up a storm. I’m not running out looking for the best deals today. I don’t do all that Black Friday Hoopla. I’m just going to get cozy with some cookbooks and plan out all that baking I am going to be doing this Holiday Season.

…

Read More

Easter Chicks Cupcakes

Easter Chicks Cupcakes

Are you ready for Easter?!?!  I am so ready.

Easter Chicks Cupcakes-1

I have lots of Easter-y stuff around to make a super, super cute Easter basket for Autumn. I had been hitting up the Target Dollar Spot and the local Dollar Tree to get lots of fun random things to include in her Easter Basket. Which might actutally be a bag, but you get the point. Lots of stickers, some barrettes, crayons, mini board books, and a flipping toy chick. And the ‘big’ toy is a pair of Doc McStuffin’s light up clogs. They are way too big but are super cute. I couldn’t resist because she loves to play dress up at daycare so, so much.

Plus, I picked up a bunch of eggs to dye with her this weekend. I’m sure it will be just one big mess but I think it will be a fun experience.

Easter Chicks Cupcakes-5 Easter Chicks Cupcakes-6

Easter Chicks Cupcakes-7 Easter Chicks Cupcakes-8

We painted some plaster eggs over the weekend and that was a great activity. Granted, she tried to crack them at first as we cracks the eggs for me when I make something. But once I explained they aren’t eggs to crack she got the point and got to painting. I’m going to have to keep those half painted eggs forever. So cute!!

Those eggs will last forever, but these Easter Chicks Cupcakes won’t!

Easter Chicks Cupcakes-2

These Easter Chicks Cupcakes are really Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes with some Green Vanilla Buttercream Frosting topped off with some green coconut ‘grass’ and Peeps chicks. But Easter Chicks Cupcakes sounds cuter.

I used a chocolate brownie cupcake base as I wanted the cupcake to look like the earth. The green frosting is the glue for the green coconut grass. And then the marshmallow Peep Chick finishes it off.

Easter Chicks Cupcakes-3

I used the traditional yellow Peeps Chicks but the Peeps Bunnies are just as cute.

I brought these cupcakes to daycare and the kids loved them.

Easter Chicks Cupcakes-4

Easter Chicks Cupcakes

Makes 24 Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes

  • 1 pound semi sweet chocolate, use a bar that your break into pieces or chips
  • 12 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 Cups dark brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 Cups all-purpose flour

For the frosting

  • 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 8 Cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 Tablespoons milk
  • green food coloring

For the ‘Grass’

  • 2 Cups shredded coconut
  • green food coloring
  • 24  Chicks Peeps

Process

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line your muffin pans with paper liners.
  2. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler. Set aside to slightly cool.
  3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the brown sugar and beat until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract.
  4. Add the flour to the brownie batter and mix until just combined.
  5. Evenly divide the brownie cupcake batter between the 24 liners.
  6. Make for 25-30 minutes, or until the cupcakes are firm to the touch while the center is still moist.
  7. While the cupcakes bake, make the ‘grass’. Put the coconut into a small bowl. Add about 10 drops of green food coloring and mix to color all of the coconut.
  8. Make the frosting by beating the room temperature butter until it is light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat on slow speed until just together. Add the vanilla extract, milk, and enough food coloring to achieve a rich green color.
  9. Once your cupcakes have baked and cooled, frost the cupcakes with just a bit of frosting. You want it to be a pretty thin amount over the whole cupcake.
  10. Sprinkle the dyed coconut on the frosting. Insert a toothpick into the bottom of the Peep and then push the toothpicked Peep into the cupcake.

Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes adapted from The Cupcake, Frosting slightly adapted from  Buttercup Bake Shop Cookbook

Easter Chicks Cupcakes-9

__________________

Post contains affiliate links.

German’s Chocolate Pie

German's Chocolate Pie-01

I’ve been looking forward to Friday all week!!

Sure, it means it’s the end of the work week but what it really meant is that I got to share this recipe for German’s Chocolate Pie. Soo yummy!

German's Chocolate Pie-02

Price’s birthday is Monday so I made this pie in honor of that as German’s Chocolate Cake is one of his favorites. I made him a German’s Chocolate Cake (< pardon the old photos!) for his birthday before so I wanted to do that again, but with a twist!

