Bird's Nest Cookies for Easter

These cute and clever bird's nest cookies are the perfect treat for Easter. Light and airy coconut-filled meringues really look a lot like birds' nests—you can complete the illusion by adding a few egg-shaped Easter candies. We like the Cadbury mini eggs, but malted milk eggs or even jelly beans will work equally well.

The kids love to help make these, and of course love to eat them. These treats are a great addition to Easter baskets, too. Give them a try, and you'll probably find that they earn a spot in your spring baking repertoire.

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• Cadbury mini eggs, malted milk eggs, or jelly beans

Directions

1. Preheat the the oven to 250ºF, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt, and whip until soft peaks form.
3. Slowly add the sugar, beating constantly until the mixture is glossy and stiff. Beat in the vanilla until everything is combined.
4. Fold in 1/2 cup of shredded coconut. Make sure you do this gently—you don’t want to flatten your meringue.
5. Spoon mounds of the meringue mixture onto each baking sheet. Use a spoon to shape each one into a 4-inch-diameter circle with, and make depression in the center of each one.
6. Sprinkle shredded coconut over each "nest" to give them the appearance of birds' nests.
7. Bake for 45–60 minutes, or until the meringues are dry and the coconut has turned golden brown.
8. Once cool, place three candy eggs into the center each nest.