holiday recipes to cook with kids

Many thanks to our friends at Forsyth Family magazine for sharing these fun holiday recipes to cook with kids with us. We hope today’s ideas help create memorable traditions for your family. Enjoy! The holidays are a time for family baking and memory-making! We’ve gathered some kid-friendly recipes for sweet treats and wonderful-smelling ornaments!

Peppermint Cookie Truffles

Ingredients:

1 package Trader Joe’s® Candy Cane Joe Joe’s (or substitute peppermint Oreos®, or plain Oreos® with 6 crushed peppermint candy canes)
1  8-oz. package cream cheese (softened)
dark chocolate (or white chocolate)
4 peppermint candy canes, crushed

Directions: 

1. In a food processor, pulse the cookies until they are finely ground (about 1 minute). Add cream cheese and pulse until combined.

2. Place mixture in a bowl and let the kids roll into small balls. Place balls on wax or parchment paper.

3. Melt the dark (or white) chocolate according to package directions.

4. Dip the balls into the melted chocolate.

5. Before the truffles harden, let the kids sprinkle the crushed peppermint onto the truffles to garnish.

6. Refrigerate.

Cinnamon Ornaments

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups ground cinnamon

1 cup applesauce

¼ cup kid-friendly glue

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, have kids mix all ingredients together to make a thick, cookie-like dough. Knead in bowl until smooth. Cover bowl with cling wrap and let rest for 40 minutes.

2. Knead dough again and place dough between two sheets of wax paper. Roll with a rolling pin until dough is about ¼ inch thick.

3. Use Christmas cookie cutters to cut out ornament shapes, or shape them by hand.

4. Make a hole in the top of each ornament with a straw.

5. Leave ornaments between two pieces of wax paper to dry. Turn them over every day to ensure thorough drying and to prevent the edges curling. Drying may take up to a week.

6. Once the ornaments are completely dry, tie yarn or ribbon through the hole to hang.

Christmas Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons red decorating sugar crystals

1 Tablespoon cinnamon, divided

2 Tablespoons green decorating sugar crystals

1 ½ cup sugar

½ cup vegetable shortening

½ cup butter softened

2 eggs

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, mix red decorating sugar crystals and half of the tablespoon of cinnamon and set aside.  In another small bowl, mix green decorating sugar crystals and the rest of the tablespoon of cinnamon and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mix sugar, shortening, butter and eggs thoroughly. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.

3. Let the kids help shape the dough into small balls (about ¾ inch width) and roll in alternating red and green cinnamon mixture.

4. Place about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

5. Bake for 8–10 minutes until centers are almost set, remove, cool and serve with milk (if desired!).

By Guest Bloggers Kristi Marion & Emily Dodson