Coconut Cookie Nests

These are essentially painted coconut macaroons shaped like tiny bird nests. Whisked egg whites bind sweet shredded coconut, sugar, a pinch of flour, vanilla, and salt into a sticky mixture that divides into four bowls, each tinted a different pastel spring color with food coloring.

The technique is simple but makes a huge visual difference. Drop tablespoons of each colored mixture onto a baking sheet, then press a thumb into the center of each mound to form a shallow nest. Twenty minutes at 325°F (165°C) crisps the outside into toasty, lightly-golden coconut while the inside stays chewy and sweet.

Once completely cool, perch a foil-wrapped chocolate egg in each nest. Twelve cookies, four colors, one very cute Easter dessert platter. Kids devour them and grandmas get misty over how pretty they look on the table.

Chef Tips

• Use sweetened shredded coconut, not desiccated. Desiccated is too dry and the cookies crumble apart instead of holding together.
• Whisk the egg whites just until frothy, not to peaks. Stiff peaks make the cookies cakey instead of chewy.
• Press the nest centers gently. Deep holes crack when baking. A shallow thumbprint gives the ideal nest shape that holds an egg.
• Mix the food coloring into the mixture AFTER dividing, not before. Mixing colors in the main bowl gives you grayish mud-toned cookies.

Variations

• Skip the food coloring and dip the cooled cookie edges in melted chocolate for a classic macaroon look.
• Add mini chocolate chips or chopped almonds to the coconut mixture for added texture.
• Drizzle with white chocolate after baking for a snowy, lacy finish.