Leave it to moms to tie anything into a cookie recipe, but I seriously can't think of a better way of kicking off Easter week with kids than with these cookies. Each step and ingredient are symbolic and help explain the Easter story. Corresponding with each step is a Bible verse you can read or ask your child to read. I originally found the recipe here, but I have created a printable of the recipe with the verses written out that you can download.
Resurrection Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup whole pecans
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 egg whites
a pinch salt
1 cup sugar
a ziploc bag
1 wooden spoon
scotch tape
Preheat oven to 300F.
1. Pour the pecans in a bag and let your child break them up with a hammer. Explain how Jesus was beaten by the soldiers after his arrest. John 19:1-3
2. Ask your child to smell the vinegar. Put 1 teaspoon of vinegar into a mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was on the cross they gave him sour wine to drink. John 19:28-30
3. Pour the egg whites in the bowl. Explain that eggs represent life and that Jesus gave His life to give us life. John 10:10-11
4. Add a pinch of salt into the bowl and then shake a little more into your child's hand. While they taste it explain that the salt represents the tears shed by Jesus’ followers after his death as well as the grief our sin causes. Luke 23:27
5. Wow, this doesn't look like a very yummy dish. Good thing we've got 1 cup sugar. Add it to the bowl and 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! Psalm 34:8, John 3:16
6. Beat the ingredients with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks form. Show your child how everything has turned white. Explain that the color white represents holiness. Thanks to Jesus' sacrifice, we have been made clean of all our sins. Isaiah 1:18, John 3:1-3
7. Fold in the pecans and drop by spoonful onto a lined cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. Matthew 27:57-60
8. Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven off.
Give your child a strip of tape and ask him to seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed. Matthew 27:65-66
Now, go to bed. Explain that we might feel sad about having to leave the cookies overnight, but think how sad Jesus' friends were when they placed him in the tomb. John 16:20, 22
In the morning, open the oven and pull out the cookies! When you bite into the cookie, it's hollow. Explain how on the first Easter Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Matthew 28:1-9
You can do this activity the night before Easter, but our Easter mornings are extremely hectic, so I was glad to do it on Palm Sunday instead. We overslept this morning, so I put one of the cookies in E's lunch and wrote a little note on her napkin: "Look! The tomb is empty!"
The First Easter
by Carol Heyer
It's next to impossible to find a good book that tells the Easter story. B&N had 4 or 5 in their enormous Easter display, but they did better than our local Christian book store that had two. Yes, two. Don't even get me started. So I let the Facebook world know my frustration and my friends came through with some great suggestions! I have Easter story recommendations for different age groups, but I'll start off with The First Easter.
The book is a little long for toddlers, but children four and older will be able to sit through and understand the story. It's a straight-forward telling of the Easter story, beginning with Christ's birth, a brief description of his ministry, and then moving through the events of Passion week. What makes this book stand out is it's gorgeous illustrations. These are not your average Sunday School pictures!
They are lush, emotional drawings children will love. The story is well-written, but you can always edit it down or tell the story in your own words to go along with these breathtaking illustrations. I love that she never shows Jesus' face, but still manages to convey his love in every page.
What are your favorite Easter stories? Come back tomorrow and I'll share a book that's perfect for toddlers.
I'm linking up to:
- Made By You @ Skip to My Lou
- Market Yourself Monday @ Sumo's Sweet Stuff
