There is nothing like settling down with a cup of hot cocoa and a cookie to watch the twinkling lights on your Christmas tree. Whether you make these cookies for family, friends, or for Santa, it is a simple recipe that your child can easily help with from inside their Learning Tower. To decorate these cookies use a royal frosting to keep the designs from smudging.
Steps
- Cream the butter and sugar. (If you are baking with your little one in their Learning Tower and don’t want to use an electric mixer, the back of a large spoon works well for creaming!)
- Add the eggs and vanilla and mix.
- In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the mixture and stir well until combined. The dough may be too stiff for your little one to do on their own!
- Chill in the fridge for 1 hour before cutting the shapes. (You can either roll out the dough then chill flat or chill in a ball, it will just be a bit tough to roll out at first).
- Roll out the dough to ¼ inch and cut out to the desired shape.
- Bake at 200℃ for 6-8 minutes, take out just before the edges start to brown.
- Wait until they have cooled completely to frost then enjoy!
The Christmas season is a time for slowing down with your family. Enjoy the special time spent making these together with your child and remember as always when working with children in the kitchen, focus on the experience instead of the result. Happy Holidays from Goc Montessori.
General tips on baking with children:
- Prepare the space beforehand- get ingredients ready and clear the space so your child only has access to what is needed- make sure eggs are out of reach for the throwers!
- Don’t leave opened bottles and bags of ingredients within reach unsupervised
- Ensure your little one can easily reach into the mixing bowls
- Use a bowl with a handle for mixing wet ingredients to make pouring easier
- Use child-sized kitchen utensils
- Give smaller spoons and measuring cups for added scooping and transferring practice
- Crack eggs into a separate cup in case your child drops the shells in too- it is easier to remove
- Take the opportunity to discuss oven safety with your child when baking together
- Slow down and let your child enjoy the full sensory experience of baking- touching the ingredients, tasting (when safe), smelling the spices...and if your child is focused on a single task try not to interrupt until they have finished.
- And remember- practice makes better. It will be very messy at the beginning but not forever!
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Góc Montessori
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