Easter Cookies

There is nothing like a home cooked Easter Cake, but if you are running short of time click here and purchase the cake of your dreams.

Easter Bird Nest Cookies

Ingredients

• 4 cups sweetened flake coconut
• 3 to 4 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
• 4 ounces (about 1/2 cup) mini jelly beans
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, at room temperature
• 1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract

Directions

Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in small bowl.

Beat together butter, cream cheese and brown sugar in large bowl until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.  Beat in egg yolk and coconut extract. On low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture in 3 batches until well blended.  Stir in 3 cups of the coconut.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap; chill 1 hour until firm enough to handle.  Spread remaining coconut on waxed paper.

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Using level tablespoon, shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in remaining coconut.  Place on ungreased baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart.

Bake at 350 degrees in oven 10 to 15 minutes or until firm to touch.  Cool on baking sheet or wire rack for 1 minute.  Then press indentation into center of each cookie, using back of 1/2-teaspoon measuring spoon.  Spoon about 1/4 teaspoon mini chocolate chips into each indentation.  Top with 3 jellybeans.

2 1/4 c  Flour                         
  1 1/4 ts Baking powder                 
    1/4 ts Salt                          
    1/2 c  Butter, softened              
      1 c  Powdered Sugar                
      1    Egg                           
      2 tb Brandy or Milk 
      1 ts Vanilla 
      1    Egg Yolk + 
      1 tb Milk beaten together 
      3 tb Sesame Seeds 

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt and set aside. In a large bowl combine butter and sugar, beating until fluffy. Add egg, brandy, vanilla and beat well after each addition. Add flour mixture / cup at a time blending will after each addition. Roll 1 teaspoon of dough on a lightly floured surface into a 6 inch rope, fold in half and twist 2 or 3 times, pinch ends together. Place 1 inch apart on 3 greased cookie sheets. Brush with egg/milk mixture. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake 10-13 minutes in a preheated 375oF oven until golden. Cool on rack. Store in an air tight container at room temperature. Makes 4/ dozen cookies.

Praline Easter Cookies

• 1/2 c Butter
• 1 1/2 c Packed brown sugar
• 1 ea Egg
• 1 1/2 c Flour
• 1 ts Vanilla
• 1 c Chopped pecans

. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter, sugar and egg. Stir in flour, vanilla and pecans. Mix well by hand.

Shape into balls about the size of walnuts, place on cookie sheets and flatten to about 1/8 inch.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Gingerbread Easter Bunny Cookies

    1/4 c  margarine
    1/2 c  brown sugar
    1/2 c  dark molasses
  3 1/2 c  flour
      1 ts baking soda
    1/4 ts cloves
    1/2 ts cinnamon
      1 ts ginger
    1/2 ts salt
    1/4 c  water
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Blend the margarine and sugar until creamy, then beat in the molasses.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger.

Add the dry ingredients to the margarine mixture in three parts alternating with the water. The dough will be stiff; you may need to work in the last third of the flour with your hands.

Roll the dough to any thickness you like, directly onto a nonstick cookie sheet; then cut out bunny rabbits with a cookie cutter.

Bake for 8 minutes or longer, depending on their thickness. When done, the dough should spring back when pressed.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

• 1 c Butter Or Margarine
• 1 1/2 c Light Brown Sugar; Packed
• 1 1/2 c Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1 lg Egg
• 2 ts Vanilla Extract
• 2 c Unbleached All Purpose Flour
• 1 ts Baking Soda
• 1 c Chocolate Chips

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla, blending well.

Thoroughly blend the flour and baking soda. Gradually add to the creamed mixture.

Fold in the chocolate chips and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Shape the dough into 3/4-inch balls and place on ungreased cookies sheets 3 inches apart. with the bottom of a glass, press each ball into a cookie 1 1/2-inches in diameter.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly brown.

No Bake Chocolate Easter Cookies

Ingredients for Chocolate Layers

• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chips or squares, chopped
• 1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening

Orange Filling

• 2 jars (7.5 ounces) marshmallow cream
• 5 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup grated orange rind
• 2 teaspoons orange extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

(white baking chocolate for garnish, optional)

Directions:

Bottom Chocolate Layer:  line bottom of 151/2 x 10 1/2 x 1 inch jelly-roll pan with aluminum foil

Melt 1 cup chocolate and 2 tablespoons shortening in top of double boiler over hot, not boiling water, until smooth.  Pour in prepared pan, spreading evenly with long thin metal spatula.  Refrigerate about 20 minutes, until firm.

Tape waxed paper to bottom of second 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1-inc jelly-roll pan.  Invert chocolate onto paper.  Peel off foil.  Refrigerate.

Orange Filling:  Combine marshmallow cream, 4 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar, orange rind and extract, and salt in medium-size bowl.  Stir with wooden spoon until thick mass forms. (knead mixture with hands if necessary to incorporate ingredients).

Lightly dust work surface with a little of remaining 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar.  Turn marshmallow mixture out onto prepared surface. Knead until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Tape waxed paper to bottom of first jelly-roll pan. Lightly dust paper and rolling pin with remaining confectioners' sugar.  Roll filling out to 1/8-to1/4-inch thickness, to size of jelly-roll pan.

Remove sheet of chocolate from refrigerator.  Let stand to soften slightly, about 5 minutes.  Carefully invert filling on top of chocolate; peel off waxed paper.  Return to refrigerator and chill about 15 minutes.

Top chocolate layer:  Melt together remaining chocolate and shortening in top of double boiler over hot, not boiling water, until smooth.  Remove filling from refrigerator.  Pour chocolate over top, smoothing over entire surface with long thin metal spatula.  Return to refrigerator and chill 15 to 20 minutes or until firm enough to cut.

Using 1 1/2 - 2-inch mini cookie cutters, cut into simple shapes. Or cut into 1-inch squares.

If desired, melt white chocolate and use to decorate shapes.  Put eyes on bunnies and chicks, tails on bunnies and wings on chicks.  Also to decorate cut out Easter Egg shapes. 

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