Cutest Macaroon Easter Nests

I’ve been so preoccupied with dealing with all of the boxes in our house (the boxes, my god, the boxes! Let it be known that moving is just a lesson in setting up/breaking down boxes,) and lamenting the fact that, due to said boxes (and the chaotic state of our new home, in general), it doesn’t seem like I’ll be able to pull off a Seder for Passover this year, I almost forgot that it’s Easter weekend, too!

(#Jew…ish.)

My lovely in-laws are hosting Easter on Sunday and, because they know what’s what, they’ve put me in charge of dessert.  I had big plans to make Deb’s raspberry macaroons and maybe even a flourless chocolate cake in a nod to the (begrudgingly neglected, by me) Passover holiday, but then I saw these little munchkins on Martha Stewart’s instagram and that was that.

I mean, HOW CUTE are these guys?

 

The facts: they only use 4 ingredients (plus a bit of chocolate and mini eggs, for decorating).  They take less than 30 minutes to bake.  They are a bonafide excuse to buy a big bag of miniature chocolate easter eggs.

So WHAT are you waiting for?  Easter weekend baking project — begin!

Cutest Macaroon Easter Nests

Adapted from Martha Stewart

These are so simple and fun – I had a blast making them on my own, but they’d also make a great kid’s project, if you’ve got kiddos running around.  The recipe presents lots of opportunities for kid-friendly stirring, scooping, pressing, drizzling and decorating, and they’re pretty hard to mess up.  Just use a gentle hand when coaxing the baked and cooled nests out of the mini muffin tin.

Ingredients:

• 4 large egg whites
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 package (14 ounces) sweetened, flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate, but use whatever kind you like)
• mini chocolate Easter eggs, for decorating

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300°F, with a rack in the center position.  Mist a mini muffin tin with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg whites, salt and almond extract with a fork until frothy.  Add the coconut, and stir well to combine.

Divide the coconut mixture among the mini muffin tin, dropping 2 tablespoons of coconut in each little cup.  Use your fingers or, better yet, the handle of a wooden spoon to press down the centers of each tin, making little, nest-shaped indents in the coconut mixture.

Bake the cups for 25-30 minutes, until deeply golden brown, then remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes.  While the nests cool, melt the chocolate chips, either in the microwave or a small double boiler.

Use a small offset spatula to coax the nests from the muffin tin, and place them on a work surface.  Drop a spoonful of melted chocolate into the bottom of each little nest, filling them about halfway up.

Finish decorating by arranging the mini chocolate eggs on top!

Enjoy immediately or place the macaroons in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where they will last for a good few days.

Makes 24 small nests.