No Bake Cookie NESTS

{recipe & pic from} All things heart and home

Chocolate Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies…(Nests!)

1 Bag of  TINY Robin Eggs (Candy coated Chocolate-Malted eggs)

2 Cups sugar

**Less Than~1/2 Cup Cocoa (Nests turn out a lighter color if you use a little less than 1/2 cup!)

1 Stick butter (8 Tablespoons)

1/2 Cup milk

1  1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla

3 Cups Oats (Add a hand-full more if the consistency is too runny.)

3/4 Cups Peanut Butter

**2 Palm-fulls of Butterscotch Chips** (you can omit this…but it’s yummy!)

Combine sugar, cocoa, butter and milk over medium heat.

When mixture starts a roiling boil, stir and boil for one full minute.

Remove from heat…

Stir in: vanilla, oats, peanut butter, and butterscotch chips.

***Complete one nest and egg cookie at a time***

On wax paper…

Use an ice-cream scoop to make small balls and shape carefully and quickly  into little nests.

Add 2 or 3 tiny Robin Eggs…press to secure the eggs!

Candy bar pizza

{recipe & pic from} French Knots

Candy Bars: Butterfinger, Symphony, Skor, Crunch, Cookies and Creme, Kit Kat, Reese's peanut butter cups and plain holidayM&M's.

This is the fun part: In a large bowl put all the candy bars together and let the kids go crazy!! (Except: peanut butter cups - they get too messy and Skor - you have to cut that one up with a knife.) You can also use a food processor and chop the candy into small pieces.

Once the fun is over add your Skor bar, your chopped up peanut butter cups and Easter M&M's. Set aside for the end. This is very tricky because it is hard to keep little hands out. Too tempting!



Now for the cookie batter:

1 1/4 cup softened butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup nestles mini morsels - semi sweet

Combine butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add salt, baking soda and flour - stir til combined. Add mini morsels. Place dough in a greased 14" round pizza pan or a 15 1/2" x 10 1/2" x 1" rectangular pan. Cook for 15 to 17 minutes at 375 degrees.

While the dough is baking:

In a microwave safe bowl add: 1 cup milk chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of peanut butter. Heat until melted and smooth, it makes a yummy sauce.



Once the cookie dough is done baking, smooth the sauce all over the top.

Again, let your kids go crazy and decorate the top with all the candy toppings!! Allow cookies to completely cool in pan. Once cooled serve and enjoy.

Bird's Nest Cookies

{recipe & pic from} Baked Perfection

Bird's Nest Cookies

adapted from M&M's Recipes

1 bag M&M'S® Brand Milk, Peanut, Almond or Crispy Chocolate Candies for Easter {or mini cadbury eggs}

2 sticks butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

1/2 cup green candy melts {or icing}

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spread coconut on non-greased cookie sheet. Toast in oven, stirring every five minutes, until it turns light golden, about 20 minutes. Remove coconut from cookie sheet and set aside.Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees. In large bowl, add butter and sugar and whip until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla. In medium bowl, combine flour and salt. Blend into creamed mixture. Form dough into 1-1/4-inch balls. Roll heavily into toasted coconut. Place coconut cookies 2 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. Make indentation with thumb in center of each cookie. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove cookies and cool completely (if your indentation is no longer visible, just use the back of a spoon to recreate it while the cookies are still warm). Coat indentations with some of the melted green candy melts (this will secure the M&M's and it looks like grass) and fill with M&M's.Makes 3 dozen cookies.

{** I thought you could probably use tinted icing for the nest and even mini cadbury eggs instead of m&m's...I love those!}

Coconut Cake

This is perfect for your Easter weekend.....it is OH so yummy! I made it aa a sheet cake...because I like MORE frosting LESS cake! It can also be made as a round layered cake!

INGREDIENTS
1 package yellow cake mix
1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 1/3 cups water
4 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups flaked coconut
2 teaspoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a sheet pan. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, water, eggs and oil. Blend for 4 minutes. Stir in 2 cups coconut and the chopped nuts. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until done. Allow to cool.

To Make Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting: Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter over low heat. Add 3/4 cup of the coconut and stir until browned. Dry on paper towel. Cream other 2 tablespoons butter with cream cheese. Alternately add milk and powdered sugar. Add vanilla. Stir in remaining 1-1/4 cup coconut.
Spread Icing on cake and sprinkle with browned coconut.

Easter Smores

Easter smores

Thanks to creativeholidaygiftideas.blogspot.com for this fun idea and pic

INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:
1. Reduce 1 sleeve graham crackers to crumbs.
2. Layer 2/3 of the crumbs in a 1 quart jar.
3. Place 8 marshmallow bunny peeps standing up, facing out around the inside of the jar.
4. Press them up against the glass, but don't squash them.
5. Carefully spoon remaining crumbs in the center of the jar to support the bunnies, pressing down to keep it snug.
6. On top of this pour 1-1/4 cup Easter M&M's.
7. Spoon 1/3 cup brown sugar into center of M&M's, gently pressing with a spoon.
Changes made to original: M&M's first, then Peeps, then put combined brown sugar and graham cracker crumbs in baggie. I didn't like how the crumbs made a mess in the jar.
Attach a gift tag giving the following instructions:

(link to a cute tag here)

1. Empty the jar contents into a bowl. Snip the bunnies into bits with kitchen sheers or cut up with a knife. Return the bunny bits to the mixture. Mix well.
2. Melt 1/2 cup butter; add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour this over the dry ingredients, mixing well. Pat into a greased 9" square pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.(Makes 9 to 12 bars.)

*Option - leave bunnies whole; combine remaining ingredients and place the bunnies on top; then bake as directed.

*This gift jar may be created to suit any holiday for which marshmallow candies are available.