We both loved this pie! It’s such a good combination of chocolate, coconut, and pecans- all elements in German’s Chocolate Cake’s super rich condensed milk based frosting. The pie basically uses the same ingredients as the cake but with a twist.

German's Chocolate Pie-5 German's Chocolate Pie-6

German's Chocolate Pie-7 German's Chocolate Pie-8

German's Chocolate Pie-9 German's Chocolate Pie-10

When I was making this I was thinking it would be pretty dense from the sweetened condensed milk but it ended up being pretty light and fluffy, which is from beating the eggs very well when they are incorporated into the chocolate and butter. It still was really rich but the light texture helped make it feel a little less indulgent.

Anyway, since it’s almost Price’s birthday we are celebrating it this weekend. We always try to do something big and fun for birthdays so we have a trip planned. There has been plenty of research related to all the good things we can eat and things we can see. At least there will be plenty of walking to help work off all the BBQ!

German's Chocolate Pie-03

Hope you have a great weekend!

German's Chocolate Pie-04

German’s Chocolate Pie

Makes a 9″ Pie

Ingredients

  • 2 4-ounce bars Baker’s sweet chocolate, broken into pieces
  • 1/4 Cup unsalted butter
  • 1 13-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • 3 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 1/2 Cup sugar
  • 1  Cup  shredded coconut
  • 1 Cup finely chopped pecans
  • 1 9-inch unbaked deep-dish pie shell (I used half of this crust recipe)

Process

  • Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
  • In a saucepan, melt chocolate and butter over medium heat.
  • Removed from the heat, and add the sweetened condensed milk end eggs mix well to fully incorporate.
  • Add the sugar, coconut, and pecans. Stir until blended.
  • Pour into the unbaked pie shell
  • Set pie on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 -40 minutes, or until the center is set while slightly shaken.
  • Serve warm or after the pie has cooled. Store in refrigerator

Inspired by Easy Baked

Copy Cat Almond Joy’s- SRC

 Copy Cat Almond Joy's-1

Yay! Today is Memorial Day!

We are sticking home today to hang out, cross some things off the to do list, and grill. We made steak last night so I think some hot dogs for lunch and chicken for dinner. Autumn even had her own piece of steak (not seasoned, well done) that she sucked on and then dropped for the dog. I swear I try to grab what she is about to do but she is sneaky. And when she isn’t dropping him food she hangs a hand over the edge for him to lick. Those two are going to be trouble as she grows up. It’s going to be too cute! And a bit awful!!

Copy Cat Almond Joy's-2

Anyway, we did some crafty stuff for our room yesterday and we’re going to do some stuff for her room today. I have most of the elements together for a gallery wall for her so I am going to put it up while mapping out some place holders for the 2 little canvases I am going to order. I just love to be able to create something new for our house. I only wish we did it more often.

Anyway, May has sped by and it’s now time for this month’s Secret Recipe Club post I was given the blog Sew You Think You Can Cook. Lauren shares recipes on her blog that she makes when she is not busy with quilting scrapbooking, and cross stitch. When she is not cooking and crafting she is an aerospace engineer… hello smarty! Sounds like a cool profession says the person who pulls out a calculator to figure out a tip. ha! 

While I was eyeing a few of her savory recipes, like the Vineyard Chicken, her homemade Almond Joy bars jumped out to me. I hadn’t made candy in the awhile and never a candy bar like this. I was up for the little challenge!

Copy Cat Almond Joy's-4 Copy Cat Almond Joy's-5

Copy Cat Almond Joy's-6 Copy Cat Almond Joy's-7

I really suggest using a stand mixer to make these Almond Joy’s. The mixture is sticky and would require a bit of muscle so I think it’s best to use the stand mixer so you knew you evenly mixed everything together. If you need a workout then be sure to just a greased bowl and a wooden spoon. Assembling the bars is a breeze. The trickest part is the chocolate part. I never have much luck coating candy evenly, and neither did Lauren, so I decided just to coat the tops. If you are a pro at coating candy then feel free to do that instead, you’ll just need more chocolate.

So a big thanks to Lauren for such a wonderful recipe. As well, a very special thanks on this Memorial Day to her and her husband, who is in the Air Force!!!

