Easter Chicks and Friday Night!

My Friday nights with my granddaughter have been sporadic lately. Late appointments on Friday, combined with early Saturday morning appointments, aren't conducive to quality time spent with a 4-year old. In fact, it's been a few weeks and we were both missing each other. Last night we made it happen and we had a wonderful evening!

We went for a long neighborhood walk, she with her doll stroller piled to the top with babies and accessories, and me with Harley on his leash. We chatted, we laughed, we watched birds play in the sprinklers. Once home we headed to the kitchen to bake cookies.  I first spotted these cookies on Pinterest and knew they would be an easy and fun baking adventure for us. Her Papa came home when we were almost done with the cookies so she ran off with him while I finished decorating them. I guess she missed both of us!

After eating a few cookies for dessert, we got her bathed and settled in bed for a movie and popcorn. Then she wanted to be read to. After two Disney Princess stories she told me she wanted to go to sleep.  She rolled over and was instantly out! I looked at the clock and it was 9:30! The night just flew by!

I needed to be in the office early this morning and she was a little groggy, but she reminded me that she was going to take the cookies to her Mommy & Daddy. Due to my schedule it will be a few more Fridays before we have another sleepover.  In the meantime, we made lots of memories to cherish and remember last night!


I found the cookie recipe here. They only use a few ingredients and are quick to put together.

Easter Chicks Lemon Cookies

9 orange candy slices
1 box lemon cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup shortening
Yellow food coloring (optional)
1-2 tablespoons mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
small amount of orange frosting (I used a tube found in baking section of store)

The edges of the orange slices sort of form a triangle, which makes for a perfect beak.  Cut off about 1/4 inch of the edge of each orange slice, and set aside to use as beaks.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together cake mix, eggs, and shortening until well-blended.

Add several drops of yellow food coloring if you want the yellow color of the chicks to be brighter. (I forgot this step but they were still quite yellow!)

For each chick, roll two balls of dough.  One ball should be about 1 1/2 inches, and the other should be about 3/4 inches.  Just make sure that one ball is a good bit larger than the other.

Place on a lightly greased or parchment-covered cookies sheet with the smaller ball just touching the larger ball.

Bake at 350 degrees, for 10-12 minutes, or until edges of cookies are golden brown.

Remove from heat, and while the cookies are still warm, press in two mini chocolate chips for the eyes.

Remove cookies from cookie sheet to a wire rack to cool completely, being careful not to break the chicks apart.

Once cookies are completely cool, pipe ** orange frosting onto the bottom of each chick for the feet.

Using a dot of orange frosting, "glue" an orange slice beak onto each cookie.

** I squeezed the tube frosting into a small Ziploc bag, snipping the end, making for an easy piping bag.

Curls, bow and scraped elbow.  That's my girl!