Bird's Nest Thumbprint Cookies / #SpringSweetsWeek

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This post is sponsored in conjunction with #SpringSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to help in the creation of the #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

Welcome to #SpringSweetsWeek, day 2! I hope you are having fun checking out all the tasty recipes so far! Have you entered the giveaway yet? Don't forget! You can enter towards the end of this page! Today I made these Bird's Nest Thumbprint Cookies. They are fun to make, and if you have any helpers, this is the cookie recipe for them. There are chocolate eggs to go on the tops of the cookies, and if your helpers are not too young, they might want to try piping the grass and the birds nest. These cookies are good practice and this recipe is very versatile. I have used it several times for different types of thumbprint fillings. This is also one of those recipes I just love because not everything has to be done at one time, or the same time. You can make this recipe a day or two ahead of the decorating. Then finish the frosting closer to the day you want the cookies ready! Plus, this recipe is really yummy!

Bird's Nest Thumbprint Cookies
(Makes 7 dozen)
(printable recipe at end of page)

1 cup Butter
1 cup Dixie Crystals Powdered Sugar
1 cup Dixie Crystals Granulated Sugar
2 large Eggs
1 teaspoon Vegetable Oil
2 teaspoons Vanilla
2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
5 1/4 cup Flour
1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon Salt
Frosting
Wilton Color Kelly Green 
Americolor Chocolate Brown
Wilton Tip #233
Mini Chocolate Eggs

Frosting Recipe:
3/4 cup Warm Water
5 tablespoons Meringue Powder
1 teaspoons Cream of Tartar
2.25 pounds Dixie Crystals Powdered Sugar

Mix the butter on medium until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and granulated sugar and mix again. Add your eggs, oil, vanilla, and lemon juice. Beat until blended.

In a separate bowl, mix together your flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Then add that to the mixing bowl with the sugar ingredients.

Use a small scoop and place scoops of batter on to a cookie sheet.

Roll each ball around in your hand making them smooth. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Remove from oven.

Immediately use something that will compress the middle of the cookie, giving it an edge. I used a pestle. I sprayed the pestle with cooking spray so it would not stick to the cookies.

I like making the cookie indentation immediately after the cookies have baked. It gives a cleaner look, with less cracked cookie sides. These cookies will not brown, but they may become slightly brown on the bottom. When they do, they are done. Place on cooling rack to cool. 

Make the frosting by mixing together the warm water and meringue powder. Whisk it by hand for 30 seconds. Add the cream of tartar and whisk 30 seconds more. Use a mixer with a paddle attachment, add the sugar and mix for 15 minutes on low speed. The icing will become creamy and thick. Mix 1/2 cup of the frosting green and another 1/2 cup colored brown. You will have a lot of frosting left for future recipes.

Use a Wilton tip 233 to place green tufts of grass around the inside edges of the cookies.

Use the same tip again, only with a decorating bag filled with brown frosting. Pipe a circle around the top of the cookie, making it look similar to a birds nest.

Place the eggs on the tops of the cookies. Enjoy!

Don't forget about entering the raffle! 
You can do it right here!
Read about all the great prizes you can win, 
see here!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday #SpringSweetsWeek Recipes

• Bird’s Nest Thumbprint Cookies by The Freshman Cook
• Blood Orange Danish Puff Pastry Pinwheels by The Gingered Whisk
• Brownie & Ice Cream Peeps Pops by Kate’s Recipe Box
• Caramel Walnut French Toast Bake by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Chick's Nests (aka Haystacks) by Books n' Cooks
• Chocolate Coconut Toasted Granola by Cooking With Carlee
• Classic Banana Pudding Parfaits by Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
• Cottage Cheese Jello Salad by House of Nash Eats
• Easy Coconut Sheet Cake by Palatable Pastime
• Fresh Key Lime Pie by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Lemon Daisy Tartlets by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Monster Cookie Cake by Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Orange Vanilla Creme Baked Donuts by Kelly Lynn’s Sweets and Treats
• Orange Creme Smoothie by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Orange Ricotta Cake by The Tip Garden
• PEEPS Easter Bunny Vanilla cake by Cookaholic Wife
• Small Batch Double Lemon Cupcakes by Family Around the Table
• Spring Snack Mix by Sweet Beginnings
• Vegan Oatmeal Cookie Sweet Rolls with Oatmilk Yogurt Frosting by The Baking Fairy
• Whipped Yogurt Fruit Tart by The Crumby Kitchen
• White Chocolate Popcorn with Sprinkles by Creative Southern Home
• Yogurt Parfait with Barlean's Orange Creme by Our Good Life