Copy Cat Almond Joy's-2

Copy Cat Almond Joy’s

Makes 24 candy bars

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 1/2 Cup powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • pinch of kosher salt
  • 3 Cup sweetened shredded coconut
  • 48 whole salted almonds
  • 8 ounces of milk chocolate

Process

  1. Line an 8″ x 8″ baking pan with aluminum foil. Then spray the lined pan with cooking spray.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, pour the condensed milk and half of the sugar. Using the paddle attachment, beat until combined. Then add the remaining sugar and beat.
  3. Add in the vanilla extract and salt then beat for another minute until really whipped.
  4. In one large batch, add in shredded coconut and beat together until the coconut evenly coated with the condensed milk mixture
  5. Using greased hands, press the coconut mixture into an even layer in the lined baking pan. Score the candy bars by dividing the pan in 3 pieces in one direction. Then rotate the pan and score it into 8 equal pieces in that direction. Place 2 almonds onto each candy bar.
  6. Freeze for at least 30 minutes.
  7. While the bars are still in the pan, completely cut through where you had previously scored the candy bars.
  8. Melt the chocolate and then evenly pour it over the bars. Let cool complete prior to removing the liner from the pan. Gently flip the candy over onto a cutting board. Cut out each candy bar by cutting through the chocolate at each location where you had cut through the candy previously.

Adaped from Sew You Think You Can Cook

 

_____________________

Secret Recipe Club

Check out my 2 years of Secret Recipe Club posts!!!!

____________________

Thanks for visiting. Please leave me a comment to provide some feedback. I appreciate all the comments I receive.

Mother’s Day Pie

Mother's Day Pie

I’m so excited for the weekend!!

We have so much to do but it should be fun to enjoy the weekend and get a bunch of stuff done. Fingers cross on us actually tackling the to do list.

Plus, it’s going to be nice weather. Well, it might rain Saturday but it’s supposed to be warm so I can work with that. But Sunday is supposed to be even better. Also, it’s my first Mother’s Day, so that should be fun.

Mother's Day Pie-1

Price has agreed to help Autumn whip up breakfast for Mother’s Day while we lounge around in the morning. She was babbling to him that it might be hard to make waffles considering she can’t yet sit up, so he agreed to do the heavy lifting, but as long as she watched to learn how to make on of my favorite breakfast treats.

Man, I love waffles. I swear I could eat waffles every weekend. That and Eggs Benedict. Oh yeah, maybe I’m have some pie too. Okay, okay, I’m behave…

Every week I ask Price what pie I should make for my weekly pie post. Sometimes I offer him a few choices between things and other times he comes up with the idea completely. This week I threw some ideas at him, he veto’d them (for now), did some googling and found this pie. And this is how this pie came to be.

It reminds me of a mega coconut macaroon. It’s sweet, custardy, and very coconuty. I enjoyed it just like that but I think a chocolate drizzle would be amazing on it as well.

Mother’s Day Pie

Makes a 9″ pie

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
  • 1 cup shredded coconut

Process

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Generously grease and flour a 9 inch pie plate.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together sugar, flour, and salt.
  3. Stir in melted butter and vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in evaporated milk followed by the shredded coconut.
  4. Pour mixture into the pie plate.
  5. Bake in preheated oven for 40-50 minutes. The center of the pie will still be slightly jiggly. Remove from oven to set up at room temperature. Chilling a bit before serving will help with cutting cleaner slices

Sourced from All Recipes

Frozen Samoa Cookie Pie

Frozen Samoa Cookie Pie

It is finally going to be nice out tomorrow so we are going to test drive some cars!

I feel like I’m betraying our other car. Ahh poor Frank the Tank.

Frozen Samoa Cookie Pie-1

But Frank is just too small now. Not in the ‘we have a new baby and have tons of stuff small’ but ‘we have a new baby and no one can sit in the passenger seat now because of the car seat’ small. Yep, that’s what happens when your Scion Xa is the size of a matchbox car. It means with the car seat in the back you can’t sit in front. Well, you can but then your knees are touching the dashboard and that’s not the safest thing.

