Baking with Kids: Fun Fall Cookies

One of my favorite traditions that my daughter and I practice is baking seasonal cookies. It's a fun activity for a rainy indoor day or when the kids are bored and whiny. We love to mix up a big batch of cookie dough, cut it into shapes and decorate the cookies with different types of frosting, sprinkles, candies and other edibles. We usually use a basic butter cookie recipe but sometimes I like to use flavored cookie dough and use it in unexpected ways.

Instead of making traditional gingerbread men, make up a batch of gingerbread cookie dough and cut out pumpkin and leaf shapes. Add some lemon or orange extract to your favorite white frosting and divide it into three bowls. Color one orange, another red and another green. You can use mini chocolate chips to make pumpkin faces, and draw leaf lines with a toothpick.

Make up a batch of butter cookie dough and replace half of the butter with light cream cheese. Instead of vanilla add almond extract. Roll out the dough after it's been chilled and brush it with apricot jam that's been loosened up with some fresh lemon juice. Top it with crushed toasted nuts. Cut it into squares and bake at 350 for approximately 8-10 minutes depending on the size of the cookies. You can make them giant, medium or small squares. As soon as they come out of the oven sprinkle chocolate chips over them. The chocolate will soften slightly but not spread out.

Another fun and delicious cookie is a pumpkin cookie with cream cheese icing and toasted walnuts. Make up a batch of pumpkin cookies. Add fresh whole cranberries and maple syrup extract to the batter. Now make up your favorite cream cheese frosting and use extra vanilla and/or maple syrup extract. Make sure the cookies are completely cooled before you frost them. Top them with chopped toasted walnuts for a sensational, seasonal cookie.

If you click on the links provided you'll find recipes for all of these types of cookie doughs. You might want to freeze some extra dough for days when you want to get straight to baking without waiting for dough to chill. If you don't have seasonal cookie cutters, just cut shapes or squares out free form-be creative, and let the kids go wild! Now all you need to do is stock your supplies, gather the kids together, and get baking!