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Bird's Nest Macaroons

Flavored with almond and orange, filled with coconut and topped with mini chocolate eggs – these Bird’s Nest Macaroons are a sure-to-please Easter dessert!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Chill time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 27 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Bird's nest cookies, coconut desserts, Coconut Easter desserts, Easter cookies, Easter egg cookies, Easy Easter Desserts
Servings: 36 cookies
Calories: 141.4kcal
Author: Sarah H

Equipment

  • 1-2 cookie sheets + liners or parchment paper
  • 1 cookie scoop (optional, but makes uniform cookies easier)

Ingredients

  • cup butter (softened)
  • 4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 teaspoons almond extract
  • 1 teaspoon orange extract (or 2 teaspoons orange juice concentrate)
  • 1 ¼ cup flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 14 ounces coconut, shredded (divided)
  • 1 bag Cadbury mini eggs (or other Easter eggs or M&Ms)

Instructions

Make & chill the dough

  • Cream softened butter and cream cheese together until combined. Beat in sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, almond extract, and orange extract (or concentrate); beat well.
  • Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to butter/cream cheese mixture. Measure and mix in 3 cups coconut (save remaining coconut to roll cookies in before baking.) Cover and chill 1 hour.

Bake

  • Shape into 1-inch balls (I used a small cookie scoop). Roll in remaining coconut. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.
    Remove from oven and cool 1-2 minutes; then press a small 'bird's-nest-hole' into the center of each cookie. I used the back of a vegetable peeler; any blunt-ended kitchen utensil will do.
    Fill with 2-3 Cadbury eggs per cookie. Carefully remove from cookie sheet and cool completely on wire rack.

Video

Notes

(Please note nutrition information is an estimate, and may not be exactly accurate. Counts per cookie will also vary if the entire bag of coconut (or chocolate eggs) is not used.) 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 141.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 11.5g | Protein: 1.6g | Fat: 10.7g