Two Treats That Kids Can Make for the Holidays
Tamari Roasted Nuts and Christmas Gingerbread
Dec 21, 2008
Children as young as three or four years old often want to help out in the kitchen during cooking and baking time. By the time they are around eight years old, children are often ready to gain some culinary independence. Teach them how to be safe around the stove, how to handle utensils and, when they are a little older, how to work an electric mixer.
If parents don't mind a bit of a mess, they can instill confidence in their children's cooking and baking abilities, confidence that will translate into benefits outside the kitchen. Cooking and baking improves children's reading, counting and motor skills. These two recipes are for treats that children can make over the holidays to give as gifts and to share with family and friends.
Tamari Roasted Nuts
Before a child starts to cook or bake, they should have an apron on and all their supplies laid out before hand. This preparation will save the frustration that may result if they can't find something half way through.
This recipe is so simple it can be made by all children old enough to eat nuts, as long as they have been instructed in oven safety.
Ingredients:
- I pound of raw nuts (A mix of almonds, hazel nuts, cashews and pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Walnuts tend to cook too quickly and burn).
- 4 tablespoons of tamari or soy sauce
Utensils:
- One bowl
- One spoon
- Measuring spoons
- Baking sheet
- Oven mitts
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Put nuts in a bowl and pour the soy sauce over them.
- Mix the nuts and the sauce up well.
- Spread over a baking sheet so the nuts are evenly spaced. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Wait until they are cool to eat!
Christmas Gingerbread Men and Women (and Angels and Trees and Bells too!)
This recipe is a little more complex and requires a greater level of kitchen sophistication for the child to make solo. The child must be able to measure and have enough strength to roll dough and cut it into fun shapes. Their efforts will be well rewarded though as these cookies are not only tasty, they look terrific.
Ingredients:
- Two-thirds of a cup vegetable shortening (not butter or margarine)
- A half a cup of brown sugar (pack it down)
- Two teaspoons ground ginger
- One teaspoon cinnamon
- One teaspoon salt
- One egg (room temperature is best)
- Three-quarters of a cup of molasses
- Three cups of white flour
- One teaspoon baking soda
- Half a teaspoon baking powder (don't mix these last two up!)
- Nuts/Raisins/Candies
Utensils:
- Wooden spoon
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Two bowls: one big, one medium
- A bread board
- Rolling pin
- Spatula
- Cookie cutters
- Two cookie sheets
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Smooth the shortening in the big bowl with a wooden spoon until it is soft. Add the brown sugar, spices and salt. Stir together well.
- Add the egg and mix.
- Add the molasses and mix.
- In the other bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and baking powder together.
- Add the second mixture to the first and stir well.
- Put a plate over this bowl and put it in the refrigerator for a half hour.
- Read a book while the dough gets chilled.
- Sprinkle flour on the bread board and on your rolling pin.
- Roll one-third of the dough out so it's not too thick and not too thin.
- Grease your cookie sheets with shortening.
- Cut out shapes with your cookie cutters.
- Roll another third of the dough out and cut more shapes. Then do the same to the last third of the dough.
- Decorate the cookies with Smarties or raisins, cranberries or nuts. This is healthier and more fun than simply using frosting. Also less messy!
- Put them in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Let them cool.
Children can put the mixed roasted nuts into decorated containers for stocking stuffers. They can also wrap the gingerbread cookies in plastic and tie them with ribbons as gifts. After having a holiday success with these two recipes, children usually want to venture forth into more challenging kinds of baking and cooking.
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