Coconut Macaroon Bird Nests

This sweet little treat has the best simplicity to wow factor ratio.  Minimal effort yields amazed smiles from your family, friends, coworkers, etc.  Can you tell I've been doing school work?  When do I ever say "yields" otherwise?!?  Anyhoo...  Adorable spring cookies await.  I can thank Pinterest for the nest idea, and Martha Stewart for my macaroon recipe, which I've already posted here.

I love how some of the eggs are speckled and adorable.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• Nutella (about 1/4 jar)
• Cadbury mini eggs or other egg candy (M&Ms are good, too)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine ingredients.  Mix well.
3. Dampen tablespoon with cold water.  Scoop a generous tablespoon (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) of coconut mixture and lightly tap onto the cookie sheet for mound to drop out.  Place cookies about 1 inch apart.  Moisten measuring spoon periodically so that coconut will continue to slide off of spoon instead of sticking.
4. Using the bottom of a wooden spoon (or your finger), press down in the center of each macaroon to make a nest shape.
5. Bake until macaroons are golden brown, 16-17 minutes, rotating halfway through.  Remove from oven, and press down in the center of each nest again (this is where the wooden spoon method is better than your fingers- hot!).
6. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of nutella into the center of each macaroon.  Top with Cadbury mini eggs or other egg candy.  Let cool, and then store in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Seriously- so cute, and amazingly yum.  ESPECIALLY yum when still warm from the oven.