The BEST Easter Cookies 🐰 No-bake, mini-egg HAYSTACK COOKIES

These no-bake mini egg Easter cookies are an annual tradition at my house. My boys and I bake them together, we eat too many, and we share them with friends. They are easy to make and absolutely delicious... and today I'm sharing the recipe, serving ideas and a short 2 minute instructional video.

To make these adorable Easter cookies:

1)  Mix together the following dry ingredients, and set aside:

• 3 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
• 1/4 tsp salt

2)  Put the following ingredients in a saucepan, and bring to a boil:

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

3)  Remove from heat, and stir in dry ingredients.

4)  Before the mixture starts to dry out, drop the mixture from heaping teaspoons onto wax paper (or use a cookie scoop), and add three candy covered chocolate eggs to the middle of each cookie. 

Allow to cool completely.

And... before you venture into the kitchen, take a peek at this short, instructional video.

These cookies are great served up with some hot chocolate.

And they make a great addition to a dessert charcuterie board too!

Do you have a favorite Easter Cookie recipe?  This one is definitely at the top of my list. If you give them a try, let me know what you think.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

***Find more Easter ideas here.

Personal Size Cookie Tart -- an easy and inexpensive Valentine's Day treat

I love a special homemade treat, and this adorable personal size chocolate chip cookie tart is cute and delicious. I paired my favourite chocolate chip cookie recipe with some inexpensive dollar store dishes, and I'm sharing the recipe below.

Here's the recipe:

1)  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2)  In a medium bowl, whisk together the following dry ingredients:

• 2 1/3 cups all purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

3)  In a separate bowl, use electric beaters to combine the following:

• 1 cup butter (at room temperature... NOT melted)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar

4)  Add 2 large eggs and 2 teaspoons real vanilla extract to the butter/sugar mixture.  Beat with electric beaters until well combined.

5)  Using a wooden spoon, mix wet and dry ingredients together (just until combined).  Then, add 2 cups of chocolate chips.  (I like semi-sweet, but you can use whatever you like.)

6)  Place 4 tablespoon size balls into an oven safe heart-shaped dish and flatten the balls into the dish. (I found my dishes at my local dollar store (Dollarama). Bake for approx 12-15 minutes. When they are done, they will be slightly brown around the edges and still soft in the middle. Don't overbake.

The remainder of the dough can be made into regular chocolate chip cookies. Drop tablespoon-size balls (using a cookie scoop for best results) onto a Silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet, and bake for approx. 8-10 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

I made these tarts for my boys, and they were a huge hit. 

These tarts are served plain, but they'd be delicious topped with a scoop of ice cream too.

The tarts are good after they have cooled, but for the best taste, serve them warm. They'll be crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside.

This tart is based on my tried and true chocolate chip cookie recipe, so I hope you give it a try. This really is the perfect easy and inexpensive Valentine's Day treat.

Happy Valentine's Day!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Don't miss out on any of the fun... follow me on social media here.

     

If you are looking for more Valentine's Day inspiration, check out more than 30 Valentine's Day ideas here.

Chocolate CHRISTMAS Crackle Cookies

Who doesn't love a good Christmas cookie recipe? Baking (and eating) cookies is one of my favourite parts of the holiday season. This year, my boys and I are loving these chocolate Christmas crackle cookies. They are simple to make, fudgey in the middle, crispy on the edges... and they look great on a Christmas cookie tray.

To make Chocolate Christmas Crackle Cookies:

 

Gather your ingredients:

•         ½ vegetable oil
•         2 cups granulated sugar
•         4 eggs
•         2 tsp real vanilla
•         2 cups flour
•         1 cup unsweetened cocoa
•         2 tsp baking powder
•         1 tsp salt
•         1 tsp cinnamon
•         Approx. ½ icing sugar for coating

Then:

1.      Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2.      In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla.
3.      In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
4.      Combine the wet and dry ingredients, and chill the dough for 30 minutes.
5.      Roll the dough into 1-inch balls (using a cookie scoop), and then completely coat each ball by rolling it in icing sugar.
6.      Place the balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet (leaving room for spreading), and bake for 8-10 minutes. The cookies should be crispy on the edges and soft in the middle. Cool on the cookie sheet for 3 minutes, and then transfer them to a cooling rack.

I think a cookie chacuterie board is wonderful for holiday entertaining, and these cookies make a great addition to a tray of goodies. 

Check out the cookie board I made for my boys this year. I filled a couple of dishes with chocolates, stacked my chocolate Christmas crackle cookies in the middle, and filled the extra spaces with store bought cookies. Cute, right?

Do you have a favourite cookies? I highly recommend giving these chocolate Christmas crackle cookies a try. If you make them, let me know what you think.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also enjoy the awesome Christmas cookie recipes here.

Simple SOFT & CHEWY Thanksgiving Cookie Tart

I first posted my soft and chewy cookie tart in 2015, and since then, I've modified it several times. You can find my first day of school version here, and my Easter version here. Now... I'm sharing a Thanksgiving themed cookie tart, and it's the best one yet!

To make this easy and impressive cookie tart... start with my favorite soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe (which you can find here). 

Then, scoop out a dozen cookies, and press the rest of the cookie dough into a well-greased tart pan. Press some Fall coloured candy into the top, and bake at 325 degrees for 40-50 minutes. (I used Reese's Pieces.)

