By Lisa Holcomb
Flour everywhere, sugar sprinkles scattered over the kitchen, mixing bowls fill the kitchen sink. One might say it’s quite a mess. However, there’s also the heavenly smell of cookies baking in the oven, laughter from children in the kitchen, and Christmas music playing in the background. It’s our annual Christmas baking event. It’s a time for families to spend quality time together, a time for memory making.
Of course, we have the usual cookies that are a tradition in our family to bake each year: sugar cookies cut out in different Christmas shapes and decorated by the kids; my husband’s favorite chocolate crinkles; and quite a few more. We also love to try new recipes during our annual Christmas baking. Build A Menu has lots of “Cooking with Kids” recipes with step-by-step photos. We also have some really fun Christmas recipes to make with kids. Here are a few of our favorites. Click on the links to see step by step instructions and photos of how to make these yummy Christmas treats.
Santa Strawberries. These little babies are super easy to make and are sure to be a hit with your kids. They are also great to take to a party. Not only that, but they are actually healthy and require no special tools. Can’t beat that!
Reindeer Cupcakes. This is a super-cute cupcake that kids can mostly do by themselves and they’ll have a blast making them. With younger children, mom can help with making the cupcake, but even toddlers can put on the decorations by themselves.
Christmas Fudge Cutouts. Who doesn’t love fudge at Christmas? At our house that is the only time we make fudge which makes it even more special. Have you ever tried using a cookie cutter to make Christmas designs with your fudge? These make a great gift.
Hot Chocolate Cupcakes. This is a super-cute cupcake recipe that looks like little cups of hot chocolate. It’s very easy to do, so even your young ones can get involved in this project. You can enjoy these cupcakes with an actual yummy cup of hot chocolate.
So, don that cute Christmas apron you’ve tucked away somewhere, put on some Christmas music, get the kids in the kitchen and start baking and making those memories. You and your kids will be glad you did.
Lisa and her husband, Will, have six children and live near Austin, Texas. Lisa is co-founder of BuildAMenu.com and is known as the “Queen of Meal Time Makeovers.” She is an author, speaker, and an advocate for adoption, family nutrition, savvy grocery shopping, and family dinners. Feel free to email her at [email protected].
