There are a few ways to go about decorating your Christmas tree with cookie ornaments. One way is to actually bake cookies and hang them on the tree. The other is to make a cookie-like dough that you won’t eat, cut it into shapes, and shellac the ornaments for years to come. Whether you make the edible or non-edible version, it’s a fun craft to do with children.

The Edible Version

To bake Christmas cookies to hang on the tree that are actually edible, you’ll just want to whip up a batch of sugar cookie dough. You can also purchase rolls of store bought sugar cookie dough. Don’t use a chocolate chip batter. But gingerbread is a great substitute to sugar cookie dough.

The only difference between baking cookies to eat and to hang on the tree is that you will need to make a small hole in the cookies before you bake them. This will be the hole that you will thread ribbon or an ornament hook through for hanging on the tree.

The rest is the same. Blend the dough, roll it and bake it as directed in the recipe. Decorate with royal icing so the frosting will dry hard and not stay sticky.

You can find recipes for sugar cookies and for royal icing online and in most baking cookbooks. After you have completed your cookie ornaments and hung them on the tree, allow guests to come and pick off cookies they would like to eat. Or let kids hand out the sugar cookie favors to guests as they arrive. They can eat them or save them as gifts.

The Non Edible Version

There are a few reasons you might want to make inedible cookie ornaments for your tree. First, they are easier to make and use fewer ingredients. Second, they last longer. They’ll look pretty even though you won’t be eating them.

The reason the dough is not edible is because it contains too much salt. Any child who has made handmade play dough in Kindergarten this way can tell you that it tastes terrible. It won’t harm you if you eat it, but it isn’t advised.

All you need is flour, salt, and water. You’ll also want to round up some cookie cutters with Christmas motifs and some decorating materials such as paint, glitter, sequins or feathers. Remember, it can be anything since you are not eating the final product.

Here’s the ratio of ingredients.

Salt Dough Ornaments

Flour: 4 cups

Salt: 1 cup (yes, it’s a lot)

Hot Water: 1-1/2 cups

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Knead and roll out the dough as you would for sugar cookies. Cut into fun shapes. Poke a hole with a pencil point through the top of each ornament. This will be where you’ll run your string or ornament hook through. You must do it before baking or lose your chance. Once the dough hardens, there’s no good way to make a hole without shattering the cookie.

Bake the dough in a toaster oven for a few minutes until it turns golden. Or you can bake at a low temperature (300 degrees) for three or four minutes. Watch the ornaments as they bake so they don’t burn. Let the ornaments cool. Then decorate, paint, glue on eyes, or add clothing. String a ribbon through the hole.

If you use a good craft shellac, you can preserve these ornaments from year to year. Ask at your craft store for craft shellac that will work on dough ornaments. It’s easy to find and you will have no trouble using it. Brush it on with a paintbrush on the front and back and sides of the ornament. Just remember to throw out any brushes you used for paint (or wash and put them away for another craft). Don’t use the brushes for food-grade ornaments you plan to eat. It’s ok to wash and reuse any cookie cutters on food as the dough is perfectly safe.

Ingredients:

• 6 Granny Smith apples
• 6 wooden sticks
• 1 (14 ounce) package individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Strawberries and blueberries are abundant this time of year, and made it easy to create the stars and stripes of our grand flag.

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh strawberries

1 pkg.  (12 oz.) frozen prepared pound cake, thawed, cut into 14 slices

1-1/3 cups blueberries, divided

1 tub  (12 oz.) Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed

Directions:

1. Slice 1 cup strawberries; halve remaining strawberries.

2. Cover bottom of 13x9-inch dish with cake slices; top with sliced strawberries and 1 cup blueberries. Spread Cool Whip over berries.

3. Arrange strawberry halves and remaining blueberries on COOL WHIP to resemble a US flag. Keep refrigerated.

Celebrate Independence Day with these other Fourth Of July Dessert Recipes.

To created the wonderfully colored "nests", color your flake coconut by adding about 4 drops of liquid food coloring to 1 cups of coconut in a plastic ziplock bag. Shake until all flakes are covered.  (You may need to add 1 teaspoon of water to help disperse the color evenly.)

Ingredients:

• 1 package (16 oz) ready to bake sugar cookies
• 1 container (12 oz) fluffy white frosting
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• Food coloring
• Jelly Beans

Directions:

• Bake cookies as directed on package. Cool completely.
• Frost cookies, top with about 1 tsp. of colored coconut and a few jelly beans.
• Sit back and enjoy!

Continue on to visit more fun Easter recipes, starting with Easter Cupcake Creations.

Mummy Sticks: Coat half of a large pretzel rod with melted chocolate and before the chocolate sets entirely, add two mini M&M's for the mummy's eyes.  Place vanilla frosting in a baggie and snip the corner approximately 1/4" wide.  Twirl the pretzel while adding loose wraps of frosting and allow to dry.

Spider Cupcakes:  Bake cupcakes (any flavor) and coat with chocolate frosting.  Sprinkle with chocolate jimmies to create the spider's hairy body.

Snip pieces of red licorice and place into the cupcakes for legs.  Cut a large marshmallow in half, stick to the cupcake using a bit of frosting.  Add M&M's for eyes and a nose.

Carrot Finger Food:  For a fast and delicious vegetable dip, combine 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 cup sour cream, 1 tablespoon dill weed, 1 tablespoon minced onion and 1 tablespoon seasoned salt.  Let chill overnight.

Fill a serving bowl with veggie dip then add 4 long, peeled carrots and 1 baby carrot.  Using dip as the "glue", add slivered almonds to replicate fingernails.

Serve with fresh vegetables.

Photos courtesy of brightideas.com and familyfun.com

For more spooky treats, visit this link for Ghoulishly Good Halloween Party Snacks.

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