Now we are getting a new car so that it doesn’t mean that one of us is playing chauffeur.

Thankfully, Frank has been paid off for years so he is sticking around and will be the car we use when we are just running errands. I can’t ditch Frank yet! He only has 115K miles under the belt and he has plenty more in him!

Frozen Samoa Cookie Pie-4 Frozen Samoa Cookie Pie-5

Frozen Samoa Cookie Pie-6 Frozen Samoa Cookie Pie-7

Tomorrow we are looking at a Mazda CX5 and then next weekend we are going to check out a Toyota Rav4. Price has done endless research on endless models of cars and they are our top 2 cars.

Truthfully, I’m a bit nervous to test drive cars because I’m so used to how mine handles and this time we are going to get an automatic (for various reasons). Aside from rentals, I’ve only ever driven standard cars and when I drive automatics I tend to drive with 2 feet. I’m sure the sales guy is gonna love it…

Frozen Samoa Cookie Pie-8 Frozen Samoa Cookie Pie-9

Frozen Samoa Cookie Pie-10 Frozen Samoa Cookie Pie-11

Anyway, today is Pie Day here on the blog and Pi Day! #doublepieday

So I made this doozy of a pie for the occasion. This Frozen Samoa Cookie Pie is what happens when you stuff some Samoa Cookie pieces in and on a Cool – Whip based pie. And don’t forget the added coconut, caramel, and chocolate that is in and on the pie too!

This takes almost no time to whip up but the killer part is waiting for it to set up and freeze again. But the wait it worth it.

Frozen Samoa Cookie Pie-2

DIG IN!!!

Frozen Samoa Cookie Pie-3

Frozen Samoa Cookie Pie

Makes 9″ pie

Ingredients

  • 1 Nilla Wafer Pre-made Pie Crust
  • 8 oz of cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/3 Cup sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons low-fat milk
  • 1 container (8oz) Cool Whip, at room temperature
  • 12 Samoa Cookies, cut into dime sized pieces, divided
  • 1 cup shredded coconut, divided
  • chocolate syrup (about 1/2 cup)
  • caramel sundae syrup (about 1/2 cup)

Process

  1. Whip the cream cheese in a mixing bowl for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and milk and mix until fully incorporated it into cream cheese.
  2. Gently fold in the Cool Whip until it’s well blended together
  3. Put half of the filling mixture into the pie crust. Then put half of the coconut on the filling. Drizzle a lot of the caramel and chocolate sauces on the filling. Lastly, add in half of the cookie pieces.
  4. Pour the rest of the filling mixture on top of the fillings later. Spread evenly with a spatula.
  5. Sprinkle the remaining coconut and cookies on the top of the pie. Gently press into the top of the pie. Then generously drizzle with the caramel and chocolate sauces.
  6. Put the pie into the freezer to set up. I suggest at least 4 hours, but overnight is preferred.
  7. When ready to serve, remove from freezer and cut into all the pieces (8-12). (Cutting the pieces at once when frozen makes it easier to do.) Remove slices from pie plate and let thaw slightly on serving plate.
  8. Serve slices with more caramel and chocolate sauce. And a bit of whipped cream doesn’t hurt.

Inspired by Beyond Frosting

Thirsty Thursday: German’s Chocolate Cake Milkshake

German's Chocolate Cake Milkshake

Next week we are off to the Florida Keys on our little ‘babymoon’. As well, we will be gone for Price’s birthday. Last year we were in Chicago for his birthday and this year we’ll be bumming it by the pool in the South Florida sun. I think he lucks out for his birthday while I freeze my but off for mine in January.

…

Read More

Coconut Cream Pie- SRC

Coconut Cream Pie_SRC

It’s Secret Recipe Club time again!!

As usual I told Price to check out the blog and to pick out the recipe that I should make for this month. I only specified that I didn’t want to make a cake or cookies. So Price headed over to My Beautiful Disasters and checked out the recipes that Casey has made. He picked out the Coconut Cream Pie as I’ve been saying that I want to try to make more pies.

