Sweet Treats to Make with Your Kids

Contributed By Beth Hunter, of Hunter Cooked Solutions

Photography by Jonathan Fredin

I remember walking home from school as a little girl and smelling my mother’s homemade bread and cinnamon rolls halfway up the street. My sisters and I would start running, and the neighborhood kids would follow.

It’s always fun to schedule baking time with your children. But before you start, here are some tips from this mom of four.

First, take a few minutes for yourself. Have your quiet time, a snack and take your vitamins so you’ll be ready to multitask.

When you take a few minutes for yourself then you have more energy to have fun, be creative and build loving memories that last a lifetime.

And maybe start new traditions that can be passed on from generation to generation.

Next, decide what to make, get your ingredients ready so you don’t have to go to the market in the middle of a recipe, and share some sweet treats for Valentine’s Day with your children.

Here are some kid-friendly snack ideas: 

Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Bugles

1 bag of Bugles snacks

Creamy-style peanut butter or sunflower seed butter, available at specialty stores, for those with peanut allergies

Milk chocolate chips or candy melts, available at craft stores

Place peanut butter in a sandwich or storage bag. Have children lightly knead the bag for fun and spreadability. Snip the corner of the bag for a piping tip.

Fill Bugles with peanut butter, and place on waxed paper. Melt chocolate chips or candy melts in the microwave, according to package directions. Dip filled Bugles in chocolate and eat when cool.

Lots-of-Love Popcorn Balls

2 bags microwave popcorn

One 10.5-ounce bag mini marshmallows

One tablespoon butter or margarine

Red food coloring, if desired

Pop the popcorn as directed.

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter and marshmallows. Add food coloring.

Pour popped popcorn into marshmallow mixture, stir and shape by hand into tennis ball-sized treats.

Let cool on waxed paper.

No-Bake Oatmeal Cookies

2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa

1 stick butter or margarine

1/2 cup canned evaporated milk

1/2 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter, or sunflower seed butter

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups quick oatmeal 

Bring first four ingredients to a boil. Boil and stir for 2 minutes. (Children, let mom do this).

Fold in peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal. Mix well then drop from by spoonfuls onto waxed paper.

Variations: Instead of peanut butter, add 1/4 cup raisins, 1/4 cup coconut and 1/4 cup nuts.

Lovable Mints

4 ounces cream cheese

1-pound box 10x sugar

1/4 teaspoon peppermint flavoring

Food coloring

Place cream cheese into a gallon sandwich or storage bag. Let the children handle the bag to bring the cream cheese to room temperature. Pour the entire box of sugar into the bag, then let them squish it with love again to blend.

Add food coloring and peppermint flavoring.

Snip corner of bag for piping tip. The mint mixture can be piped into little molds, rolled into small balls, or rolled out flat and cut into squares.

Variations: Use pink or red coloring for Valentine’s Day, or try other colors for various holidays. Or, leave them white for a wedding. Maple or vanilla flavoring can be substituted as well.

Beth Hunter is owner of Hunter Cooked Solutions of Wendell, offering sweet breads, pickles, pies preserves and more.

Most products are made with wholesome ingredients such as whole wheat flour, real pumpkins, homemade applesauce instead of oil, and fat-free buttermilk. For more information, visit www.huntercookedsolutions.com.