With Easter coming up this weekend, I wanted to get this nice spring cookie recipe out to everyone. This is a simple, colorful cookie that’s easy to make–mix, bake, and decorate. I used a sugar-free liquid drink mix to color the coconut. Unsweetened coconut is dried and doesn’t have much coconut flavor when it’s reconstituted. I used a strawberry-flavored drink, so it added a touch of strawberry flavor. If you use food coloring, you might want to add a little flavor extract, like even coconut, to the mix.

I used Russell Stover’s sugar-free Jelly Beans but several other companies make them. Check at your grocery, drug stores, or Wal-Mart for them.

Spring Bird’s Nest Cookies

Recipe by Rene

1/4 cup Butter
1/4 cup Sugar Substitute
1/2 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1 egg white
3/4 cup Low Carb Baking Mix
1/4 cup Vanilla Whey Protein Powder or Almond Flour

1/4 cup Unsweetened Shredded or shaved Coconut
Few drops of food coloring or Sugar Free Liquid Drink Mix
1/2 cup Powdered Sugar Substitute
1 tablespoon Heavy Cream
36 Sugar Free Jelly Beans

A couple of hours before making the cookies, put the coconut into a small bowl, add about 1/4 cup of water and the food color or drink mix. The mix will add a little flavor to the coconut shreds. If you don’t use it, you might want to add a little coconut extract as the shreds don’t have a lot of flavor. Stir the coconut around and let sit to rehydrate and dye the coconut.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees (F.) Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium-sized bowl, cream the butter, sugar substitute , vanilla extract and egg white together with a mixer, or vigorously by hand,  in a medium-sized bowl . Do not over-cream. You just want it to mix together into a smooth paste.

Add the flour and protein powder (if you’re using it) and mix to combine it into a shape-able dough. Make sure all the flour is mixed in.

Separate the dough into quarters and form three ball from each quarter. Place on the parchment paper about 1-1/2-inches apart and use the back of a spoon to press into a flattened round about 1-1/2 inch in diameter. Don’t press them too thinly.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the edges are lightly browned but the top is not. Let them cool for about 10 minutes, then move to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Spread the coconut on a piece of waxed paper on a plate to allow it to dry a little while the cookies are cooling.

Make the sugar icing by combining the powdered sugar substitute and cream. Stir to mix it together until it forms a thick, but spreadable icing. If it is too thick, add a little water.

Using a spoon, put about a half teaspoon of icing on a cookie and spread it around the middle of the top, then put about 1/2 teaspoon of colored coconut on it to make a nest. Dip the edges of three of the jelly beans into the icing and place them on the nest. The icing will help them stick to it. Repeat with the rest of the cookies. Let the icing dry and enjoy.

Makes 12 cookies.

Nutrition Information per cookie (whey powder):
Calories: 106.4 Fat: 9.1 g Net Carbs: 1.2 g Protein: 3.9 g

Nutrition Information per cookie (almond flour):
Calories: 110.5 Fat: 10.3 g Net Carbs: 1.3 g Protein: 2.3 g

Note:  The carb counts may vary a little depending on the flours and other ingredients you use, but they should be very close.

Full Flavor Non-Low Carb Version

If you want to make non-low carb version using flour, sugar and regular shredded coconut, you just need to dye the coconut as it is already moist. So for that version, put the coconut in a bowl and add a couple of drops of food coloring and stir around, adding more drops of color to adjust the shade to one you prefer.

1/4 cup Butter
1/4 cup Sugar
1/2 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1 egg white
1 cup Flour
1/4 cup Shredded Coconut
Few drops of Food Coloring
1/4 teaspoon Fruit Extract, such as Coconut, Pineapple, or Strawberry
1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
1 tablespoon Heavy Cream
36 Jelly Beans

Follow the instructions above using the regular ingredients in place of the low carb and unsweetened ones.

Nutrition Information per cookie (regular flour, sugar & coconut):
Calories: 184.5 Fat: 9.6 g Net Carbs: 22.0 g Protein: 1.3 g