A wonderful Christmas tradition is baking with family. In my opinion, it is the absolute best way to create significant holiday memories. The kitchen is often the most lived in room in a home and if the walls could talk they would share stories of laughter, love, and wonderful aromas.
Baking with your grandchildren often takes a lot of patience, especially if they are young. Growing up, I remember my mother baking. My sisters and I would pull up chairs and roll up our sleeves with every intention of licking the bowl and eating raw cookie dough. I have four granddaughters and they all know when they visit, they will be spending time in the kitchen, it’s just what I do.
We were all gifted matching Holiday aprons from Williams-Sonoma by my son Brad
I decided that together we would make peppermint bark and chocolate covered pretzels.
For the pretzels I thought it would be nice to put a small dish of melted chocolate and some pretzels in front of each child to let them make their own.
To start it’s very important to have fun music and create an exciting mood. I choose “Let it Go Radio” on Pandora which plays all the Disney songs. The girls know them and love to sing along.
Chocolate Covered Pretzels
- 12 oz of good quality milk or dark melting chocolate
- 1 bag of pretzel rods
- Assorted Holiday sprinkles
Place wax paper on the counter to place the pretzels after they have been dipped.
Melt the chocolate in your microwave on a low temp and then pour into individual small bowls.
Working quickly dip one end of the pretzel in the melted chocolate and then shake on the sprinkles.
Here I let the girls take turns shaking the sprinkles on the dipped chocolate covered pretzels.
Let harden on the wax paper.
Peppermint Bark
Bag of candy canes
12oz white good quality melting chocolate
Place wax paper on a cookie sheet.
Break up your peppermint candy canes by placing them in a large baggie and pounding them with a mallet into small little pieces.
This time I let the girls take turns using the mallet.
After it’s hard you can have your little helpers break it apart into pieces.
When they are done place the crushed candy canes in a bowl.
Melt your white chocolate in a microwave. Once melted pour it into the bowl of candy and stir.
Using a spatula quickly spread the mixture on the cookie sheet. Let harden. You can place in the refrigerator to speed up the hardening.
In the end, I will be honest, my kitchen was a mess afterwards and they sampled way more than their mothers would have wanted them to. However, we had a lot of fun and they each got to go home with their own bags.
Our holiday treat reminded me of Charlie Browns Christmas tree, not especially pretty but it was meaningful. A special memory is all I was hoping to really make, and I’m certain we did.
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