Easter Nests

Easter Nests

Its just a no-bake cookie with dyed coconut and jelly beans.

To make the No-Bakes...

Mix in a saucepan:

2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1 stick of margarine

Boil for one minute.

Remove from stove and add in:

3 cups oats (I prefer the regular over the instant.)
1/2 cup peanut butter

Mix well and drop in 1/3 cups onto waxed paper to make circles.
 Let it sit for a few minutes and then use a spoon to make indentations in the center to make nests.

 To dye the coconut put in a plastic bag. Squirt a few drops of green food coloring in as well and shake until dyed. Lay out for 1/2 hour to dry on waxed paper.

 Assemble by putting coconut on the cookie and then jelly beans or chocolate eggs.

Raspberry Cheese Danish and a mini adaption

  I discovered this recipe a while back and its one of my husband's favorites.

    It makes four loafs and it also freezes well so its easy to store. I recommend making the whole recipe and then freezing the leftovers.

My husband had a great idea this week to try to make the individual size and I think they turned out great and are even easier to freeze and store.  Instructions at the bottom.

    Raspberry Cheese DanishAdapted from a Taste of Home magazine
What you need:

2 packages yeast (about 2 tbsp.)
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter or margarine cubed
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
4 cups flour

For the filling:
One 8 oz. package of cream cheese and one 3 oz. package
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 can (21 ounces) raspberry pie filling

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions:

   In a large bowl dissolve yeast in warm water.

In a saucepan mix the sour cream and cubed butter over medium heat to about 110 degrees. I used my candy thermometer. Stir often.

Add this to the yeast mixture. Then add sugar and eggs. Mix well.

Gradually add flour and mix well. Do not knead.

Cover and refrigerate overnight. I only put it in the fridge for four hours and it turned out fine.

For the filling: beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg, and extract until it is smooth.

Take the dough out and divide it into four equal sized balls. Roll onto a floured surface to make a 12x8 inch rectangle.

Spread a fourth of the cream cheese mixture into middle

and then 1/4 of the pie filing on top of that.

  Fold over the edges.

 Then fold it into thirds by folding over one flap.

  And then the next.

 Pinch the seems together and flip over onto on a well-greased cookie sheet or a Silpat. Cut with scissors or a knife to make diagonal cuts into the loaf.

 Repeat three more times. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about an hour. I put mine in the oven without the heat on. Then bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Careful that you don't burn it. They seem to brown quickly.
 Then drizzle on the glaze while its still warm. Cool and refrigerate leftovers or freeze it in aluminum foil when completely cool. Enjoy!

 To make them individual sized just roll out the dough and cut out about 6x3 rectangles.  Then dollop in the middle a Tbsp. of each of the fillings and then fold like you do the bigger ones.  Don't overfill or this happens...

 Or it just squeezes out the bottom. 

They take about 10-15 minutes to bake at this size.  Then just wrap them in foil to store in the freezer.  When you want one pop it in the microwave for a minute and drizzle on the glaze.