Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes To Make With The Kids

What Are The Best Appliances For Christmas Baking?

Whether you’re baking for Christmas, birthdays or the school fete, the best baked treats start with a reliable oven that heats evenly. You will need accurate scales to ensure your ingredient measurements are spot on. Then there’s the all-important kitchen mixer (the secret to perfectly creamed butter and sugar!). And don’t forget a pinch of love and a dollop of parental patience!

Why You Need An Electric Mixer

There’s no need for superior upper body strength with an electric mixer! You can whip, beat and blend faster than your kids can eat the cookie dough, plus little hands can do the bulk of the work (while supervised, of course) with the press of a button.

Hand mixers with twin beaters are versatile and light, perfect for mini chefs. Convenient portability means you can use any kitchen bowl to mix in, and cordless versions offer battery-powered freedom (and less risk of entanglement!). Value for money, compact and easy clean, hand mixers also make storage simple – just pop them in a drawer when you’re done.

Stand mixers bring power that you can’t go past. Big motors make short work of bulk cookie batches, not to mention pizza dough, meringue for pavlova and even meatballs. The hands-free operation also gives you time to keep an eye on the little cooks. Look for built-in scales for measurement as ingredients go in the bowl.

“Not just a baking workhorse, a stand mixer can also serve as a show-stopping ‘work of art’ that instantly lends a touch of glamour to your benchtop. Match your mixer to your kitchen colour scheme or opt for a striking, contrasting colour,” says Tracey Ellis, The Good Guys Buyer – Portable Appliances.

Shop Stand Mixers

KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer Pistachio

Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker XL White

Smeg 50s Retro Style Mixer – Pastel Blue

What Are The Best Ovens For Baking?

Want to be a contender at the school Christmas cookie bake-off? Then your oven is the key ingredient.

Precision controls in the latest electric ovens mean you can choose the exact baking temperature – no more burnt biscuits! Gas ovens cook slower and with more moisture, which is great for bakers.

For junior MasterChef’s, cool-touch oven doors are a safety must-have, along with child-safety locks. Look for modern finishes that are fingerprint-resistant – perfect for little assistants with sticky hands who Must. Touch. Everything! 

Keen bakers should also consider investing in a steam oven.

“Not only do steam ovens cook meats beautifully, retaining moisture and nutrients, they can also bake and crisp biscuits, cakes and pastries,” says Tania Grillinzoni, The Good Guys Buyer – Cooking and Dishwashers.

Shop Ovens

Teka 60cm Multifunction Oven

InAlto 90cm Induction Freestanding Cooker

Westinghouse 60cm Electric Oven

Top Tips For Kids Baking

Read these handy hints before you break out the wooden spoon:

#1 Safety first: Watch knives and hot ovens. Use in-built safety locks on appliances and consider upgrading to an oven with a cool-touch door.

#2 Stay focused: Throw dinner in a slow cooker so you can monitor the kiddy baking fun without double-booking the kitchen.

#3 Make a list: Work to a recipe and make a list of the steps each child will be responsible for to make baking as stress-free as possible.

#4 Check it twice: Double-check that they’ve measured each ingredient accurately before it hits the bowl. It’s a chance for little ones to learn some maths using kitchen scales.

#5 Choose easy cleaning: Upgrading your appliances? Look for non-stick cooking surfaces and brushed finishes (that minimise fingerprints) to make clean-up a breeze. Now is also a great time to teach them how to correctly load the dishwasher! 

Easy Christmas Baking Recipe The Kids Will Love

All you need for this Kenwood easy Christmas cookie recipe is a Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker XL stand mixer! For added festive fun, get the kids to decorate the biscuits with green and red icing, silver balls or marshmallows.

Kenwood Christmas Biscuits

Prep time: 45 mins

Resting time: 1 hour

Baking time: 12 mins

Makes: 30 biscuits 

Ingredients

FOR THE BASE DOUGH

250g butter, soft

125g sugar

1 tsp salt

1 egg yolk (medium size)

375g flour, plain

Extra flour for rolling

FLAVOURS FOR THE DOUGH (optional)

1 lemon

4 tsp cocoa

1 tsp Spekulatius spice blend (usually cardamon, cloves and cinnamon)

FROSTING

100g icing sugar

1–2 tsp lemon juice

100g chocolate

Nuts, e.g., chopped pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts

Decorations, e.g., hundreds and thousands, sugar nibs, marshmallows

Utensils

Kenwood Chef XL, grater, cling film, rolling pin, biscuit cutters, baking paper, baking sheet, piping bag, pastry brush 

Method

1. To make the dough, place the butter, sugar, salt, egg yolk and flour into the Chef bowl and knead into a smooth dough using the dough hook. Divide into three equal portions.

2. Wash the lemon, then finely grate the zest. Knead one portion of the dough with the lemon zest. Combine another portion of the dough with cocoa. Mix the remaining dough with the Spekulatius spice blend. Wrap each portion of dough in cling film and place in the fridge for an hour.

3. Preheat oven to 180°C/ 155°C fan forced. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to approx. 0.5 cm thick. Cut out the biscuits using a variety of Christmas cutters and place on the baking sheet lined with baking paper. Place in the oven on the middle shelf and bake for approx. 12 mins. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. 

4. For the frosting, mix the icing sugar and lemon juice in the mixing bowl until smooth. Melt chocolate in a bowl over a warm water bath. Decorate biscuits as desired.

Top Tip: When chilling the dough, don’t roll it into a ball but shape it into a flat disc to chill evenly.

Christmas baking with kids has never been easier thanks to modern ovens and top-quality kitchen mixers. Find everything you need to cook up happy Christmas memories at The Good Guys. Visit us in-store and online for the biggest brands at the best prices.