Thank you #SpringSweetsWeek Sponsors: Dixie Crystals, Swiss Diamond, Nancy’s Yogurt, Barlean’s, Sprinkle Pop, PEEPS, Melissa’s Produce, and Adams Extracts for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are my own. The #SpringSweetsWeek giveaway is open to residents of the United States who are 18 years of age or older.   All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Eight (8)  winners will be selected. The prize packages will be sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. The #SpringSweetsWeek Bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or any other social channel mentioned in the #SpringSweetsWeek posts or entry.

cookies, treats, desserts, gifts

dessert, bakery, cookies

Yield: 7 dozenAuthor: The Freshman CookPin it

Bird's Nest Thumbprint Cookies

ingredients:

Cookies

• 1 cup Butter
• 1 cup Dixie Crystals Powdered Sugar
• 1 cup Dixie Crystals Granulated Sugar
• 2 large Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Vegetable Oil
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla
• 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
• 5 1/4 cup Flour
• 1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• Frosting
• Mini Chocolate Eggs

Frosting

• 3/4 cup Warm Water
• 5 tablespoons Meringue Powder
• 1 teaspoons Cream of Tartar
• 2.25 pounds Powdered Sugar
• Wilton Color Kelly Green
• Americolor Chocolate Brown
• Wilton Tip #233

instructions:

Cookies

1. Mix the butter on medium until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and granulated sugar and mix again. Add your eggs, oil, vanilla, and lemon juice. Beat until blended.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together your flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Then add that to the mixing bowl with the sugar ingredients.
3. Use a small scoop and place scoops of batter on to a cookie sheet.
4. Roll each ball around in your hand making them smooth. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Remove from oven.
5. Immediately use something that will compress the middle of the cookie, giving it an edge. I used a pestle. I sprayed the pestle with cooking spray so it would not stick to the cookies.
6. I like making the cookie indentation immediately after the cookies have baked. It gives a cleaner look, with less cracked cookie sides. These cookies will not brown, but they may become slightly brown on the bottom. When they do, they are done. Place on cooling rack to cool.
7. Make the frosting by mixing together the warm water and meringue powder. Whisk it by hand for 30 seconds. Add the cream of tartar and whisk 30 seconds more. Use a mixer with a paddle attachment, add the sugar and mix for 15 minutes on low speed. The icing will become creamy and thick. Mix 1/2 cup of the frosting green and another 1/2 cup colored brown. You will have a lot of frosting left for future recipes.
8. Use a Wilton tip 233 to place green tufts of grass around the inside edges of the cookies.
9. Use the same tip again, only with a decorating bag filled with brown frosting. Pipe a circle around the top of the cookie, making it look similar to a birds nest.
10. Place the eggs on the tops of the cookies. Enjoy!

https://www.thefreshmancook.com/2019/03/birds-nest-thumbprint-cookies.html

Created using The Recipes Generator

Vanilla Bundt Cake w/ a Bird's Nest Topper

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These sweet little mini cakes might just be the answer to your "What do I serve for Easter dessert?" question! They are Vanilla Bundt Cakes with a Bird's Nest Topper. The cakes can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until the day you want to serve them. You will want to make the bird nests a day or three before also. This recipe has a lot of different pieces, but there is nothing difficult about it. It's bake the cake, make the nests, make the icing, all before the event. Drizzle the cake, put the eggs in the nest, place the nest on the cake when ready to serve. A simple dessert for Easter Sunday, a spring party, or Mother's Day!

Vanilla Bundt Cake w/ a Bird's Nest Topper 
(makes 1 dozen bundt cakes)
(printable recipe at end of post)

Cake
2 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda 
pinch of Salt
1/2 cup softened Butter
1 3/4 cups Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
4 Egg Whites
1 1/3 cups Buttermilk

Frosting
3/4 cup Warm Water
5 tablespoons Meringue Powder
1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
2.25 pounds Confectioners Sugar
Pink Food Coloring
Yellow Food Coloring
Purple Food Coloring

Bird Nests
2 cups  Chow Mein Noodles
2 cups Melted Milk Chocolate
Small Cadbury Eggs 

Preheat oven to 350Ⓕ.