Coconut Cream Pie_01 Coconut Cream Pie_02

Coconut Cream Pie_03 Coconut Cream Pie_04

We loved this pie. It was so easy to make and tasted so good. Casey remarked that when she made it that it didn’t set up well. I didn’t have trouble setting it up but I did recently cook a chocolate pudding pie so I figured I would make sure I get it thick enough while cooking it instead of having it set up while chilling, just like when I that one. It just took some time and patience to stand there and stir constantly but it totally was worth it.

Coconut Cream Pie_05 Coconut Cream Pie_06

Coconut Cream Pie_07 Coconut Cream Pie_08

I’m so glad that Price picked this recipe from Casey’s blog. It was a fantastic recipe to make for SRC. I only wish I had planned enough in advance (when will I learn?!?!) to make her homemade pie crusts. I just grabbed a 9″ pie crust from the grocery store and baked it according to its instructions and let it cool completely. Simple. The only thing I did different was that I used the coconut extract instead of the vanilla extract in the whipped cream. I just wanted it to scream coconut!

If you love coconut then you’ll love this coconut cream pie!

Coconut Cream Pie

Makes 12 slices

Ingredients

1 pre-baked 9-inch pie shell

Coconut Cream Pie Filling

  • 4 egg yolks
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut
  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • 1 teaspoon coconut extract

Whipped Cream

  • 1 cup whipping cream, whipped
  • 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Coconut Topping

  • 1/2 cup of shredded sweetened coconut

Process

  1. Use either a purchased pie crust or a homemade one. Pre-bake according to instructions/recipe, allow to cool completely.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350. On a rimmed baking sheet, spread out the 1/2 cup of the shredded coconut. Toast for 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool.
  3. To make the filling, combine the yolks, milk, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heavy bottomed saucepan; mix well. While continuelly stiring, cook slowly over medium low heat until the mixture bubbles and begins to thicken. Reduce to low and stir in the coconut and butter. Continue to cook and stir until very thick, approximately another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the coconut extract.
  4. Cool the filling approximately 10-15 minutes prior to pouring into the pie shell.
  5. Whip the whipping cream over medium speed. Once it begins to thicken, add in the powdered sugar and extracts.
  6. Evenly spread the whipped cream over the cooled pie. Sprinkle the toasted coconut over the whipped cream. Serve chilled.

_____________________

Secret Recipe Club

Check out the rest of the reveal day posts!



 Check out my previous Secret Recipe Club Posts

____________________

Thanks for visiting. Please leave me a comment to provide some feedback. I appreciate all the comments I receive.

German’s Chocolate Cake Matzo Bark

Topping Matzo with chocolate, coconut, and pecans is how you create an easy, quick treat. You will be thinking, “Where has this German’s Chocolate Cake Matzo Bark been all my life?!”

German's Chocolate Cake Matzo Bark

I was so addicted to my Peanut Butter Lover’s Chocolate Matzo Bark that I immediately started to think of new fun toppings that would be utterly fantastic and delicious on Matzo. It hit me instantly… German’s Chocolate Cake Matzo Bark

Of course, I couldn’t make just 1 Matzo bark. I had to make another variety besides the Peanut Butter Lover’s Chocolate Matzo Bark so I raided my pantry for some fun bark toppings. I came across some pecans from a trail mix I was making so then I started to run with the idea of German’s Chocolate Cake by grabbing some coconut. It is one of Price’s favorite cakes so I knew it would be a hit in our house.

German's Chocolate Cake Matzo Bark_01 German's Chocolate Cake Matzo Bark_02

If you love German’s Chocolate Cake then you’ll enjoy this fun bark. It has a lot of sweet crunch to it that it is as tasty as it is loud!

German's Chocolate Cake Matzo Bark

Yield: 12 people

Topping Matzo with chocolate, coconut, and pecans is how you create an easy, quick treat. You will be thinking, "Where has this German's Chocolate Cake Matzo Bark been all my life?!"

Ingredients

  • 4 pieces of Matzo
  • 5 ounces of semi sweet chocolate, melted
  • 2 ounces of pecans, chopped
  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut

Instructions

  1. Arrange the matzo on a sheet of tin foil or parchment paper or on a baking sheet.
  2. Evenly coat the matzo bark with half the melted chocolate. Sprinkle the chopped pecans and coconut on the melted chocolate. Gently press them into the chocolate. Drizzle the remaining chocolate over the nuts and coconut.
  3. Chill the matzo until the chocolate has set up. Break into pieces.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag me in your Instagram pic @iamahoneybee

© iamahoneybee
Category: Dessert

Thirsty Thursday: Samoa Cookie Cocktail

Samoa Cookie Cocktail – Now you can have your favorite Girl Scout Cookie in a fun adult drink! Enjoy!

