Resurrection Cookies Recipe – A Great Easter Saturday Family Activity

Once we’re all done dying Easter eggs for the Easter Bunny to find, how about doing a family activity that reminds us of the religious side of Easter? Apparently, this Resurrection Cookies Recipe has been around for many years, but I only came upon it last year.  The neat part is that each ingredient of these cookies tells a part of the story of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, and kids help with the entire process.

Resurrection Cookies Recipe

These cookies are to be made with help from kids, ON THE SATURDAY EVENING BEFORE EASTER.  The cookies stay sealed in the oven until Easter morning, so make sure that you have all your baking done before you start this neat activity!

Resurrection Cookie Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole pecans
• 1 tsp. vinegar
• 3 egg whites
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup sugar
• zipper plastic storage bag
• wooden spoon
• masking tape
• Bible

Resurrection Cookie Recipe Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees BEFORE beginning.
2. Place pecans in a zipper-topped bag, and let children hit them with the wooden spoon to break them into pieces.  Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers.  Bible reading – John 19:1-3.
3. Let kids smell the vinegar, then place 1 tsp. into the mixing bowl.   Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, he was given vinegar to drink.  Bible reading – John 19:28-30.
4. Add egg whites to the vinegar.  Explain that eggs represent life, and that Jesus gave his life for us.  Bible reading –  John 10:10-11.
5. Sprinkle a very small salt into each child’s hand.  Let them taste it, then brush the rest into the bowl.  Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’ followers when he was put to death, and that it also represents the bitterness of our own sins.  Bible reading –  Luke 23:27.  
6. Add 1 cup of sugar.  Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because of his amazing love for us.  Bible reading –  John 3:16.
7. Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12-15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed (make sure to get the peaks nice and stiff – I rushed mine, and they weren’t as hollow as they should have been after baking).  Explain that the color white represents the purity in God’s eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.  Bible reading – John 3:1-3.
8. Fold in the broken nuts.  Drop by teaspoons onto a wax paper covered cookie sheet.  Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid.  Bible reading – Matthew 27:57-60.
9. Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door, and TURN THE OVEN OFF.
10. Give each child a piece of masking tape to seal the oven door closed.  Explain that huge rocks were used to seal the door of Jesus’ tomb.  Bible reading – Matthew 27: 65-66.
11. Go to bed!  Explain that the kids may feel upset to leave the cookies in the oven overnight, and that Jesus’ followers were very sad when His tomb was sealed shut.  Bible reading – John 16: 20 & 22.
12. On Easter morning, let the kids unseal the oven, and give everyone a cookie.  When you take a bite, you will notice that the cookies are hollow, and the nuts/stones are at the bottom.  Explain that on the first Easter, Jesus’ followers were surprised and amazed to find that His tomb was empty!  Jesus had risen!  Bible reading – Matthew 28: 1-9.

Beth

Beth celebrates the everyday wonders of life with a keen eye for deals, a flare for the color green, and an honest desire to share with her fellow moms here in town! Check out more of Beth's recent articles, and subscribe to our daily email/rss feed to see what she writes next!