How to Make Christmas Cookies With Your Toddler

Baking with your little one can be a whole load of fun. It's a great bonding activity for both of you, and your tot will love being Mommy's Little Helper in the kitchen -- and making a mess, of course. It's also a fun way to develop your child's motor skills, as he concentrates on using his hands and fingers to lift, measure, mix and taste. A simple Christmas cookie recipe is perfect for the holiday season, and can easily be adapted for other times of the year.

Things You'll Need

  • Wooden spoon
  • Medium-size bowl
  • Small pot
  • Large bowl
  • Plastic wrap
  • Waxed paper
  • Rolling pin
  • Candy cane cookie cutter
  • Metal spatula
  • Baking sheets
  • Wire rack
  • Electric mixer
  • For the cookie dough:
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • For the frosting:
  • 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
  • Liquid food coloring

Instructions

    • 1

      Gather the ingredients you need from the pantry. Let your toddler carry a couple of small items, such as the butter and the salt. Give her pots and wooden spoons to play with while you measure your ingredients.

    • 2

      Make the cookie dough. Instruct your toddler to add the flour and the salt to a medium-size bowl, and stir it with a wooden spoon. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add the egg, corn syrup and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture one-third at a time, mixing well after each third.

    • 3

      Remove the dough from the bowl and separate it into two halves. Pat each one into a disk and wrap it in plastic. Let your toddler mimic your patting motion. Put the disks in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours, until they are firm enough to roll. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

    • 4

      Roll one of your dough disks between two sheets of waxed paper, aiming for a thickness of 1/4 inch. Peel off the top sheet of paper and show your toddler how to cut out the candy cane shapes with the cookie cutter. Let him create more cookies. Transfer them onto baking sheets with a metal spatula, positioning each cookie about 1 inch apart.

    • 5

      Bake the cookies in the oven for up to 10 minutes, or until they start to go brown around the edges. Take the baking sheet out of the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool.

    • 6

      Make your frosting. Mix confectioners' sugar, butter and vanilla extract in a large bowl with an electric mixer, until the consistency is right for piping. Transfer half of the frosting to another bowl. Add red food coloring to one of the bowls until you have achieved your desired shade.

    • 7

      Transfer your white and red frosting to piping bags and show your toddler how to create frosting stripes on your candy cane cookies. Give him the bag and let him experiment on a few cookies of his own. Encourage him and praise his efforts, no matter how much mess he makes.

    • 8

      Put your cookies into the refrigerator for 20 minutes or until the frosting has set. Enjoy tasting your Christmas candy cane cookies with your toddler.

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