Annesophia Richards
Footprint Cookies
On an afternoon that’s too hot (or rainy) to play outside, I often turn to the kitchen to find ways to keep my little ones entertained. My son loves to help me bake, so when I heard of making “footprint” cookies using toys around the house, I knew he would love them. The idea is simple: cook up a batch of cookies (sugar cookies work best as they will be easiest to see the footprints on) and then just as you remove them from the oven and they are still soft to the touch, press the tops of them with the feet of a favorite toy. My son chose to make our cookies using his toy dinosaurs, and the results were great! Other possible toys include plastic animals, Barbie feet, or even marking the tops of the cookies with the tire treads of toy cars or trucks. You can use pre-made grocery store sugar cookie dough, or you can incorporate your child in the baking process by whipping up a batch from scratch. If you choose to make the cookies yourself, here is a simple recipe (courtesy of www.food.com)
Ingredients:
- 2 3⁄4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 cup butter (softened in microwave)
- 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F. In a bowl, mix baking soda and flour. In a larger bowl, cream sugar and softened butter until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract. Blend in the dry ingredients slowly until combined. Hand roll into teaspoon sized balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from the oven and press your footprints (but be careful as the cookies will still be very hot!).
