Making a Cookie Plate with Kids! What to make?

[bisous]

We had a family meeting yesterday about what we want to do for Christmas and my kids are very excited about baking cookies and bringing them to families so we’re going to do it. Anyone have any great recipes that they like to use? Two of my kids get way into baking and will be good “helpers”. I’m a tolerable baker but not super skilled at decoration. I’d love to find recipes that are easy and cute and the kids can help me with (and are yummy!)

Got any great ideas?

[carolinamama]

We always do sugar cookies - I bake them and the kids decorate! I use the kittencal's recipe for dough and icing and find it to be pretty easy and tasty. Should be easy to find using google. Plus kids "messy" decorating is cute no matter what! For easier cookies, I like snickerdoodles. And kids can almost do that one start to finish with only guidance from you. My recipe is from a kids' cookbook I've had since childhood.

Have fun! I love making Christmas cookies!

[azzeps]

I would make these confetti cookies from Smitten Kitchen, using red, green & white sprinkles: https://smittenkitchen.com/2016/05/confetti-cookies/

They are delicious and fun, and the kids love them.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Pretzels, hershey’s kisses and m&ms- super simple treat (google it).


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[basil]

Not necessarily Christmasy, but we made some no bake ones with butterscotch chips, peanut butter, Chinese noodles, raisins and peanuts. I may have added the raisins on my own cause my kids like them. They were a good fit for my kids ages cause they could do it all themselves. Which they enjoyed more than a prettier end product.

[gatorsmom]

Pretzels, hershey’s kisses and m&ms- super simple treat (google it).


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We make these every Christmas. They are easy and fun to make. I think they are called Reindeer noses. Mini pretzel twists, Hershey kisses (the white chocolare peppermint or the green-filled truffle mints are delish). Have the kids take the candies out of the wrappers and set them on the pretzels on cookie sheets. Bake for about 2 minutes in an oven at 180 degrees. You won’t even need kitchen mitts to take them out of the oven. They just need to be warm enough to heat the candy kisses to make them sticky for the m&ms. Top immediately with red &a green m&ms.

Have fun with the kids!

[PunkyBoo]

We did the same last year. The biggest hits were the Trader Joe's Maple Pecan shortbread bars (easy, from a box mix) and my favorite cookies ever- Big Soft Ginger Cookies (gingersnaps, but they are chewy instead of crispy). The cookies get rave reviews every time i make them.

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[mikala]

These are delicious and pretty quick. My kids helped roll them in raw sugar before baking but you could also roll the balls in colored sugar.

https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/chewy-ginger-molasses-cookies/

[jgenie]

We did the same last year. The biggest hits were the Trader Joe's Maple Pecan shortbread bars (easy, from a box mix) and my favorite cookies ever- Big Soft Ginger Cookies (gingersnaps, but they are chewy instead of crispy). The cookies get rave reviews every time i make them.

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Would you mind sharing your ginger cookie recipe please.

[PunkyBoo]

Would you mind sharing your ginger cookie recipe please.Sure! https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/17165/big-soft-ginger-cookies/
They take a little extra time with the chilling and rolling, but they are sooooo worth it!

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[jgenie]

Sure! https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/17165/big-soft-ginger-cookies/
They take a little extra time with the chilling and rolling, but they are sooooo worth it!

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Thank you!!

[bisous]

Wow thanks! I’m thinking of my plate and prioritizing variety, kid fun, and ease. I want to try those (supposedly) easy sugar sprinkle cookies from smitten kitchen, the reindeer and Hershey’s kiss reindeers, would love to do some kind of bar from a TJs mix (was thinking brownies but maybe those bars a PP mentioned?) I’m thinking I need a round simple cookie to round it out. Maybe ginger snaps or snickerdoodles? The no bake ones sound appealing considering I have only one functional oven at this point! I can’t quite settle on a fourth cookie! All of them sounded wonderful!!

[bisous]

Also want to mention—I gotta do the sugar cookie thing this season but I really want DH to be able to do it with us. His designs are amazing and it’s also nice to have another grownup there to supervise. So well do that some time soon.

[anonomom]

Another variation on Reindeer Buttons: use square pretzels, rolos and toasted pecans.

I’m also recently obsessed with mini cranberry tarts. They’re super easy but look impressive, and they are ridiculously delicious. I’ve made three batches since Thanksgiving.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/recipes/tiny-tim-cranberry-tarts/7717/?utm_term=.120927e4cac0

And finally, cookie brittle is easy and fun:

https://food52.com/recipes/74619-shauna-sever-s-chocolate-chip-cookie-brittle

I made this kind of a lot last year until my kids got tired of it.

[urquie]

We got this fabulously easy and fabulously delicious recipe from another member here, it’s now a Christmas requirement. Make sure your crockpot is large enough for the full recipe, before you start dumping everything in!


Crock-Pot Chocolate-Covered Peanut Clusters
http://www.browneyedbaker.com/slow-cooker-peanut-clusters/

yield: A LOT! prep time: 5 minutes cook time: 2 hours 30 minutes total time: 2 hours 35 minutes
The absolute easiest candy recipe ever; peanut and chocolate lovers will devour this!
INGREDIENTS:
16 ounces unsalted peanuts (or dry roasted peanuts)
16 ounces salted cocktail peanuts
1 (12-ounce bag) semisweet chocolate chips
1 (12-ounce bag) milk chocolate chips
2 (10-ounce bags) peanut butter chips
2 (16-ounce packages) white almond bark or vanilla candy melts
DIRECTIONS:
1. Layer all of the ingredients in order in a 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours.
2. Remove the lid and stir to combine. If not all of the chocolate is melted, cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes on low.
3. Using a spoon or cookie scoop, scoop mounds of the clusters onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Allow to sit at room temperature until completely set, 1 to 2 hours. The clusters can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. They also freeze very well

[elbenn]

These cookies are super cute and delicious:

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/230562/reindeer-cookies/

[legaleagle]

Russian tea cakes/mexican wedding cookies/pecan puffs (pick your name) are super easy and kid friendly to make - almost impossible to screw up and my kids love the rolling in powdered sugar part. Of course they won't actually eat them but more for me.

