Nesting

I suppose it is a tad late for an Easter post, but let's just consider this a springtime in general post. I did make these little Bird's Nest macaroons for Easter, but they'd work just as well for any spring party, a baby shower, or Mother's Day. I love macaroons anytime; I even made them for our wedding. While, yes, they are on the sweet and rich side, it's all good if you only have a few!

I really wanted to put some of my very favorite Easter candies into my baking this year. You see, I'm a huge sucker for Cadbury Mini Eggs. Huge sucker. I buy bags as soon as they hit the shelves, in fear that stores will run out if I wait too long. I am known to squirrel them away for as long as possible, so I can eat them in secret and not share them with anyone else. I have even eaten a bag in a day (but thankfully that was in college, and my binging has limited itself to other areas). I didn't want to go there this year, supposed to be growing up and all that noise. So I bought one bag only, and decided to make nests from my favorite macaroons. D-Money helped with these, so I didn't even open the bag until I got to her house the day before Easter. Half the bag was smashed, so we gleefully scarfed down the broken bits and had enough left for 2 dozen nests.

Bird's Nest Macaroons

(I use Martha Stewart's recipe for the Macaroons)

Ingredients:

2 large egg whites

pinch of salt

2 Tsp. vanilla

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 14 oz. bags of flaked coconut

Cadbury Mini Eggs

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat.

Beat eggs and salt until frothy and white.

Stir in vanilla and milk.

Fold in coconut until it is all incorporated.

Using a teaspoon or a 1 inch cookie dough scoop, scoop onto baking sheets. They won't spread, so you can fill 'er up!

Bake for 20 minutes or until just golden.

Using a wooden spoon end, make small indentations in the top of macaroons. Fill each hole with a mini egg. 

Transfer to a wire rack to cool.