One of our favorite family traditions is making Easter cookies. The children make them and they go into the oven on Saturday night and we all devour them with excitement and appreciation on Resurrection Sunday morning. I'm posting this with a few days to spare, so you can brave the grocery store to get ingredients and perhaps add this to your children's Easter celebration this unusual year, as we need more reminders than ever that Jesus has conquered death.
Ingredients:
1 cup whole pecans*
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 egg whites
a pinch salt
1 cup sugar
Extra equipment:
a plastic zipper bag
a wooden spoon
tape
a Bible
First, preheat your oven to 300F. Don't wait on this; the oven has to be hot before you are ready to put the cookies in.
Place the pecans in the zipper bag and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break them into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, he was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.
Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 teaspoon of vinegar into a mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.
Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave his life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.
Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.
So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup of sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because he loves us. He wants us to know and belong to him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.
Beat with a mixer on high speed until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18.
Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto parchment paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.
Put the cookie sheet in the oven and close the door. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Give each child a long piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.
When the timer goes off, turn the oven OFF but leave the door shut. Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20.
On Resurrection Sunday (Easter) morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.
*I know some of my friends have nut allergies. Since these are meringue cookies and the nuts are just an add-in, you might be able to substitute chocolate.
Ingredients:
1 cup whole pecans*
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 egg whites
a pinch salt
1 cup sugar
Extra equipment:
a plastic zipper bag
a wooden spoon
tape
a Bible
First, preheat your oven to 300F. Don't wait on this; the oven has to be hot before you are ready to put the cookies in.
Place the pecans in the zipper bag and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break them into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, he was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.
Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 teaspoon of vinegar into a mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.
Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave his life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.
Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.
So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup of sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because he loves us. He wants us to know and belong to him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.
Beat with a mixer on high speed until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18.
Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto parchment paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.
Put the cookie sheet in the oven and close the door. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Give each child a long piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.
When the timer goes off, turn the oven OFF but leave the door shut. Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20.
On Resurrection Sunday (Easter) morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.
*I know some of my friends have nut allergies. Since these are meringue cookies and the nuts are just an add-in, you might be able to substitute chocolate.
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