3 Fun Christmas treats to make with the kids this festive season
Ho ho ho. It’s that time of year again, when things are merrier and brighter, and baked goods a little more festive! To get in the holiday spirit, we’ve explored three tasty Christmas treats that are easy to make and fun for the whole family. Keep reading for recipes, inspiration and ideas. (And click here for more foodie articles.)
Bake these Christmas treats for some festive fun:
1. Christmas light sugar cookies
The classic sugar cookie lends itself to all kinds of Christmas shapes, from snowflakes to reindeer to jingle bells. But this season, we’re loving the decorated Christmas light cookie! The kids can create unique lights made with colourful sweets, and you can finish them off by stringing them along a liquorice wire. Simple, authentic and oh so charming! Here’s how to make your basic light-shaped sugar cookie:
Whisk 3 cups of flour and ½ teaspoon of salt together in a bowl and set aside.
Beat 1 cup of butter and 1 cup of sugar in a bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add in an egg and ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Gradually add the flour mixture into the bowl, and beat until the ingredients combine.
Remove dough from the bowl, flatten it into disks, and chill for an hour.
Heat oven to 180℃.
Roll dough out flat to about 0.5cm thickness on a floured surface and cut cookie shapes with the light-bulb-shaped cutter.
Make a hole in the top of each bulb-shaped cookie for the liquorice wire.
Place cookies on an oven tray and bake until golden brown (about 10 minutes).
Once cookies are baked, allow them to cool and decorate with icing and sweets.
Lastly, thread a liquorice wire through the cookie holes to create a Christmas lights effect.
2. Popcorn stars
Tasty Christmas treats for the kids and beautiful ornaments for the tree, popcorn stars bring festive fun and flavour to any holiday event. And if you’re short on time, that’s no problem – these candied stars are super quick to make. (And they’re gluten-free!) Let’s go through the simple recipe together:
Add one cup of sugar, ⅓ cup of light corn syrup, ⅓ cup of water, and 2 tablespoons of butter to a saucepan.
Cook over low heat until the butter melts and sugar dissolves, then bring to a boil.
Using a candy thermometer, wait until the mixture reaches 123℃.
Once the temperature is reached, remove the pan from the heat and add ¼ teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of vanilla.
Pour the mixture over popcorn on a tray or bowl, tossing lightly to coat, and adding colourful nonpareils.
Moisten hands and quickly work the mixture through a star-shaped cookie cutter to make the stars before it dries.
3. Santa hat brownies
Everybody loves brownies. And with cute Santa hats on top, you have to admit they are even more delightful! Perhaps you have a family brownie recipe on hand already. If so, great, you can skip to the end of ours. The good news is you can make these Christmas treats with any brownies, whether they are fudgy, nutty, or even fruity! (Christmas cake brownies, anyone?) For those who don’t have a brownie recipe, follow these steps for an easy baking process:
Heat oven to 180℃.
Mix ¾ cup of flour, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of baking soda together in a bowl and set aside.
Whisk 2 eggs, ¾ cup of brown sugar and ¾ cup of vegetable oil in a bowl for 2 minutes.
Add 2 tablespoons of water and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and mix well.
Whisk in the dry ingredients from the other bowl.
Whisk 1 cup of melted chocolate into the batter until combined.
Mix in half a cup of dry chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into a baking pan and leave it in the oven for about 50 minutes.
Once baked, remove the brownies from the oven and leave to cool.
Cut individual brownies (about 9 per pan) and pipe a circle of icing on top of each one.
Place a sliced strawberry on every icing circle, and dollop a little more icing on top of the strawberry to make Santa’s hat.
Ready to make platefuls of tasty Christmas treats?
We can’t wait to let the festivities begin! How about you? If you want to tickle taste buds and spread smiles as the year draws to a close, prepare these Christmas treats with your family – and enjoy a holiday season that is that much sweeter! (If you’re an avid home cook, follow our Facebook and Instagram page for more culinary tips and tricks.)
