Holiday Baking Fun!

By Jeanelle Roman

Are you ready for some holiday cookie cheer? If your answer is yes, get your mittens ready for some quick and easy holiday baking!

Plan to invite your family and friends, and let them know it isn't the holidays without great cookies. You can gather easy recipes, your favorite family recipe or try this easy Gingerbread Cookie recipe.

1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
1 pkg. instant butterscotch pudding mix
1 1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
favorite frosting
raisins and candies
cookie cutter

With adult supervision, gather the supplies you will need, such as a baking sheet, wax paper, cookie ingredients and a hand or electronic mixer. Mix together the egg, shortening and brown sugar. Add remaining ingredients. Roll out dough and cut into gingerbread people shapes with a cookie cutter. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Decorate using your favorite frosting and candies.

Prepare for the holidays by inviting your guests to help you with yummy cookie recipes and preparation. You can create an assembly line and ask each person to help with lining the baking sheet, another person may prepare the cookie mix; ask one of your guests to place the cookie cutters with the cookie mix onto the baking sheet(s), while another places the baking sheet in the oven. This will give everyone a chance to participate in a delicious and fun activity. You'll thank one another for making the holidays so much fun! And remember—clean up when you're done!

You can follow the same assembly line to wash the dishes, utensils and baking sheets by assigning each person a task: wash, dry and store the clean items away.

Have a recipe you'd like to share? Send it to: share@gogirlsonly.org!

Recipe adapted from Easy Recipes for Kids

	If you are a Girl Scout Brownie or Junior, the holidays are also a wonderful time to share the gift of giving. Brownies can earn the Caring and Sharing Try It and Juniors can earn the Food Power badge. Try these activities to "Be a Good Neighbor" (Try Its for Brownie Girl Scouts) and "End Hunger" (Junior Badgebook). If you are a Brownie, you can earn a Caring and Sharing Try It by trying the "Be a Good Neighbor" (No.6 on page 61 of the Try Its for Brownie Girl Scouts) activity. Is there a neighbor who needs your help? Is she busy with kids? Or taking care of someone elderly? Or is she elderly herself? Find out what's needed and help out! You could share conversation, make a holiday decoration or do a chore. Be sure you have permission from a parent or guardian. Do the "End Hunger" activity (No.8 on page 77 of the Junior Badgebook), and earn your Food Power badge, Juniors! Do a service project to help fight hunger. Around the world, children, women and the elderly are the most likely to live with poor nutrition and hunger. Here's a couple of ideas to try out with family members or friends: Collect canned or boxed food. Find a local food pantry, soup kitchen or international organization to donate to. Include manual can openers for canned food! Volunteer to help distribute food in a soup kitchen.

Want to tell the world about YOUR Girl Scouting experience? "Share the News" and send your story to us at share@gogirlsonly.org!

Don't forget to include your name and age.
We look forward to hearing from you!

― The Girls Only Team