Kidzworld Kitchen: Edible Christmas Gifts

One of the best parts of Christmas is giving thoughtful gifts to friends, family and people who touch our lives throughout the year. One of the most special (and budget-friendly) gifts you can give is something you have taken the time to make yourself. Whip up a batch of cookies in traditional Christmas shapes, decorate beautifully with sprinkles and coloured icing and package up ready to hand out. Try personalizing with names or making a hole in the top before baking to put ribbon through and turn the cookies into a tree ornament!

Candied nuts are also a crowd pleaser that are easy to make and look great in a beautiful tin or glass jar.

Everyone is sure to love these yummy holiday treats made with love!

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup softened butter
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 tbsp milk
• ½ tsp vanilla

Icing

• 2 large egg whites
• 4 cups of icing sugar
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• Food colouring

Instructions:

Cookies

1. In a medium bowl mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside
2. In a large bowl cream together the butter, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla
3. Add half the flour mixture and half the milk to the butter and stir
4. Add the remaining flour and milk  and mix thoroughly
5. Transfer the dough from the bowl to a thick plastic freezer bag.
6. Remove the air from the bag, seal and refrigerate overnight
7. Preheat oven to 350c
8. The next day remove dough from bag onto a surface that has been sprinkled with flour and knead into a loose ball (Hint! Kneading dough is pressing and folding the dough with your palms
9. Sprinkle flour over the dough and a use a rolling pin to roll it flat and about ½ cm high
10. Use cookie cutters and place cookies on greased baking sheet
11. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until edges are slightly brown (Hint! These cookies cook fast so make sure to keep a close eye on them

Icing:

1. Slightly beat the egg whites and lemon juice
2. Add one cup of icing sugar at a time until it is stiff enough to hold a peak.
3. Separate icing into smaller bowls and add a few drops of food colouring in each. Mix thoroughly
4. Transfer coloured icing into large thick plastic freezer bags (Hint! Turn the bag inside out and hold it from the bottom of one of the corners. Fill the corner with the icing careful not to get any air in. Twist the bag at the top of the icing and wrap a rubber band around it.
5. Now you are ready to decorate. Add words, patterns, nicknames, sprinkles or anything else you can think of!
6. Let the icing harden overnight
7. Hint! To package for gift giving pick up a roll of clear cellophane from the wrapping paper section of any store. Cut the cellophane into squares large enough to wrap a single cookie. Wrap the cookie as though a present with the folds on the backside of the cookie. Seal with a Christmas sticker. Voila!

Candied Nuts

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup dark-brown sugar
• 2/3 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (I might up this by a 1/2 tsp. next time for more of a sweet/salty balance)
• Generous pinch of cayenne pepper (I swapped this with 1/4 teaspoon of hot smoked paprika)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pound walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews (Hint! Use any combination of your favorite nuts)
• 1 egg white, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon water

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Mix sugars, salt, cayenne, and cinnamon, making sure there are no lumps; set aside.
3. Beat egg white and water until frothy but not stiff.
4. Add nuts, and stir to coat evenly.
5. Sprinkle nuts with sugar mixture, and toss until evenly coated.
6. Spread sugared nuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet fitted with parchment paper.
7. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Remove from oven, and separate nuts as they cool. When completely cool, pour the nuts into a bowl, breaking up any that stick together
9. Package in holiday themed bags, boxes or tins. (Hint! There are plenty of great and inexpensive tins, bags and boxes available in dollar stores. Be creative when looking for unique ways to package your gifts)

Remember, be creative, have fun and above all, safety first! Always talk to the adult in charge before you get your chef on! Merry Christmas!!

Recipes courtesy of Love Sugar Cakes