Easter Story Cookies

Thanks to Erin for this great Easter Activity. Making these cookies illustrates the story of Easter in a fun and creative way for kids. I won't say that Katherine totally grasped the meaning of Easter through this exercise but she was surprisingly attentive both to the cooking and to the reading of scripture. I will include the recipe here but if you want me to email you a cleaned up original copy for future, let me know.

Easter Story Cookies
*to be made the evening before Easter

- 1 cup whole pecans

- 1 tsp vinegar
- 3 egg whites

- pinch of salt
- 1 cup sugar

- zipper baggie
- wooden spoon

- tape
- Bible

Preheat oven to 300 degrees (this is important – don’t wait until you’re halfway done with the recipe!)

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

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

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11
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 Luke 23:27
So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup of sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know Him and belong to Him. Read Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16
Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 – 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents purity in God’s eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isa. 1:18 and John 3:1-3
Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax papered covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid.
Read Matt. 27:57-60

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 shut. Read Matt. 27:65-66
Go to bed! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus’ followers were sad when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.
On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter, Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matt. 28:1-9
Making these meringue cookies was fun. They tasted like marshmallows before cooking. Ours did not end up as hollow as they should have. Our oven tends to be off so I bet it needed to be hotter. It was still fun and an activity that we plan to do again.