Lightly grease and flour the bundt pans you will be using. Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla. Add egg whites one at a time, beating after adding each one. Start alternately adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk until combined.

 Add batter to pan and bake for 10-12 minutes, checking with a toothpick to see if it is done. Remove from pan and let cool completely. Set aside. 

I used my favorite chocolate bar from Trader Joe's to make the nests. To melt chocolate, use a double boiler, so you don't scorch the chocolate. Mix together the chow mein noodles and the melted milk chocolate. I used a spatula and my hands with gloves on to get them mixed properly.

 Form nests by forming a ball, and then bring the sides up, making an indentation forming the nests.

Make the frosting-pour the warm water into your mixing bowl. Add the meringue powder. Whisk it for 30 seconds. It should become frothy and thicken up a little. Add the cream of tartar. Whisk again for 30 seconds. Pour in all the confectioners sugar at one time. Use the paddle attachment if you have a stand mixer. Put your speed on,low, and mix for 10 minutes. The frosting will get thick and creamy. Place the frosting in a container that you can seal tight, because it can get crusty and dry out. You will probably have some frosting left over. 

Mix your icing colors. Mix approximately 1 cup of each color. After mixing the colors, thin them by starting with adding a 1/4 teaspoon of water to each color so they will drizzle a little. You may need to add more, but just use a little bit at a time.

Drizzle your cake with the colors you choose. Fill the birds nest with the eggs, and place it on the cake! You are ready to serve and enjoy!

Thanks so much for joining me today! If you are looking for more Easter food and treat inspiration here are a few you might enjoy!:

Chocolate Filled Eggs

Carrot Cookies

Mr. McGregor's Marshmallow Carrots 

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yield: 12 mini bundt cakesAuthor: The Freshman Cookprint recipe

Vanilla Bundt Cake w/ a Bird's Nest Topper

prep time: cook time: total time:

INGREDIENTS:

Mini Bundt Cakes

• 2 cups Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• pinch of Salt
• 1/2 cup softened Butter
• 1 3/4 cups Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 4 Egg Whites
• 1 1/3 cups Buttermilk

Frosting

• 3/4 cup Warm Water
• 5 tablespoons Meringue Powder
• 1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
• 2.25 pounds Confectioners Sugar
• Pink, Yellow and Purple Food Coloring

Birds Nests

• 2 cups Chow Mein Noodles
• 2 cups Melted Milk Chocolate
• Small Cadbury Eggs

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350Ⓕ.
2. Lightly grease and flour the bundt pans you will be using. Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla. Add egg whites one at a time, beating after adding each one. Start alternately adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk until combined.
3. Add batter to pan and bake for 10-12 minutes, checking with a toothpick to see if it is done. Remove from pan and let cool completely. Set aside.
4. I used my favorite chocolate bar from Trader Joe's to make the nests. To melt chocolate, use a double boiler, so you don't scorch the chocolate. Mix together the chow mein noodles and the melted milk chocolate. I used a spatula and my hands with gloves on to get them mixed properly.
5. Form nests by forming a ball, and then bring the sides up, making an indentation forming the nests.
6. Make the frosting-pour the warm water into your mixing bowl. Add the meringue powder. Whisk it for 30 seconds. It should become frothy and thicken up a little. Add the cream of tartar. Whisk again for 30 seconds. Pour in all the confectioners sugar at one time. Use the paddle attachment if you have a stand mixer. Put your speed on,low, and mix for 10 minutes. The frosting will get thick and creamy. Place the frosting in a container that you can seal tight, because it can get crusty and dry out. You will probably have some frosting left over.
7. Mix your icing colors. Mix approximately 1 cup of each color. After mixing the colors, thin them by starting with adding a 1/4 teaspoon of water to each color so they will drizzle a little. You may need to add more, but just use a little bit at a time.
8. Drizzle your cake with the colors you choose. Fill the birds nest with the eggs, and place it on the cake! You are ready to serve and enjoy!

http://www.thefreshmancook.com/2017/04/vanilla-bundt-cake-w-birds-nest-topper.html

Created using The Recipes Generator

Chocolate Filled Easter Eggs

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What would Easter be without Easter Eggs?! They are such a big part of many celebrations! As my son was growing up we had one Easter tradition that was a part of every Easter~the annual Easter Egg hunt. The only difference was their our hunt was really a hunt for his basket full of goodies. The first egg was next to his bed when he woke up in the morning. Each egg held a clue to the next egg. He had to read the clue and follow the directions to the next clue. I always made them rhyme, and I would change them, making them more difficult as he got older. When we first started he couldn't even read. We did them until he was about 14 or 15, but I have a feeling he just wanted to do it for me. I even thought about making them way more difficult by having him hunt on his dirt bike or four wheeler, but we never did. Maybe when he has kids!

