The holidays kick off for many, tomorrow! Both Hanukkah and Christmas begin at the same time this year. We know what that means…time to start baking! The holidays are a baker’s paradise. It’s a fantastic time to form some special memories with the children and what better way than getting together to make some festive treats. There are lots of baking recipes for kids, but these three are sure to bring a smile to their faces.
Let’s start with a classic…gingerbread men (or women)!
Enjoy freshly baked gingerbread men. National Trust Images Paul Harris
#1 Gingerbread People
Ingredients
- 300g (11oz) plain flour
- 60g (2oz) dark brown sugar
- 60g (2oz) butter
- 90ml (3floz) golden syrup
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp bicarbonate soda dissolved in water
Method
- Sieve the flour, ginger and mixed spice into a large bowl.
- Melt your butter, golden syrup and sugar together on a low heat.
- Make a well in the flour mix and add the melted sugar/syrup/butter, plus a whisked egg yolk and the bicarbonate of soda.
- Roll your sleeves up and get kneading the mix until it forms up into a soft dough.
- Wrap in cling film and allow to rest at room temperature of half an hour.
- Heat your oven to 350 F.
- Dust your work surface with flour and roll out the dough to a depth of 5mm.
- Press out your gingerbread men with a cutter and bake them for 15 minutes. Gingerbread expands when baked so leave plenty of space between your gingerbread men.
- To decorate, pipe on a face and buttons with some royal icing.
#2 Classic Pudding Bites
National Trust Images/Yannick Lalardy
Kids will love making this simple festive twist on the old standby: the rice crispy bite. These are fun and quick to make, making them one of the best baking recipes for kids.
Ingredients
- 125g (4oz) butter
- 55g (2oz) caster sugar
- 180g (6oz) plain flour
- Green ready to roll icing
- Red ready to roll icing
- Yellow ready to roll icing
- Christmas tree cutter
- Boiled apricot jam
Method
- Preheat your oven to 190C.
- Mix the butter and sugar together until smooth then gradually combine the flour to make a dough.
- Wrap the dough in cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Once chilled, remove the dough and knead it to make it pliable. Dust your work surface with icing sugar then roll out your dough.
- Take your cutter and press out your Christmas trees.
- Bake for about 12 minutes, the biscuits should be a golden brown colour. Allow them to cool before decorating.
- Roll out your green ready to roll icing and press out the Christmas tree shape. Fix these onto each biscuit using some boiled apricot jam.
- Then roll some small balls of red and yellow icing and fix into place using cooled boiled water to mimic fairy lights.
Let us know if you used these recipes, feel free to reach out and tell us if you liked them!
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