Take it out of the oven when the centre is still a bit soft, but the edges are golden brown.

It's delicious at room temperature, but it's even better when you serve it warm.

I love the idea of setting up a self-serve hot chocolate bar too. I made this one using dollar store supplies (including a dollar store frame tray). Check out the details here.

Fun, right?!?

What do you serve for Thanksgiving dessert? Pies are great, but who wouldn't love this simple soft and chewie Thanksgiving cookie tart?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also enjoy the Thanksgiving party favours (and free printable tags) here.

Simple Weeknight Chicken, Broccoli & Peppers Pesto Pasta

Who doesn't love a simple recipe that comes together quickly... and that everyone loves? This pesto pasta is a staple in my house, and my boys love it. I think it's pretty good too! 😀 I can't believe I haven't shared this recipe before because it really is the perfect simple weeknight supper. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

For this dish, you'll need:

• a head or two of broccoli
• a red pepper
• 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 box of pasta (I like bowtie pasta, but any variety works)
• 1 jar of pesto (I like the PC Basil Pesto, but any variety works)
• salt, pepper and additional seasoning (if desired)

Then:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2) Season chicken and place in the oven for approximately 25 minutes.

3) Drizzle oil over cut up brocolli and peppers, season with salt and pepper, and place in the oven for approximately 20 minutes.

4) While the vegetables and chicken are in the oven, boil water and cook the pasta.

5) Drain the pasta, and cut up the chicken.

6) Place the hot drained pasta, cut up chicken and vegetables back in the pot the pasta was cooked in. Add a jar of pesto, stir, and serve. 

7) Top with pepper and grated parmesan if desired.

Here's a short video explaining how quickly it comes together.

This really is one of my family's favourite suppers... and it's super-easy to throw together on a busy weeknight. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also be interested in the recipes you can find here.

5 Ideas for Breakfast for Dinner

Dinnertime can be a challenge for busy families, so it's always fantastic to have quick meal ideas ready to go. Breakfast foods are easy to make and don't require a lot of ingredients, so breakfast for dinner is a wonderful mealtime solution. Today, I'm sharing FIVE of my favourite ideas for breakfast for dinner.

Quiche - Quiche is a wonderful family friendly supper idea. What's not to like about bacon mixed with egg and cheese? You can find my favorite SIMPLE bacon quiche recipe here. Add some fruit, a salad, or veggies... and you are good to go!

French Toast - French toast paired with fruit (and a bit of maple syrup) is one of my kids' favourite meals. 

To make French Toast, I like to use Brioche bread... but any bread works well. For each two pieces of bread, beat together: 1 egg, 1 tbsp milk, and a 1/8 tsp cinnamon. Then, dip the bread slices into the egg mixture, and cook them in a lightly buttered pan until they are brown on both sides. I serve them with a light dusting of powered sugar and real maple syrup.

Scrambled egg wraps - This is a simple option... and younger children love it. Scramble eggs, and pop them in a wrap with some grated cheese. I like adding some salsa... but that is optional.

For younger kids, these little clips from the dollar are great and make the wraps must easier for littles ones to eat.

Pancakes - Pancakes paired with fruit is another simple meal option that is popular with children and adults. I like to have homemade pancake mix in the pantry to make meal time even easier. You can find my favourite pantry pancake mix recipe here.

Egg in a Hole - This id something my dad used to make for me when I was a child, and it was always a favourite of mine. Now, I make it for you my family. Butter the bread, cut out the middle, and pop and egg in the middle. I love this simple breakfast for dinner meal idea!

Is your family a fan of "breakfast for dinner"? What are your favourites? If you haven't tried all of the ideas I'm sharing today, give them a try. I'd love to hear what you think.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find more family friendly recipes here.

5 Tips for Making School Lunches that Kids will Actually Eat

We're a couple of months into the new school year, and lunches are already starting to get a little boring. Am I right?!? Are you looking for a few fresh ideas? Today, I am sharing 5 tips for making school lunches that kids will actually eat.

1) Make snacks for lunch - My kids love things that are easy to grab and eat, and serving snacks for lunch works perfectly. Some people opt for fancy Bento boxes, but my older kids prefer a collection of individual dishes. It also makes it easy to hit all the different food groups and create a balanced lunch.

2) Make breakfast for lunch - My kids love breakfast foods, so taking french toast or pancakes in a thermos is always a popular lunch option. Cereal is a simple choice too!

3) Stock the freezer with homemade goodies - I love having individually wrapped goodies in the fridge ready to pop in the lunch boxes. My kids love taking homemade biscuits and cookies.

4) Mix up some smoothies - Smoothies are wonderful healthy options, but making them in the morning can be time consuming. Making them in bulk and freezing them in these jam jars is perfect. Check out the full "how to" here.

5) Include a sweet treat - A sweet treat is something for kids to look forward to receiving in their lunch box, and it can be a good motivator for encouraging them to eat the healthy items. In our house, the rule is that the cookie can't be eaten unless the other items are eaten too. Clever, right?!?

I love finding new, creative, and EASY ideas for kid's lunches, don't you? What are your favourite ways to add variety and fun to lunch boxes? It's a long school year, so I can use as much help as I can get! 

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)