Nest Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter and sugar.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; mix on low speed just until a stiff dough forms, about 2 minutes. Transfer dough to a piece of plastic wrap, wrap tightly, and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Place chocolate, heavy cream, and espresso powder in a medium heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring occasionally, until chocolate has melted. Remove bowl from heat, and set the chocolate ganache aside to cool, stirring occasionally.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out chilled dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2 1/4-inch-round cookie cutter, cut out 24 cookies; place them on lined baking sheets. Chill cookies until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Bake cookies until set, about 14 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For colored coconut, combine a few drops of food coloring with 3 tablespoons water in a medium bowl. Stir in coconut; mix until evenly colored. Spread on an ungreased baking sheet; bake just until dry, about 12 minutes, being careful not to brown. Let coconut cool; transfer to a small bowl.
• When the ganache has cooled to room temperature, whisk until it becomes stiff enough to pipe. Transfer ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-inch-round tip, and pipe around perimeters of cookies. Dip each cookie, ganache-side down, into plain or colored coconut. Fill "nests" with candy-coated chocolate eggs, 2 or 3 eggs per nest.

Steps:

• Make the cookies: Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Whisk the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat until well combined, then beat in the carrots and walnuts. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture until just combined.
• Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls, then roll in the coconut. Arrange 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Make a deep indentation in the centers with the handle of a wooden spoon. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are set and the coconut is golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on the pans.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a medium bowl with a whisk until light and fluffy. Mix in the confectioners' sugar until fluffy. Refrigerate until ready to use. Transfer the filling to a resealable plastic bag. Snip a corner and pipe the filling into the indentation of each cookie. Top with jelly beans.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sift the flour and salt into a medium bowl. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed in a large bowl until just combined; add the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar and mix just until the dough starts to come together.
• Put the egg wash and coconut in two separate medium bowls. Form 1¼-inch balls of dough (about 1 tablespoon each); dip each ball in egg wash, then roll in coconut. Place the balls about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet; press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Bake until the coconut is golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and press the back of a teaspoon in the center of each to re-form the indentations. Transfer to a rack to cool.
• Place the chocolate chips in a medium glass bowl. Bring the cream just to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, pour over the chocolate chips and let sit for 2 minutes, then stir until the cream is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.
• Spoon ½ teaspoon of chocolate into the center of each cookie and let set for 5 minutes. Top each cookie with 3 chocolate eggs.