Anyway, these eggs are probably not the best for hiding, but I think you will find them perfect for eating!

Chocolate Filled Easter Eggs

Easter Ideas!

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Looking for some Easter Ideas? Check out all the ideas from Celebrate It! Blog Link Party! You will find yummy recipes, cute Easter decorations, and some stylish Easter Eggs! Scroll down to find the clickable links!

Colorful White Chocolate Truffles

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These Colorful White Chocolate Truffles are a wonderful, tasty, and colorful addition to Easter Baskets, Easter Brunch, Mother's Day, Weddings or a Spring Celebration. They are easy to make with just a few ingredients. Use a good quality white chocolate and you can change the coating color on the outside to customize them to match any event for a personalized, custom look!  The soft creamy inside will be loved by everyone.

Bunny Bark!

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It's almost time to fill the Easter Baskets, so I'm glad I got this easy to make, Bunny Bark to you! Everyone would love getting this Bunny Bark in their Basket. It's colorful, fun, and is a treat that everyone loves. It's full of  marshmallow bunnies, pretzel bunnies, candy coated sixlets and sprinkles! You might even have most of the ingredients already in your pantry!

 Bunny Bark

Mr. McGregor's Marshmallow Carrots

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These Marshmallow Carrots are not the ones that Peter Rabbit was munching on in Mr. McGregor's garden, but I think you will like them. You start with homemade marshmallow, cut out some carrots with a cookie cutter, add some orange sanding sugar, add some licorice greens, and you have a marshmallow carrot similar to a peep! It would have been fun if these had been growing in Mr. McGregor's garden!

Mr. McGregors Marshmallow Carrots

A Pink Peeps Cake

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Hello Peeps! It's Peeps time and today I have a Pink Peeps Cake to get you a Peep-ish mood. It's also reveal day for the Behind the Curtain Dessert Challenge, and this month our ingredients are white chocolate and, yes, you guessed it, Peeps!

 Pink Peeps Cake

Easter Egg Carrot Cake~Holiday Recipe Club

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It's time again for Holiday Recipe Club! This is only my second post with the club, and so far, it is really fun!! Each month we are given three ingredients to choose from to make a recipe. We must use at least one of the  holiday related ingredients. Our ingredients this month are spinach, eggs, and carrots. I choose carrots and eggs, and came up with Easter Egg Carrot Egg! I have used this carrot cake many, many times, and it is delicious!

 Easter Egg Carrot Cake

{adapted from The Cake Doctor, by Anne Byrn}

1 box Duncan Hines Butter Recipe Cake Mix

1 (3.4 oz.) Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix

2/3 cup Orange Juice

1/2 cup Vegetable oil

4 Eggs

2 teaspoons Cinnamon

2 medium Carrots, shredded

1/2 cup Golden Raisins

Mix all of your ingredients, except for the raisins and carrots,

 together in your mixing bowl.Mix for 1 minute, then scrape 

bowl. Mix for 2 minutes more.

Add raisins and shredded carrots. Mix in with spatula.

Pour batter into greased and floured egg shaped pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Take a toothpick around the edges on the cake, and then

let cool for 15 minutes. Remove cakes from pan.

 Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces softened Cream Cheese

1 stick softened butter

1 teaspoon Vanilla

2 pounds Confectioners Sugar

Cream together the Cream  Cheese, butter, and vanilla.

Add sugar and beat until well blended.

Use a Wilton tip # 21 to cover the egg cake in little stars.

Cover the entire cake with the stars. 

Make some orange frosting with Wilton Orange.

Using a Wilton tip #5 squiggle a small carrot on the top of the cake.

Tint a small amount of frosting Americolor Forest Green.

Using a Wilton tip #2, frost some green on to the top of your carrot.

Now you have an individual dessert for each person 

for your holiday dinner.

Happy Easter!!