Samoa Cookie Cocktail

Amanda picked the theme this week and it is the best yet!!!

I had just impulse bought a bottle of caramel vodka so when Amanda msg’d me that we should do a Girl Scout Cookie theme this week I immediently knew what cookie I would be recreating. A Samoa!

I needed to cover the chocolate, caramel, and coconut flavors in the cookies and I knew just how to do that with the bottles I have on hand (so proud of our random mix of boozes). Chocolate = chocolate liqueur. Caramel = caramel vodka. Coconut = Malibu rum. With those three you get a nice, sweet dessert cocktail that will packs a kick that no cookie can give you.

If you love Samoa cookies then you will love what we made this week! Be sure to check out Amanda’s Samoa Brownies… just try not to eat the whole batch yourself. I cracked this year and bought too many boxes of Girl Scout cookies, but once they are gone I’ll need to make these crazy, layered Samoa Brownies.

Samoa Cookie Cocktail

Makes 1 drink

Ingredients

Glass Garnishes

  • chocolate syrup
  • shredded coconut
  • 1 Samoa Girl Scout cookie
  • caramel syrup

Drink

  • 2 oz chocolate liqueur
  • 1 1/2 oz caramel vodka
  • 1 1/2 oz Malibu rum
  • 1 oz half and half

Process

  1. Put some chocolate syrup on a plate. Twist the edge of the glass into the syrup coating the entire rim. Then sprinkle coconut onto the glass into the syrup.
  2. In a chilled cocktail shaker, combine all of the drink ingredients and then shake vigorously.
  3. Pour into the glass and then drizzle some caramel syrup on top of the cocktail and on the rim. Garnish with a cookie.

Spring Time Bird’s Nest Cookies

Easter is my favorite holiday. I don’t go to church so I love everything else that has been slapped onto Easter. Dresses are pretty and frilly. Pastels are everywhere. There are no gifts- except candy. Cute animals decorate everything. I just about *squeee!!!* every time I see a cute little bunny on something. Plus flowers are blooming. I love how (to me) Easter celebrates spring and a new beginning. Everything is shedding winter’s greys and is layering on color. Flowers are starting to bloom everywhere from beneath your feet to above your head from overarching tree branches. And on those branches sit nests that have lovely speckled eggs on them.

These nest cookies are a perfect way to celebrate spring time! They are so easy too! The coconut part is super easy to bring together. The baking time might sound like a long process of checking them every 5 or so minutes or so but it’s just to ensure they will achieve a nice golden brown color while not letting the bottom burn. Other than that it’s super easy and so good. Coconut and chocolate go together so well so it ends up being a perfect pairing.

Spring Time Bird’s Nest Cookies

*makes 15 cookies*

Ingredients

  • 1 14oz package of shredded coconut
  • 1 14 oz can of condensed milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 bag Cadbury Mini Eggs

Process

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with aluminum foil or parchment paper
  2. Combine the shredded coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla extract together in a large bowl.
  3. Create 15 mounds of the coconut mixture. Using a spoon or your fingers, create each mound into a bowl shape to resemble a nest.
  4. Bake for 10 minutes, turn the oven down to 325 and bake for 5-8 more minutes, until golden brown. Turn the oven off and then let them sit for another 5 minutes prior to removing from the oven. Gently remove the cookies from the sheet to let them cool.
  5. As the nests are cooling, mix the frosting together. Using a mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Sift the sugar and cocoa powder into the butter and continue mixing. Add vanilla extract and the water and mix until completely incorporated and the frosting is fluffy.
  6. Put the frosting in a small piping bag or a sandiwch bag and cut the tip so you can pipe the frosting onto the coconut nests.
  7. Pipe approximately 1 tablespoon of frosting into the nests. Then place 4 mini eggs into the frosting to secure them into the nests.