Christmas cookies are as much a part of the Christmas
tradition for many as a visit from Old St. Nick himself. The cookies are often
prepared in hopes of his pending arrival by children that are as excited as
they can possibly be with all sorts of visions of great things to come dancing
around in their bright and shining little eyes. Preparing the cookies in these
instances can be a great time of bonding with your little ones but can also be
a trying time if you don’t follow a few of the tips and hints listed below.
If you want to make cooking Christmas cookies and/or candy
with your little ones the very best experience for you all that it can possibly
be make sure you do it on a day when this is the only thing on your calendar.
You do not want to rush through this time that is not only important for
bonding with your child as a parent but also a time that is an important
opportunity to lock in a few precious memories of great times you’ll spend
together. This is one thing that you want your children to look back at
Christmas and remember doing with you and you want to be able to look back on
Christmas and remember doing this with your children.
You should also make sure that everyone is well rested and
well fed before beginning the process. This is important now more than ever
before, as we know more about the dangers of foods, such as raw eggs, that are
included in cookie dough as well as the dough for many of our favorite
Christmas confections and candies. You do not want to risk the health of your
children through temptation over raw cookie dough.
Be sure that every child gets a turn with the fun stuff.
This includes of course using the mixer and watching things spin around as well
as choosing their personal favorites for the next batch of cookies. You should
also make a few cookies that you plan to let them paint, decorate, and play
with just for fun and their own personal enjoyment. This will guarantee a few
smiles while also scoring a few brownie points for mom.
Be patient and expect spills and messes. If you can afford a
cleaning service once a year, the day after your cookie extravaganza is the day
you want to splurge. Seriously, don’t sweat the small stuff. We make little
messes every day it shouldn’t be such a shock when they make a really big mess
in one day. This is one of the reasons why you want to plan your cookie making
on a day when the calendar is clear—you will need time for clean up when all is
said and done.
Make sure you have all the necessary ingredients for each
and every single recipe before you begin. This is very important as cookie
dough doesn’t wait well for that final egg and children don’t understand very
well when they are interrupted from one project to run a quick errand (also,
when was the last time you made it in and out of the grocery store in under an
hour?). If you can make it through all the steps above you should be in for
smooth sailing and Christmas cookie cooking.
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