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If you’re thinking about how to entertain the kids over Christmas, baking could be just the recipe.
While people of all ages can enjoy baking, for kids it’s a chance to have messy fun, get creative, and achieve something. And after all that hard work, they get to eat the (hopefully) delicious results too.
Baking is also a great way for children to spend quality time with other family members. Here are some easy Christmas baking recipes to enjoy with the kids.
Gingerbread people
Gingerbread has been a Christmas tradition for hundreds of years. Your kids will love making these adorable gingerbread people.
To keep it simple, buy icing and sweets from the shop.
This recipe takes an hour to make, including 45 minutes prep and 15 minutes to cook.
You’ll also need time to chill, cool, and at least an hour to dry.
To decorate:
Step 1
Put the sugar, golden syrup, and butter (or butter alternative) in a saucepan to melt. Bubble for 1-2 minutes and then leave to cool for around 10 minutes more.
Step 2
Get a large bowl and put the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices into it. Next add the beaten egg (or egg alternative) and syrup mixture and mix it up. Gently knead it in the bowl. Once it is smooth, wrap the dough in cling film. Then put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to harden.
Step 3
Take the dough out of the fridge and leave it out until it softens. Put the oven on to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line two baking trays with baking paper.
Step 4
Roll out the dough until it’s as thick as a pound coin. You can then use a cutter to cut out gingerbread people. Keep re-rolling and then cutting the leftover dough until it’s all gone. By now, you should have around 15-20 gingerbread people ready for the oven.
Step 5
Lift the biscuits onto the trays and bake for 10-12 mins. Midway through cooking, swap the trays over so everything is baked evenly. Take out the trays and cool for 5 minutes. Then put them on a wire rack.
Step 6
Once they’ve cooled, decorate them as you wish with the icing and sweets. The kids will love doing this part.
Leave to dry for 1-2 hours and store in an airtight container. They should keep fresh for around 3 days.
If you’re in a hurry, you could buy some gingerbread people biscuits from the shops and decorate them at home.
If you’d like another gingerbread challenge, you could try making a gingerbread house. To start, you’ll need to download and print a template. Most gingerbread house recipes will include one, or you could search for one online.
Christmas snowman cupcakes
Ah, Christmas and cupcakes, two of our favourite things combined. These snowman cupcakes are moist, fluffy, and above all, delicious.
This recipe should take about 10-15 minutes to prep and 15-20 minutes to cook.
You will then need to 30-90 minutes to give the cupcakes time to cool before topping them.
For the topping:
Step 1
Pre-heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Beat the butter (or butter alternative) and sugar together until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one (or, if using, add your bananas) and beat well.
Step 2
Add the flour and vanilla extract and mix again.
Step 3
Line a muffin or cupcake tin with paper cases. Add an equal amount of batter into each one.
Step 4
Bake for about 20 minutes. The cupcakes should be firm to touch when they’re ready to come out of the oven. Remove from the tin and put them on a wire rack to cool.
For the topping:
Simply mix the butter (or butter alternative), icing sugar, and desiccated coconut together to create a smooth paste. Spread it on top of each cupcake. This is the time to add the chocolate chips and orange peel if you’re using them.
Finally, if you’ve got any desiccated coconut left over, sprinkle it on top to give the illusion of snow.
If you search online, you'll find loads of other easy Christmas cupcake recipes for kids. From Santa and elf to Rudolf, Christmas trees, and polar bears - the possibilities are endless.
Easy mince pies
Home-made mince pies are so much better than the ones you buy in shops.
These simple star-topped mince pies are perfect for making with children.
This recipe will take about 45 minutes prep time, and about 15-20 minutes to cook.
Step 1
To make the pastry, rub the butter and flour together. Add a pinch of salt, then mix in the golden caster sugar. You can leave out the sugar if you prefer a more savoury pastry.
If you want to save time, you can buy ready made shortcrust pastry from the shop. Gluten free options are available too.
Step 2
Make the pastry into a ball and knead it a few times. You want your dough to be quite firm. Roll out the pastry to about a 3mm thickness. Use a round cutter to cut out the bases. Leave about a third of the pastry aside for the star lids.
Step 3
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Grease two mince pie baking trays with vegetable oil or butter. Be sure to grease the edges as this is where they are most likely to stick.
Step 4
Put the bases into the trays. Put a dollop of mincemeat on top. Use the beaten egg to brush the edge of each pie.
Step 5
Roll out the remaining pastry and use a star cutter to make the stars. Place on top of the pies, brush with the glaze and move them into the oven.
Step 6
Bake for 15-20 mins until golden. Once they’re ready, leave them to cool in the trays for around 5 minutes. After that, take them out of the trays and put them on a wire rack. Dust with the icing sugar and serve.
Mince pies will stay fresh for three to four days if you keep them in an airtight container.
If you want your mince pies to be even more home-made you could make your own mincemeat too. For the best flavours, it’s best to do this 2 to 3 weeks in advance.
Once you've made your Christmas bakes, you'll need a tin to put them in! Our online shop has four different designs, from bumblebees to wild flowers.
