Easy Christmas Treats to Make With Kids

By Deanna F. Cook
Dane Tashima
Cooking together is one Pinterest-inspired holiday fantasy that’s actually doable, thanks to these completely kid-friendly Christmas cookies and treats.
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Cozy Cookies

Dane Tashima
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Use our sugar cookie recipe or bake up a mix. Either way, the fun is in the decorating.

What You'll Need: Butter, granulated sugar, an egg, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, milk, food coloring, sweetened coconut, assorted sprinkles and sugars for decorating.

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Sugar Cone Trees

Dane Tashima
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'Tis the season to try a no-bake treat! Set out frosting, ice cream cokes, and sprinkles and let your little elves work their magic.

What You'll Need: Vanilla frosting or recipe for Cozy Cookie Glaze, sugar ice cream cones, sprinkles, sugars, and/or sweetened flaked coconut for decorating.

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Marshmallow Mugs

Dane Tashima
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Cheers! Everyone knows that the marshmallows are the best part of the cocoa.

What You'll Need: Mini candy canes, marshmallows, semi-sweet chocolate chips.

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Cookie Sticks

Dane Tashima
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Even the youngest kids will love dipping and decorating these easy cookies.

What You'll Need: Recipe for Cozy Cookie Dough, recipe Cozy Cookie Glaze and/or semisweet-chocolate chips, sweetened coconut Nuts, sprinkles, and/or sugars for decorating.

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Peppermint Hearts

Dane Tashima
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These no-fuss candies make charming gifts for grandparents, neighbors, or teachers.

What You'll Need: Mini candy canes, semi-sweet chocolate chips, colored sugars, sprinkles, or nonpareils.

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O Christmas Treats!

Photograph by Joe Polillio, Treat idea by Brenda Vanover of sweetsimplestuff.com

Take tree decorating to delicious new heights with this easy candy craft. Melt a 12-ounce bag of white chocolate chips according to the package directions (this makes enough for about 18 trees). If you like, use food coloring to tint the chocolate. Transfer the candy to a squeeze bottle or a ziplock bag with one corner snipped off. Form the frame of each tree by arranging three pretzel sticks in the shape of an arrow on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pipe on overlapping rows of chocolate, then top with colored sprinkles or sparkling sugar. Let the candy set before serving.

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Mini Marshmallow Men

Photographs by Laura Johansen

You'll need just a few common ingredients — chocolate, marshmallows, and fruit leather — to make a batch of these wee toothpick-topping cuties.

Slide three mini marshmallows onto a toothpick. Melt white chocolate chips or candy wafers in a heat-safe bowl according to the package directions. Dip the marshmallows in the melted candy to coat them. Place on a sheet of parchment or waxed paper and let the coating set. Melt chocolate chips and red candy wafers in two separate small bowls. Use toothpicks to draw details on the snowman with the melted candy and let it set. Trim a scarf from fruit leather and wrap it around the snowman's neck.

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Teensy Gingerbread Houses

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A bite of brownie is all cozied up in a no-bake, graham cracker cottage small enough to perch on a lollipop stick.

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Cranberry-Apple Two-Bite Pies

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Tart fruit blended with cinnamon and sugar forms a flavorful filling for these palm-size treats. Serve them as is or give them the full-size pie treatment: topped with a dollop of whipped cream.

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Snowman Buttons

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Chocolaty sugar cookies presented in our appealing package make a clever favor for any holiday party. If you don't have cookie cutters to shape them, a spice jar and its lid will do the trick.

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    Happy Holiday Brownies

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    Celebrate the season two ways using this easy technique for dressing up a batch of brownies. Cut a pan of your favorite browniesinto triangles or dreidel shapes. Spread the dreidels and trees with colored frosting, then use white hard-drying icing (Try our Vanilla Decorating Icing, below) to embellish them as shown. Finish the trees with a candy cane sticktrunk and the dreidels with a pretzel stick handle.

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    Tangled Balls of Lights

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    Keep little hands busy making treats inspired by a Christmas decorating mishap. Doughnut holes are drizzled with candy and dotted with chocolate-covered sunflower seeds.

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    13 of 14

    Gift-Wrapped Cookies

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    Use our sturdy, versatile dough to fashion tasty bundles in a range of sizes with a multitude of trims. Fix up a plate for Santa (or your family), and you'll find only crumbs left behind.

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    Gingerbread Marshmallow Pops

    Photograph By Doug Merriam and Idea By Lindsay Ann Of Dollhousebakeshoppe.Com

    These plump marshmallow pals are adorned with sugar, spice, and everything nice.

    To make four of them, combine 1/2 cup sugar with 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon ginger in a medium bowl and set it aside. Fill another medium bowl with water. Melt 1 cup white chocolate chips according to the package directions, then transfer the chocolate to a ziplock bag and snip off a corner. To form each pop, slide two marshmallows onto a lollipop stick. Use the melted chocolate to adhere mini marshmallow arms and legs as shown. Let the chocolate set. Dip the pop in the water, then roll it in the sugar mixture until coated. Pipe on a chocolate face, then use more chocolate to attach heart and confetti sprinkle buttons, bows, and bow ties.

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