MomsMenu.com offers a variety of information in our Kitchen Update Newsletter!
From family recipes to kid's in the kitchen, what's new this week and holidays, we have recipes, tips and fun food ideas to get you cooking!
So, click here to start getting the best of MomsMenu.com in your mailbox every week!
Fun Winter Cookie Pops
by Amanda Formaro
If you are looking for a fun and easy recipe to do with the kids, try these deliciously simple Winter Cookie Pops. The kids will smile and giggle while making these treats, and will have something fun to give to family and friends!
You will need:
20 vanilla wafer cookies
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 6-ounce bag white chocolate chips
colored candy sprinkles, red & green combo and red
pull apart licorice whips, cut into 1-1/2" lengths
M&M candies
M&M mini candies
fruit roll ups, cut into 4" lengths
Cake decorating writer gel in green, black, and orange
tube of white cake decorator frosting with flower tip
ice cream sticks
wax paper or paper plates
Instructions:
Spread peanut butter onto the flat side of the cookies. Place an ice cream stick into the peanut butter on half the cookies. Top with another cookie so the stick is sandwiched between the two cookies.
Melt chocolate chips in the microwave, one minute, then in 20 second increments, stirring until smooth.
Dip cookie pops in the melted chips, covering completely. Roll pops in red and green sprinkles and lay or stand on waxed paper or paper plates. Place in refrigerator to chill.
Fun Variations
Snowmen
Using a licorice whip, while chocolate is still warm on pop, form headband and position to regular sized M&M candies as ear muffs. Lie pop flat on waxed paper and let cool. When cool, use black decorator gel for eyes and mouth and orange for the nose. Gently wrap a fruit roll up around the bottom of the cookie at the stick.
Santa
While chocolate is still warm, dip top of pop into red sprinkles for Santa's hat. Lie flat on waxed paper and let cool. When cool, dot top of hat with white decorator icing using flower tip. Use flower tip and white icing to add his bear and line the brim of his hat. Use black decorator gel to dot on eyes.
Holly
While chocolate is still warm, position to red mini M&M candies off center in the chocolate. Let cool. When cool, use green decorator gel to draw on holly leaves, fill in.
Note: You can tint the melted chocolate with food coloring, or leave the chocolate white and use different colored sprinkles. Decorate with any other candies you wish, or leave some plain. Another variation is to use vanilla or chocolate frosting instead of peanut butter for the filling.
These can also be made without sticks. use one stick to be able to dip the cookies in chocolate and roll in sprinkles, then remove the stick and put on wax paper or paper plates, then chill.
Here's what your kids will be doing when these yummy treats are finished! This recipe was adapted from Penny Warner's Cookie Pops available in the Kid's Party Cookbook.
About the Author:
Amanda Formaro is the entrepreneurial mother of four children. She is also the owner of FamilyCorner.com Magazine.
Subscribe to her free weekly kid's craft newsletter, Busy Little Hands, by sending any email message to mailto:kidscrafts-on@mail-list.com or by visiting her website at http://familycorner.com
Let's Get Cooking!
While there are many reasons for teaching kids to cook -- less expensive than eating out, preserves family heritage, etc, the most important
reason is that by teaching your child to cook, you're giving him a better chance to be a healthy grown-up. Enabling your child with the ability
to appreciate freshness and to transform ingredients into tasty foods opens their eyes to making wiser choices about what to eat...