The smell of cookies baking in the oven is enough to put a smile on anyone’s face. Fill your ‘nest’ with chocolate or berry flavours, or maybe both! The whole process from preparing to eating cookies is a joyful time and one that should be experienced by families together at home.

Yield: About 27 cookies
Preparation Time: About 30 minutes
Baking Time: About 15 – 20 minutes

 

 

INGREDIENT LIST

  • 1 cup (250mL) all purpose flour
  • ½ tsp (2mL) baking soda
  • ½ cup (125mL) butter, at room temperature, cubed
  • 1/3 cup (75mL) sugar
  • ½ tsp (2mL) vanilla
  • 1/3 cup (75mL) fine unsweetened coconut
  • 1/3 cup (75mL) raspberry or blackberry jam

EQUIPMENT LIST

  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Spatula
  • Fork
  • Medium and large-sized bowls
  • Wooden spoon
  • 2 baking trays
  • Small sharp knife or pastry scraper
  • Two tiny spoons or small Ziplock bag
  • Cooling rack

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 175 C (350 F).

2. Line two trays with parchment paper or use non-stick cookie pans.

3. Measure flour and baking soda in a medium-sized bowl. Combine together with a fork. Put aside for now.

4. Place the soft butter in a large bowl. Using the back of a wooden spoon, cream the butter until soft.

5. Add the sugar and vanilla and cream together until soft and fluffy, like mashed potatoes.

6. Add the flour mixture to the soft butter mixture. Mix together with a spatula until the mixture looks like small crumbs.

7. Scrape the dough out on a lightly floured work surface and lightly knead until the dough comes together and is smooth.

8. Sprinkle the coconut onto the work surface then roll the dough into a log on top of the coconut. Roll the dough log about 30 cm long. Roll the log into a little more coconut.

9. Cut the log into 1 cm thick slices and place on the prepared cookie sheet, about two finger widths apart.

10. Press your thumb into the centre of each cookie so that it makes a little well but not a hole. (You can also lightly push the end of a wooden spoon into the slices of cookie dough)

11. Using two tiny spoons, fill the cookie wells with a small amount of jam. You can also pipe the jam into the cookie wells using a small Ziplock bag. Place jam into the bag and seal. Snip the corner off of the bag (about ½ cm snip) and squeeze the jam into the cookie wells.

12. Place in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes. The cookies will be a very light golden brown when done.

13. Remove the cookies to a cooling rack when baked.

TASTY TIP

  • Instead of coconut, you can roll the cookie log in finely chopped nuts, such as pecan, hazelnuts or walnuts.
  • Instead of jam, you can fill the wells with marmalade or a large chocolate chip.

 

 SKILLS

 

STEP-BY-STEP – BIRD’S NEST COOKIES!

STEP 1
Preheat the oven to 175C (350F). Line 2 trays with baking paper. Gather your ingredients.

STEP 2
Gather equipment.

STEP 3
Mix flour and baking soda in a bowl. Set aside.

STEP 4
Place the soft butter in a large bowl. Using the back of a wooden spoon, spread the butter around the bottom of the bowl. Add the sugar and vanilla and cream together until soft and fluffy, like mashed potatoes.

STEP 5
Add the flour mixture to the soft butter mixture. Mix together with a spatula until the mixture looks like small crumbs.

STEP 6
Scrape the dough out on a lightly floured work surface and lightly knead until the dough comes together and is smooth.

STEP 7
Sprinkle coconut onto the work surface then roll the dough into a log on top of the coconut. Roll the dough log about 30 cm (1 foot) long. Roll the log into a little more coconut.

STEP 8
Cut the log into 1 cm thick slices (pinky wide) and place on the prepared cookie sheet, about two finger widths apart.

STEP 9
Press your thumb into the centre of each cookie so that it makes a little well but not a hole. You can also lightly push the end of a wooden spoon into the slices of cookie dough.

STEP 10
Using two tiny spoons, fill the cookie wells with a small amount of jam. I used homemade blackberry jam but any type of jam will do. You can also pipe the jam into the cookie wells using a small Ziplock bag. Place jam into the bag and seal. Snip the corner off of the bag (about ½ cm snip) and squeeze the jam into the cookie wells.

STEP 11
Place in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes. The cookies will be a very light golden brown when done. Remove the cookies to a cooling rack when baked.

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