Gingerbread Snowflakes: Kid-Made gift for neighbours

There is one thing that I have failed at year after year – making Gingerbread but this year I’ve been playing around in the kitchen a lot creating different recipes and finally perfected a gingerbread recipe that is easy to use with kids, tastes delicious and doesn’t spread, grow or taste horrid (yes all of those have happened over the past few years!) and really it is a lot of fun to make. We’ve been using the recipe to create some delicious Gingerbread Snowflake Cookies which are the perfect gift to give neighbours this festive season and look so pretty as well.

For this weeks, #TeachECE theme of Kid-Made Gifts, we’ve got lots of suggestions for different gifts that kids and you can make together for family, teachers, friends and neighbours – check out the end of the post to find out more.

Ingredients and Materials Needed

Snowflake Cookie Cutters with cut outs

350 g/12oz plain flour (all purpose)

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

115 g/4 oz softened butter

175 g/6 oz soft light brown sugar

2 tbsp of black treacle (molasses)

1 medium egg

Milk if needed

100 g/ 31/2 oz icing/powdered sugar

Variety of sugar decorations such as silver stars, balls and sugar crystals

Christmas Gift Bags

Making the Gingerbread Snowflake Cookies

Into a large mixing bowl place the dry ingredients and rub in the butter so that it looks like breadcrumb consistency.

Into the mixture add the light brown sugar and stir thoroughly. Then make a well in the middle and add the egg and golden syrup. Stir until it makes a firm dough.

You may need to add a little milk if the mixture doesn’t form a dough easily – add a little milk and knead and then add a little more until you form the dough.

Onto a lightly floured surface add the dough and roll it out till it’s around 5mm thick.

Take a snowflake cookie cutter and cut out several shapes from the dough. Make the leftover dough into a ball and roll out again. Cut more until you have used up the dough as much as possible.

Put the snowflakes onto a greased or lined baking tray.

Preheat the oven to 190C or gas mark 5 and put the snowflakes in for between 7 and 10 minutes until lightly golden brown. Timings will depend on your oven.

Remove and let cool on a cooling rack.

With the 100g powdered icing sugar add around 2 tsp of water and mix together to make a simple icing for the snowflakes.

Transfer the cookies to a plate and let the kids decorate them by pouring the icing on and then adding silver balls, sugar crystals or silver stars.

This recipe and other creative ideas that you and the kids can do together this festive season including more that are ideal to give as gifts can be found within our Creative Christmas Family Fun Ebook available now for $5.99. With 28 ideas that are quick and easy using resources you have around the house, it’s full of fun ways to connect with the kids this year.

More Kid-Made Gift Ideas

Check out these other ideas for kid-made gifts from the #TeachECE team

DIY Paper Plate Christmas Wreath from The Educators’ Spin On It

DIY Crayon Lip Balm from Raising Life Long Learners

Gift Tag Memory Game from Munchkins and Moms

Easy Kid Craft Idea: DIY Picture Frame from Learning to Walk

Gingerbread Snowflakes from Rainy Day Mum

Cinnamon Sugar: Kid Made Gift from Capri +3

Snowman and Santa Handmade Ornament Crafts for Kids from The Preschool Toolbox

Fill the Ball: Kid-Made Christmas Ornament from Mom Inspired Life