The Egg Trifecta!

Do you ever just use the whites or the yolks of eggs? Ever wonder what to use the shells for? Between these three easy “recipes”, the entire egg will be used! Each one calls for one part of the egg plus 3-5 more ingredients/items. Treat family and friends, then treat the birds. Delicious, beautiful, and give back to nature. Eggscellent!

Ingredients for : Chocolate Pecan Meringue Cookies

1 ½ cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 egg whites, at room temperature

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 /2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Ingredients for: Painted Sugar Cookies

16 oz. well-chilled sugar cookie dough, rolled and cut out into desired shapes on a generously floured work surface

2 egg yolks

½ teaspoon water

3-4 colors of food coloring

Ingredients for: Eggshell Bird Feeders

 6-8 eggshells

4 small pinecones

four 2-foot lengths of jute or yarn

¼ cup creamy peanut butter 

Tools and Supplies:

Mixer

Mixing bowl

Sifter

Parchment paper

2 baking sheets

Wire racks

4 small ramekins or bowls

3-4 small paint brushes

Blender or food processor

Hot glue gun

plate

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the powdered sugar, cocoa and cornstarch. Add egg whites and extract. Beat on low until smooth.

With mixer on low, beat in pecans just until pecans are coated, scraping down side of bowl as needed.

Spoon by generous tablespoonfuls 3-inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. (I put six cookies on each sheet.)

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until tops appear cracked and centers are just slightly shiny. Cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets before removing to wire rack to cool completely.  

Makes 1 dozen cookies. 

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place cookies 1-inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheet.

 Whisk egg yolks and water together until smooth. Divide into 3-4 small ramekins or bowls. Add a few drops of your desired food colorings to each. Stir each to each to evenly mix.  Use a small paint brush to paint cookies as desired. 

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges of cookies are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.   Makes 1 ½ dozen cookies if using a medium-size cookie cutter. 

 Coarsely crush eggshells and spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 250 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool completely. Place in a blender or food processor and process until very finely chopped.  Place crushed shells on a plate.  

While eggshells are baking, hot glue a jute length to the top of each pinecone.

Warm peanut butter in a small deep bowl in microwave for 15 seconds. Stir. Roll pinecones in peanut butter, using fingers to evenly distribute. Roll pinecones in crushed shells, sprinkling remaining eggshells evenly over pinecones so that all peanut butter is coated. 

Use jute to tie birdfeeders to tree branches. 

Chocolate Pecan Meringue Cookies:

Other nuts may substituted for the pecans. These are gluten free!

Painted Sugar Cookies:

Homemade or store-bought sugar cookie dough may be used. Leaf-shaped cookies are great for kids to paint because they can create unique patterns or simply brush on the colors as desired.  I used red orange, and yellow for fall. Other suggested cookie shapes for kids to paint: balloons, flowers, Christmas stockings or ornaments, and Easter eggs.

Bird Feeders:

As I use eggs, I save the shells in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator until I get enough to make at least 4 bird feeders.