[Seitvonzu]

how about making a big sheet of the saltine cracker candy? a quick google should find the recipe but basically you lay down a layer of saltines, melt butter/ brown sugar together and pour over crackers/bake for about 5minutes in the over. put chocolate chips over that until melted-- spread with spatula and sprinkle with pecans (or not). once out of oven let set, and then you "crack" the wholething into pieces and VIOLA! crunchy toffee salty/chocolaty delicious! :)(and two batches in no time... and makes a lot!)_

[SnuggleBuggles]

how about making a big sheet of the saltine cracker candy? a quick google should find the recipe but basically you lay down a layer of saltines, melt butter/ brown sugar together and pour over crackers/bake for about 5minutes in the over. put chocolate chips over that until melted-- spread with spatula and sprinkle with pecans (or not). once out of oven let set, and then you "crack" the wholething into pieces and VIOLA! crunchy toffee salty/chocolaty delicious! :)(and two batches in no time... and makes a lot!)_

I consider myself a pretty good baker/ cook but I absolutely FAILED making that and was ticked off with wasting the ingredients. It was truly terrible!

[Seitvonzu]

I consider myself a pretty good baker/ cook but I absolutely FAILED making that and was ticked off with wasting the ingredients. It was truly terrible!

hrm....did you have a "bad" recipe?one year i did. the ratio of sugar/butter was off. my mother's is good, buti didn't want to bug her for some reason and went on the internet-- i think it had way too much sugar and didn't get "hard" and it was very bad. the toffee MUST be hard. you have to cook the sugar/ butter to a certain point before it goes in the oven....shouldn't be a disaster.sorry you had that experience! :(

[urquie]

I consider myself a pretty good baker/ cook but I absolutely FAILED making that and was ticked off with wasting the ingredients. It was truly terrible!

So glad to hear I’m not the only one! 😁

[squimp]

Another variation on Reindeer Buttons: use square pretzels, rolos and toasted pecans.

We love these. I just use regular pecan halves. The caramel in a rolo is pure awesome.

Also, Hershey's kiss peanut blossom cookies are so good and fun. Kids can unwrap the kisses and place them on the warm cookies, they can also roll the dough into balls.

[elephantmeg]

my favorites are: https://www.bigoven.com/recipe/white-chocolate-peppermint-chippers/158489

[bw52]

Deleted

[boilermakermom]

We love these!!! They were an annual fav before nut allergies took over! If you can have peanut, enjoy!!!!

[liz]

These cookies are super cute and delicious:

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/230562/reindeer-cookies/

So cute! My DH and kids bring cookies to a family cookie exchange every year and this would be perfect for the kids to make. Do you think this would work with a sugar cookie mix?


hrm....did you have a "bad" recipe?one year i did. the ratio of sugar/butter was off. my mother's is good, buti didn't want to bug her for some reason and went on the internet-- i think it had way too much sugar and didn't get "hard" and it was very bad. the toffee MUST be hard. you have to cook the sugar/ butter to a certain point before it goes in the oven....shouldn't be a disaster.sorry you had that experience! :(

I have tried the BBB recipe posted years ago and my toffe NEVER gets hard. We still eat it though lol. Any suggestions for other recipes or tricks?

[candaceb]

This recipe for almond roca is legendary among cooks/bakers in online groups: https://www.cookiemadness.net/2009/10/27/best-ever-almond-toffee/

[liz]

I made the reindeer cookies PP posted earlier. I think they came out great! I used Bette Crocker sugar cookie mix for the cookie. I found that a Christmas lightbulb shaped cookie cutter worked perfectly to get the shape we needed. It was a big hit with the kids. The cookies are going to a Christmas cookie swap party tomorrow [emoji4] 4827

[gatorsmom]

We got this fabulously easy and fabulously delicious recipe from another member here, it’s now a Christmas requirement. Make sure your crockpot is large enough for the full recipe, before you start dumping everything in!


Crock-Pot Chocolate-Covered Peanut Clusters
http://www.browneyedbaker.com/slow-cooker-peanut-clusters/

yield: A LOT! prep time: 5 minutes cook time: 2 hours 30 minutes total time: 2 hours 35 minutes
The absolute easiest candy recipe ever; peanut and chocolate lovers will devour this!
INGREDIENTS:
16 ounces unsalted peanuts (or dry roasted peanuts)
16 ounces salted cocktail peanuts
1 (12-ounce bag) semisweet chocolate chips
1 (12-ounce bag) milk chocolate chips
2 (10-ounce bags) peanut butter chips
2 (16-ounce packages) white almond bark or vanilla candy melts
DIRECTIONS:
1. Layer all of the ingredients in order in a 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours.
2. Remove the lid and stir to combine. If not all of the chocolate is melted, cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes on low.
3. Using a spoon or cookie scoop, scoop mounds of the clusters onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Allow to sit at room temperature until completely set, 1 to 2 hours. The clusters can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. They also freeze very well

These are excellent! We are making our second batch for our upcoming New Year’s Eve party. I give our kids the ingredients and they do all of it. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!