Easter Basket Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375° F. Grease or spray 32 miniature muffin cups. In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, flour, butter and egg until dough forms.
• Roll dough into 32 (1 1/4-inch) balls; roll in colored sugar. Press 1 ball into bottom and up side of each muffin cup.
• Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until set and edges are light golden brown. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove to cooling racks.
• Add coconut to a 1-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag. Add 3 to 4 drops food color and shake until well blended. It may be necessary to add 1 to 2 teaspoons water to help disperse the color evenly or additional food color until desired color is reached.
• Frost top of each cookie. Decorate with colored coconut and jelly beans. Tie a small ribbon bow on 5-inch piece of pipe cleaner; insert into each basket for handle.

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, almonds and salt; set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, egg and vanilla with an electric mixer til light and fluffy.
• Add flour mixture, beating until dough forms about 2 minutes.
• Roll dough out to 1/8-inch thickness.
• Use a 1-1/2" cookie cutter with scalloped edges and cut out shapes.
• Making the basket: Cover the outside of a loaf pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
• Cover the pan with the dough cutouts (overlapping slightly) and pressing gently.
• Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 15 minutes or until the edges are firm.
• Cool completely before removing the cookie basket.
• You can mold the cookie dough around different shaped oven-proof bowls too.

Steps:

• To make the dough:.
• In a bowl, combine the eggs, butter, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and anise extract. With an electric mixer, beat the ingredients until well combined, about 3 minutes. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; beat on low to combine. Gather up the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• On a lightly floured surface begin to form the baskets.
• To form the basket handle, start with a piece of the dough about the size of a walnut. Gently roll the dough into a thin pencil shape about 10 inches long.
• Repeat with another piece of dough.
• Place the 2 lengths side by side and twist one over the other like a spiral.
• Place the handle onto a baking sheet in a horseshoe shape.
• Take about 1/4 cup of the dough and form a thick oval or egg shape. Place one of the hard boiled eggs in the center of the oval. Press it down gently to embed it in the dough but don't push it through the dough.
• Place the dough with the egg on top of the ends of the basket handle.
• Press lightly to adhere the shape to the basket handle.
• Continue making the baskets in this manner.
• About 4 basket cookies should fit on each baking sheet.
• Bake for 20 minutes until very slightly golden brown.
• Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
• To make the icing:.
• In a small bowl, stir together the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and milk until smooth. Use a pastry brush to gently brush the icing on each cookie; don't brush icing on the eggs. Place the cookies on a wire rack over a baking sheet and dust with the colored sprinkles. Add the sprinkles while the icing is still wet so that they will adhere.
• Allow the icing to dry and harden before storing. The cookies may be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for about a week.