Holiday themed candy is a constant source of creative inspiration for new recipes and presentation ideas on MommyBlogExpert. Gourmet Candy Bar Candy Apples for Halloween, Butterfinger Blondies Bar Cookies for Hanukkah and Christmas and How to Create a Valentine's Day Elegant Candy Bar Table Presentation to name just a few.
You can easily make this fun project at home either to spend some quality time in the kitchen with your kids or to surprise a very young child on Easter morning. This also would make a beautiful centerpiece for your special brunch buffet or the dinner table this Easter Sunday.
Here's the step-by-step directions to make this whimsical, sweet craft.
Sugar Cookie Easter Basket Recipe
1. Make your favorite Sugar Cookie recipe
2. Chill cookie dough for at least 1 hour
3. Meanwhile, create cookie cutter templates cut out of cereal box cardboard. You'll need three rectangles in the following dimensions.
- For bottom 5" x 3-1/2"
- For front/back 5" x 2-3/4"
- For sides 3" x 2-1/2"
4. Roll out dough to about 1/4" thick and using a sharp knife cut out one bottom, two identical front/back pieces and two sides for each basket you are making. For the handles just shape flat crescents that are about 3" in diameter at the bases so they fit the sides. An an option you can also use miniature cookie cutters to cut out some spring shapes to add to the completed basket later.
5. Carefully transfer cut out dough rectangles to cookie sheet and use a knife to gently straighten sides to retain original shape -- they won't be perfect just do your best. Freeze on cookie sheet for 15 minutes, then bake in preheated oven following your recipe's directions.
6. When cookies are done remove from oven and again use the knife while the cookies are still on the cookie sheet and still hot, make edges as straight as possible. Then use a spatula to transfer them to a cookie rack to cool completely.
2. Chill cookie dough for at least 1 hour
3. Meanwhile, create cookie cutter templates cut out of cereal box cardboard. You'll need three rectangles in the following dimensions.
- For bottom 5" x 3-1/2"
- For front/back 5" x 2-3/4"
- For sides 3" x 2-1/2"
4. Roll out dough to about 1/4" thick and using a sharp knife cut out one bottom, two identical front/back pieces and two sides for each basket you are making. For the handles just shape flat crescents that are about 3" in diameter at the bases so they fit the sides. An an option you can also use miniature cookie cutters to cut out some spring shapes to add to the completed basket later.
5. Carefully transfer cut out dough rectangles to cookie sheet and use a knife to gently straighten sides to retain original shape -- they won't be perfect just do your best. Freeze on cookie sheet for 15 minutes, then bake in preheated oven following your recipe's directions.
6. When cookies are done remove from oven and again use the knife while the cookies are still on the cookie sheet and still hot, make edges as straight as possible. Then use a spatula to transfer them to a cookie rack to cool completely.
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| Cookie pieces both after and before frosting |
7. Make royal icing by beating 1 cup of confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons of dry egg white meringue powder and 1/4 c. water (added a tablespoon at a time) till stiff peaks form. Use a small amount of your choice of gel food color for the desired result. Note: always keep icing covered until you are ready to use it with plastic wrap, otherwise it will harden.
8. The next step is to fill a pastry bag fitted with a #5 tip and pipe the royal icing to cement your rectangular front/back, sides, bottom and handles together, using the same technique used to assemble a gingerbread house. Let the basket frame dry to ensure a strong bond before proceeding.
9. Next using a spatula and more royal icing, frost the exterior of the basket including the front/back, sides and handles but excluding the bottom since that will not be visible. As an option, use other decorative tips such as I've done with the shell edging to embellish your basket. Allow this to dry completely for 6-8 hours or more.
10. Handle the finished cookie basket carefully to avoid breakage, lifting from the bottom, not handles. First fill the basket about 3/4 of the way full with styrofoam packing peanuts, then top with faux plastic grass and add Nestle chocolate NestEggs and optional homemade mini sugar cookies which are the perfect size for this basket. Enjoy!
Nestle is offering both returning and new sweet options this spring. A favorite at our house are the delectable solid chocolate Butterfinger Bunny and Nestle Crunch Bunny -- both boxed and ready to give. Also taste-tested and loved by my own kids are the Nestle Crunch NestEggs and Butterfinger NestEggs.
Among other Nestle Easter 2o13 seasonal offerings are NERDS Bumpy Jelly Beans, new WONKA Laffy Taffy Jelly Beans and a product called Hard2Find Egg Hunt which are prefilled plastic eggs that resemble cement, stone, grass and the outdoors to make them more of a challenge to find.
8. The next step is to fill a pastry bag fitted with a #5 tip and pipe the royal icing to cement your rectangular front/back, sides, bottom and handles together, using the same technique used to assemble a gingerbread house. Let the basket frame dry to ensure a strong bond before proceeding.
9. Next using a spatula and more royal icing, frost the exterior of the basket including the front/back, sides and handles but excluding the bottom since that will not be visible. As an option, use other decorative tips such as I've done with the shell edging to embellish your basket. Allow this to dry completely for 6-8 hours or more.
10. Handle the finished cookie basket carefully to avoid breakage, lifting from the bottom, not handles. First fill the basket about 3/4 of the way full with styrofoam packing peanuts, then top with faux plastic grass and add Nestle chocolate NestEggs and optional homemade mini sugar cookies which are the perfect size for this basket. Enjoy!
Nestle is offering both returning and new sweet options this spring. A favorite at our house are the delectable solid chocolate Butterfinger Bunny and Nestle Crunch Bunny -- both boxed and ready to give. Also taste-tested and loved by my own kids are the Nestle Crunch NestEggs and Butterfinger NestEggs.
Among other Nestle Easter 2o13 seasonal offerings are NERDS Bumpy Jelly Beans, new WONKA Laffy Taffy Jelly Beans and a product called Hard2Find Egg Hunt which are prefilled plastic eggs that resemble cement, stone, grass and the outdoors to make them more of a challenge to find.
FTC Disclosure: This is a sponsored post and I received the Nestle products featured to facilitate this review. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.
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