Lemony Easter Chicks Recipes

LEMON MACAROON CHICKS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Combine the coconut, lemon curd, egg whites and salt with a spatula in a medium bowl until a uniform consistency.
• Roll generous tablespoons of the mixture into egg shapes, setting them big-side down onto the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the rest of the mix. Bake until the bottom and a few of the coconut frays turn deep golden brown, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut the jelly beans in half lengthwise and set aside.
• Remove the macaroons from the oven and let them cool enough to handle, but are still warm, about 5 minutes.
• Take one of the jelly bean halves and pinch an end to make a pointed beak. Hold the point, shiny-side up, and push the rounded end into the side of a macaroon. Push 2 mini chocolate chips, peak-side in, into the macaroon on either side of the beak for eyes. Repeat with the rest of the macaroons and serve.

EASTER CHICK COOKIES

Steps:

• Shortbread Cookies: Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Whisk together flour and salt. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add sugar, and continue to beat until pale and fluffy, occasionally scraping down the sides of bowl, about 2 minutes more. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture, and mix on low speed, scraping sides if necessary, until flour is just incorporated and dough sticks together when squeezed with fingers.
• Turn out dough, forming into 2 disks; wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. To create an egg shape, pinch one end of a 2 1/2-inch-tall oval cookie cutter. Roll out 1 disk to a 1/4-inch thickness; stamp out shapes. Reroll scraps. Repeat with remaining disk.
• Bake until firm and golden, 13 to 15 minutes. For flatter cookies, tap sheets on counter halfway through baking and again afterward. Let cool on wire racks.
• Lemon Icing: Stir together sugar and lemon juice. Add food coloring. Transfer to a small squeeze bottle. Outline cookies with icing 1/4 inch from edges, then fill in centers.
• Set up a candy bar and get creative with decorating. For the chicks: Dip an iced cookie in sanding sugar. Let dry; store in an airtight container up to 5 days. Dot candy sequins with icing; overlap to create feathers. Use orange sprinkles for feet, a candy heart for a beak, and upside-down mini chocolate chips for eyes. For the eggs: Lay orange or yellow sprinkles in a zigzag pattern halfway up an iced cookie. Sprinkle bottom with sanding sugar.