It’s that time of year again. The cold weather is settling in, the holidays are around the corner, and all you can think about is how your kids are going to be asking for more presents and more treats.
Next time they ask, “can we have some Christmas cookies?” don’t answer with an immediate no. Instead, let them get messy with these fantastic recipes that will keep their little hands busy while still making sure they’re getting something out of it too. They’ll love helping out in the kitchen, and you’ll love how easy these recipes are to follow along with. It’s a win-win all around!
- Brownie Christmas tree
Christmas time means indulging in chocolate goodness and it would be a crime to celebrate the holidays without some good old fashioned brownies. And these babies have been spruced up to suit the Christmas spirit.
Shaped like a Christmas tree, the kiddies can frost up the brownies with some green buttercream and add all kinds of wonderful and sparkly decorations – think jellybean lights, sugar cane lolly stems and sprinkles and gold stars completing the arrangement.
Use a non-stick baking tin for cooking the cookies. Once the brownies come out of the oven, they’ll need an hour and a half to dry, which is the perfect time to bring out Monopoly that’s been inspired by your hometown!
- Snowman biscuits
There’s no way you can go wrong with some sweet, delicious sugar cookies decorated with adorable snowman faces.
This recipe comes from BBC Good Food and it couldn’t be easier to make! Total cook and assemble time is an hour, and you’ll get 20 tasty cookies per batch. Once they’ve cooled from the oven, cover them in white icing and give the snowman some friendly features. Don’t forget some beanies to keep them warm and snug!
The best part about this recipe is that the dough, as well as finished cookies, can be stored in the freezer and brought out on the night of Christmas – a perfect snack for Santa’s reindeer! Also, if you’re looking for something to do on a rainy day, make a large batch, freeze them and then defrost a couple over the weeks to give your kiddies something to do with friends or cousins over the festive season.
Top tip: To make your life even easier, use a non-stick baking tray so that the little ones can easily remove the treats once they’ve cooled
- Elf & Santa cupcakes
Another quick and easy recipe from BBC Good Food is the elf & Santa cupcakes. Not only are these wonderful to make, but making these cupcakes is also a chance to get the kids involved in some arts and crafts.
Print out the template for the chimney-style paper cases and let them get creative by adding all the details to the chimney that Santa will be climbing down. Once the chimney is complete, use some candy cane, fondant and gold and silver balls to recreate Santa climbing down the chimney.
In as little as 40 minutes, you can get 16 cupcakes ready for your Christmas feast and festivities!
