Easy Christmas Recipes for Kids: Recipes from Around The World

Christmas is an ideal time to get in the kitchen with your children. At Cooking With Languages, we know the importance of keeping it simple and making it fun.

With thanks to our social media friends, we have compiled our very first list of Easy Christmas Recipes for Kids from different countries around the world. As well as making some simple and scrummy recipes for you all to enjoy, we will also have a look at some new words in different languages.

For starters, read through the following recipes and, using your chosen target language, prepare a shopping list for the ingredients. As language knowledge develops, you can then look at the using instructions in your target language … (Our bilingual activity cookbook enables you to do this in both English and Spanish)

In this first Christmas Round-Up of Easy Christmas Recipes for Kids, we have some delicious recipes from Australia, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain.

Mini Mince Pie Puffs from the United Kingdom (Eats Amazing)

Mince pies are a favourite in our house. We have to leave making the until as close as possible to Christmas, otherwise, they do not last! We love the idea of these light puff pastry bites as an alternative and also as an excuse to make more 😉

Ingredients (makes around 30):

• 1 320g sheet ready-rolled puff pastry
• 1/3 jar good quality ready-made mincemeat
• 1 egg

Method:

• Preheat your oven to 190°C (Gas mark 5/375°F).  Line 2 baking trays with grease proof or baking paper.
• Crack the egg into a small bowl and lightly whisk.
• Unroll the sheet of pastry.  Using a small cookie cutter*, cut out as many shapes as possible from the sheet, cutting each shape as close the previous one as possible to maximise the number cut.
• Place half of the shapes on the lined baking trays, making sure there is plenty of space around each one. Lightly brush them all with the egg.
• Top each pastry shape with a small dollop of mincemeat – be careful not to use too much as it’s easy to overfill them.
• Take the other half of the pastry shapes. Lightly brush each one with egg, and place it, egg side down, on the mincemeat topped pastry. Gently press around the edges to seal.
• Using a small fork, press all around the very edge of each shape to seal further. I’d recommend using a child’s fork if you have one, for the smaller tines.
• Lightly brush the top of each pastry with egg.  Using the tip of a small sharp knife, cut a tiny cross into the top of each pastry to allow steam to escape.
• Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes until cooked through, puffed up and golden.

For the full recipe and step by step photographic instructions: https://www.eatsamazing.co.uk/christmas/mini-mince-pie-puffs-recipe

Christmas Cookies from the Netherlands. (Kid World Citizen)

• 250 grams (2 cups) self-rising flour (or reg. flour + 1T baking powder and a bit of salt)
• 125 g (3/4 c packed) dark brown sugar
• 2 T “speculaas” spices
• pinch of salt
• 175 g (1.5 sticks) cold butter
• slivered almonds
• 1 egg

Instructions:

• Mix flour, sugar, spices and salt
• Cut butter up and crumble it in the above mixture, forming a smooth dough.
• Let dough rest in the fridge for approx. 30 mins.
• Warm oven to 170 C (340 F).  Roll out dough and cut out cookies with a cookie cutter.
• Decorate with almonds.
• Crack egg, whisk with fork. Glaze cookies with egg.
• Put in oven for 20-25 mins.

For the full recipe, and to learn how to make the special “Speculaas” Spices visit: https://kidworldcitizen.org/st-nicholas-visits-the-netherlands-2-christmas-recipes/

Layered Christmas Smoothies from Australia. (My Kids Lick The Bowl)

This simple and scrummy Christmas Smoothie not only looks amazing but also it is a great way to sneak some greens into the mix for your little ones during the festive season!

The Red Layer: a combination of watermelon, strawberries, and raspberries.

The White Layer: milk (you could use a milk alternative if needed) ripe bananas and cashews, I reserved half to make the base of the green layer. (cauliflower can be added to this layer to up the veggie content) The cashews can be skipped if nut free is a requirement

The Green Layer: frozen mango and spinach leaves to the remainder of the white layer mix

Layer them, top with fruit if you wish and boom you are done a festive layered Christmas smoothie.

For the full recipe, visit: https://mykidslickthebowl.com/layered-christmas-smoothies/

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Gallette des Rois from France by Lou Messugo

Ingredients

• 460g puff pastry – either 2 rolls of ready-made pastry or home-made divided into 2 and rolled into thin rounds of approx 30-35cms diametre
• 100g ground almonds
• 75g sugar
• 1 egg (+1 egg yolk, beaten)
• 50g softened butter
• A few drops of almond essence
• 1 fève (small ceramic figurine or a dried broad bean if ceramic figurine not available) + 1 paper crown

Instructions:

• Roll out the bottom pastry onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.  Prick it with a fork several times.
• Mix all other ingredients except the extra egg yolk in a mixing bowl, beat till thoroughly mixed and creamy.  The paste should be quite thick.
• Spread the paste over the pastry, leaving an edge of a couple of centimetres.
• Paint some beaten egg yolk around the edges as “glue” to help stick the top layer of pastry.
• Place the fève (figurine) somewhere not too near the centre.
• Place the second round of pastry over the top and pinch around the edges to stick it firmly closed.
• Prick a few holes and cut a pattern on the top with a knife (if you wish!)
• Paint with the beaten egg yolk to make the pastry beautifully golden.
• Bake at 200°c (fan assisted oven) for approx 25 mins (or until golden, keep an eye on it, all ovens are different).
• Can be served warm or cold.

For the full recipe, step by step photographic instructions and a guide about what to do with the “fève” visit: http://www.loumessugo.com/en/blog/entry/how-to-make-galette-des-rois-traditional-epiphany-cake

Piernik – Gingerbread from Poland (European Mama)

Ginger nut biscuits were a favourite of mine as a child and gingerbread biscuits, in the form of people or houses, are a Christmas tradition in our home. We love the idea of this Polish family recipe from Olga at European Mama and cannot wait to taste it.

Ingredients

• 300g flour
• 75g butter
• half a cup honey
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon strong coffee (I used cocoa powder)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• spices: cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves
• dried fruit (optional)
• 2 eggs

Instructions

• Put the sugar, butter, honey and coffee into a saucepan.
• Cook until the sugar and butter dissolve and remove from the heat.
• While the mixture is still hot, add the flour mixed with the baking soda and spices.
• Mix and let cool.
• Add both eggs, mix well.
• Add the dried fruit (I used a handful of raisins and 5 prunes)
• Butter a bread form and transfer the batter into the form.
• Bake for an hour, 180 centigrades.

For the full recipe and the origins of the recipe visit: http://www.europeanmama.com/polish-gingerbread-piernik-recipe/

Homemade Marzipan biscuits from Spain (PequesRecetas)

Marzipan is a very traditional “dulce” at Christmas time in Spain. We will be testing out this simple and scrummy recipe from Peques Recetas, along with several other Spanish specialities.

For the full recipe in Spanish visit: http://www.pequerecetas.com/receta/mazapan-casero/

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