Easy Cooking Ideas with and for Your Kids
As you plan your holiday preparations and celebrations, don’t forget to involve your kids as much as possible and wherever possible. One of the areas in which they can help and have fun is making holiday snacks. Here are a few simple recipes that your kids can follow or help you prepare. Most are suitable for pre-schoolers and older.
1. Chocolate Ornaments
Melt one cup of semisweet chocolate in a double boiler. When melted, carefully fold in eight ounces (one package) of cream cheese until fully melted and blended.
If desired for heartier texture, add 12 to 15 crushed vanilla wafers and mix thoroughly; if a tangier tastes is intriguing, use crushed gingerbread snaps instead.
Also if desired, add flavor chips or unseeded jam to the mixture. Peppermint, strawberry, pineapple, apple and butterscotch are popular flavors to add.
Carefully poor the melted mixture onto a flat baking sheet covered in wax paper. Set in the refrigerator for a short time until the chocolate mixture is firm but still malleable.
Roll chocolate balls, cut ornamental or other decorative shapes with cookie cutters or cut into chunks. Decorate with sprinkles, coconut, crushed nuts, white chocolate or crushed cookies if desired. Adding gum drops, peppermint or other flavors adds to both the appearance and taste as you wish.
Additional refrigeration may be desired to avoid melting.
2. Honeyed Deviled Eggs
Hardboil 12 eggs and allow to cool completely. Carefully remove the egg shell.
TIP: Rinse the egg in cold water and carefully crack all around the shell before attempting to remove it. You may still have “straggler” pieces to remove, but most of the shell should peel off easily, and you don’t take half the egg whites with it.
Cut each bare egg in half and carefully scoop out the yellow yolk into a bowl.
Lay each half on a platter or plate for later serving.
Take the bowl of yolks and use a fork to break the yolk into crumbles. Add to the yolk, 1/3 cup of tangy sandwich spread, 2 tablespoons of a honey mustard and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper.
Sprinkle each egg white half with shredded cheddar cheese, then fill the yolk cup with the filling. Add paprika on top if desired and cover. Refrigerate until served.
TIP: For extra pizzazz, while the eggs are boiling, cook four strips of bacon and allow to drain and cool completely. Crush thoroughly and add to the deviled filling before filling the yolk cups. If you want the flavor and crunch to be a surprise, add separately instead by sprinkling the bits on the cheese before adding the deviled mixture.
For variation, use a Monterrey Jack cheese, white and yellow cheddar or sneak a bit of Parmesan cheese on the bottom of the yolk cup instead!
