3 easy recipes to try with your kids over Christmas.

Cooking as a family is one of the best things about the holiday season! It’s a great activity for everybody to get involved in, and at the same time, you can make some delicious edible gifts for family and friends.

Here are 3 easy recipes to try with your kids over Christmas.

Spiced granola bars

Inspired by The Minimalist Baker 

* Granola making action. So yummy!

These are the perfect no-bake, holiday-spiced snack for the whole family to enjoy. And the best part? No cooking is involved! The challenge is to make them last more than 1 day...

Makes 8-12 bars

You’ll need:

• 120g oats
• 15 dates
• 4tbsp of honey
• 4tbsp of peanut butter
• 2 handfuls of nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, peanuts, or mixed), roughly chopped.
• 1/2tsp ground cinnamon

1. Blitz the dates in the blender until they are in small pieces.
2. Mix oats, dates, nuts, and cinnamon together in a mixing bowl.
3. Heat the honey and peanut butter in a saucepan until runny and combined.
4. Add the honey and peanut butter to the mixing bowl and stir together, using a wooden spoon to break up the dates.
5. Transfer to a small baking or glass dish lined with a little oil or baking paper.
6. Press mixture down firmly using the back of a wooden spoon or the bottom of a glass.
7. Freeze or refrigerate for 15-20 mins before cutting into bars.
8. Eat!

Christmas cookies

Inspired by Real Food Tesco 

Christmas cookies are a great way to let your toddler get messy andcreative in the kitchen. You can be sure that decorating their own cookies will be the highlight of their holiday activities!

* Cookie making action in the shape of Oopsie Heroes. Want to get yours? Enter our Christmas giveaway by commenting on the blog below!

Makes 24 biscuits

You’ll need:

• 225g self-raising flour
• Zest of 1 orange
• ½ tsp of ground cinnamon
• 110g caster sugar (white or golden)
• 110g of butter or spread
• 1 egg, beaten

For decorating:

• 400g icing sugar
• 1 tsp of food colouring
• Toppings - gems, sprinkles, chocolate chips, etc

1. Preheat the oven to fan 160 degrees and line two trays with baking paper.
2. Rub flour, zest, cinnamon, caster sugar, and butter/spread together with your fingers until it looks like breadcrumbs.
3. Add the egg and mix into a stiff dough, make into a ball, wrap in clingfilm, and chill for at least 20 minutes.
4. Roll the dough to 5mm thick and cut out shapes - stars, snowmen, Christmas trees. Transfer to the baking sheet and chill for 10 minutes.
5. Bake for 8 minutes or until a light golden colour, leave to cool on a wire rack.
6. Place half of the icing sugar in one bowl, add 3tbsp of water, and mix. Place the other half in a different bowl with the food colouring, 3tbsp of water, and mix.
7. Use a piping bag to outline the edges of the biscuits with the coloured icing, leave to set.
8. Once set, add a spoonful of white icing to the centre of each biscuit to flood to the coloured edges, leave to set.
9. Eat!

Hot chocolate stirrers

Inspired by BBC Good Food

These make the perfect holiday gift for your little one to give to their friends at nursery school, or to relatives! Otherwise, just indulge in a few fancy hot chocolates at home.

Makes 6 stirrers

You will need:

• 6 empty yoghurt pots
• 6 cupcake cases - make a small hole in the bottom of each with a pencil
• 6 lolly sticks

• Sunflower oil
• 300g of chocolate (dark, milk, white, or mixed)
• Toppings - hundreds and thousands, chocolate chips, chocolate buttons, fudge pieces, etc

1. Lightly grease the inside of each yoghurt pot with a little sunflower oil.
2. Put the chocolate in a microwavable bowl and heat in 30s increments, stirring in between, until melted.
3. Pour the melted chocolate into the yoghurt pots and put a lolly stick in each.
4. Add chosen toppings.
5. Put a cupcake case on top of each pot so that the stick goes through the hole.
6. Leave to set in the fridge overnight.
7. Carefully pull the chocolate out of the fridge the next day and stir them into hot milk for a hot chocolate or give to family and friends as a Christmas gift.

These easy recipes make great home-baked gifts for friends and family (or you can enjoy them all yourselves!). Have fun with your toddler, relax, and let things get a little messy.

Christmas Giveaway - Want to get a set of your very own Oopsie Heroes cookie cutters? Get yours by commenting on the blog below! Winner to be selected.