Holiday Recipes for Kids

With a chill in the area and snow on the ground (in some places), staying inside sounds like the place to be.  And with the holiday season in full swing, it’s time to do a little holiday baking.  If your house is anything like mine, you might have a few little elves that want to help with the process.  Instead of stressing, try some of these fun and easy recipes that your children can help with and some they can even make themselves!

Red-Nosed Reindeer Cookies

Ingredients:
Pillsbury’s Simply Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
Flipz Mini Chocolate Pretzels
M&M Minis
Regular Size M&Ms
White Frosting

Directions:

1. Slice pieces from cookie dough in half and shape each half into 1-1/2” triangles.
2. Place 3” apart on cookie sheets and bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.
3. Remove from oven. While cookies are still warm, press a mini pretzel onto each side to resemble antlers.
4. Let cool completely.
5. Decorate cookies to resemble reindeer faces. Mini M&Ms become eyes, M&Ms are noses and white frosting is used to “glue” them on the cookies.

They make an adorable snack for watching that old classic, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer!

 

Melting Snowman Cookie Balls

Ingredients:
1 8 oz. Package of Cream cheese
24 Finely Crushed Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
3 4 oz. Packages of BAKER’S White Chocolate, broken and melted
48 Mini OREO Bite Size Cookies
2 Tbsp. Decorating Icing

Directions:

1. Mix cream cheese and cookie crumbs until blended.
2. Shape into 48 1-inch balls and place in a single layer in a shallow pan.
3. Freeze for 10 minutes.
4. Dip balls in melted chocolate and place in a shallow waxed paper-lined pan, allowing excess chocolate to pool at bottom of each ball.
5. Use remaining ingredients to decorate your snowmen faces.
6. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Keep refrigerated.

Another fun treat for another holiday classic, Frosty the Snowman!

 

Ice Cream Cone Christmas Trees

 

Ingredients:
Ice Cream Cones
Green Frosting (White Frosting w/ Green Food Coloring will work.)
Candy for Decorations

Directions:

1. Frost each ice cream cone with green frosting covering the whole outside.
2. Add candy pieces to resemble decorations.
3. Let frosting set before eating!

 

Christmas isn’t the only holiday in December.  So, if you’re celebrating this winter season lighting a menorah, try this recipe for a fun holiday treat!

Marshmallow Dreidels

Borrowed from marthastewart.com

Ingredients:
Marshmallows
Kitchen Scissors
Nonstick Cooking Spray
Nonpareils
Nonpareil Chocolate
Wooden Skewers

Directions:

1. Spray kitchen scissors with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Have a parent trim sides of marshmallows to make them square-shaped.
3. Dip marshmallows into a bowl of nonpareils to coat.
4. Insert a wooden skewer and add a nonpareil chocolate for the tip.
5. Have a parent trim the skewer.

 

Here’s a delicious treat for any children’s holiday party!

Peppermint Puppy Chow

Borrowed from Sallysbakingaddiction.com

Ingredients:
5 Cups of Rice Chex cereal
10 ounces of Melting White Chocolate OR Vanilla Flavored Almond Bark
1 Cup of Crushed Peppermint Candy Canes
1 Cup of Confectioners’ Sugar

Directions:

1. Pour cereal into a large bowl.
2. Melt the white chocolate/almond bark according to package directions and pour over cereal. Stir and fold until the cereal is completely covered.
3. Fold in crushed candy canes.
4. Pour confectioners’ sugar into a large zipped-lock bag.
5. Pour the cereal/chocolate/candy mixture into the bag.
6. Seal and shake until all the cereal is coated with confectioners’ sugar.

 

How about an extra special treat to leave for Santa and his elves on Christmas Eve?  One that Mom and Dad are sure to enjoy, too!  This one might not have as many steps that the kids can help with, but I bet they’ll love knowing that you’re making Elf Biscuits!

 

Elf Biscuits

Borrowed from myrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 5-1/3 oz. Package of Graham Crackers (1 Sleeve)
¾ Cup of Butter or Margarine
½ Cup of Sugar
1 Cup of Chopped Pecans or Almonds

Directions:

1. Arrange 11 whole graham crackers on an ungreased 15” x 10” jellyroll pan.
2. Bring butter, sugar and nuts to boil in a medium saucepan. Boil 2 minutes.
3. Pour mixture on crackers, spreading quickly to cover.
4. Bake at 300° for 12 minutes.
5. Remove crackers to wax paper to cool.
6. Cut with a knife along perforations.

 

And finally one last one that the kids can make all themselves . . . and it will make the wait for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve that much more fun!

 

Magic Reindeer Food

Borrowed from myrecipes.com

Ingredients:
2 Cups of Regular Oats
2 Cups of Birdseed Mix
2 Tbsp. of Red Decorator Sugar Crystals
2 Tbsp. of Green Decorator Sugar Crystals

Directions:

1. Add all the ingredients in a 2 quart zip-lock bag.
2. Shake to combine.
3. Wait until Christmas Eve and sprinkle a path through your yard to your house. The path will help guide Santa’s reindeer to your house, and they’ll get a tasty treat, too!

NOTE: Remember kids, don’t eat the reindeer food.  The reindeer will eat some of what you sprinkle, but the rest will be a tasty Christmas morning treat for your neighborhood birds!