Easter Story Cookies

With Easter in just a few days, I've found it hard to find age appropriate ways to focus on the true meaning of Easter--Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. We will still hunt and dye eggs and enjoy other Easter festivities, but I want my kids to know what Easter is really about. A few years ago at our old church, the preschool minister gave a recipe for Easter Story Cookies. The recipe is for kids and parents to do together the night before Easter. This year Lauren and I are going to try this and see how it goes. I hope this will begin a new Easter tradition for us. I also ordered the Resurrection Eggs off the Internet which helps tell the story of Easter also. I'm anxious to start that as well. So here's the Easter Story Cookie recipe that I hope many of you can use with your kids.

Easter Story Cookies Recipe
To be made the evening before Easter. You need:
1 cup whole pecans
1 tsp. Vinegar
3 egg whites
Pinch salt
1 cup sugar
Zipper baggie, wooden spoon
Tape, Bible

Preheat oven to 300 degrees(this is important--don't wait until you're half done w/ the recipe). Be sure to use a glass or stainless steel mixing bowl and not a plastic bowl when mixing egg whites.

Read John 19:1-3. Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them w/ the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jess was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers.

Read John 19:28-30. Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink.

Read John 10:10-11. Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.

Read Luke 23:37. Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin.

Read Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16. So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup sugar.
Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him.

Read Isa. 1:18 and John 3:1-3. Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12-15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents--in God's eyes--the purity of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.

Read Matt. 27:57-60. Fold in borken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper-covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.

Read Matt. 27:65-66. Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed.

Read John 16:20 and 22. Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followere were in despair when the tomb was sealed.

GO TO BED! On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow!

Read Matt. 28:1-9. On the first Easter, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.

Share the Easter Cookie Story w/ Friends and Family.