I received this recipe from my mom who made the best desserts! Then a happy “problem” required me to change one ingredient slightly and poof The Best Birds Nest Cookies!
The past few years have been difficult due to the pandemic. Where I live, we suddenly could not find some basic ingredients. One of those ingredients was brown sugar. The only choice on the shelves was golden yellow sugar. It was the first time I tried my mom’s birds nest cookies recipe, so when they came out absolutely delicious I was happy and didn’t think anything further. Finally three years later, I could find brown sugar or dark brown sugar at our grocery store so I got a bag and got to work.
We dove right in as soon as they were cool enough to eat and I was in shock…
they did not taste great at all…
they were fine, but not what I remembered.
I slept on it and in the middle of the night I woke up and my first thought was
“could it be the sugar”?
Even though it was Christmas Eve morning, I had to give it a try. I substituted the golden yellow sugar for the brown sugar and got to baking.
Once done, I did a taste test with the family and hands down, the golden yellow sugar version won!
It results in slightly sweeter but mellow delicious cookies. Perhaps the molasses in the brown sugar is what causes the brown sugar version to have a slightly more bitter taste?
Whatever it is, give golden yellow sugar a try and see if you agree!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup of room temperature butter
- 1/2 cup of golden yellow sugar
- 3 eggs (divided)
- 2 cups of flour
- 2 tsp of baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- Optional: 2 tablespoons white sugar
- Raspberry jam
EQUIPMENT
- Mixer
- Large bowl
- Rubber spatula or large spoon
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Small bowls
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper or wax paper
STEPS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream butter in large mixer. Add golden yellow sugar and cream together.
Separate eggs and place egg whites in a small bowl.
Add in 3 egg yolks and blend.
Add flour, baking powder and salt.
Roll the cookie dough into small balls (1 inch wide ball).
Roll in egg whites.
Optional: After rolling in egg whites, roll in white sugar. Rolling in white sugar is a perfect way to provide the cookie with a little more sweetness and the right amount of crunch. Other great options are to roll the cookie dough in coconut flakes or crushed walnuts.
Place on cookie sheet. Press on finger into the middle of the cookie to make a little divot in the center of each cookie. This will make the cookie dough transform into a nest shape.
Bake for 8 minutes and remove from oven.
You make need to use the back of a spoon and press the inner part down again. Place a small amount of raspberry jam in the middle.
Return to the oven and bake cookies for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool.
Enjoy!
​Be sure to store in an airtight container.
The Best Birds Nest Cookies aka Thumbprint Cookies
Equipment
- 1 Mixer
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 Rubber spatula or large spoon
- 2 Baking sheet
- 1 Parchment paper
- 1 – 2 Small bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1/2 cup golden yellow sugar
- 3 eggs divided
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp white sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cream butter in large mixer. Â Add in golden yellow sugar and cream together.
- Separate eggs and place egg whites in a small bowl. Add egg yolks to mixture and blend.
- Add flour, baking powder and salt.
- Roll the cookie dough into small balls (1 inch wide ball).
- Roll in egg whites. Optional:  After rolling in egg whites, roll in white sugar.  Rolling in white sugar is a perfect way to provide the cookie with a little more sweetness and the right amount of crunch.  Other great options are to roll the cookie dough in coconut flakes or crushed walnuts.Â
- Place cookie dough balls on cookie sheet.  Press one finger into the middle of the cookie to make a little divot in the center of each cookie.  This will make the cookie dough transform into a nest shape.
- Bake for 8 minutes and remove from oven.
- You may need to use the back of a spoon and press the inner part down again. Â Place a small amount of raspberry jam in the middle.
- Return to oven and bake cookies for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool.
​
I make these three times a year – Christmas and for my son-in-law’s birthday in the summer but also as an Easter treat. These little bird nests are so sweet and fit in perfect with Easter decor. You could even fill faux little nests with these adorable bird nest cookies and Easter eggs! Imagine how sweet that would be.
Personally, I think that any time of year is a great time to bake bird’s nest cookies! They aren’t too sweet but not too bland so they will be a favorite of the whole family! Isn’t it nice to find delicious recipes that are an easy treat to make and need simple ingredients?
With one simple change in ingredients to my mom’s recipe & these became the best birds nest cookies – incredibly delicious & hard to put down!
Looking for more delicious desserts?
This Heaven in a Pan is a favorite of everyone I know! Just click here.
Sugar cookie fudge should be considered illegal it is so good! Just click here for the recipe.
If you are looking for something a little healthier, here is a delicious carrot cake. Just click here.
