Easter Story Cookies

We've been having quite the Easter celebration weekend. :)

Thursday night was the Seder dinner for the high school senior leadership team. Friday night was Good Friday services. And tonight we made Easter Story Cookies. Tomorrow is a sunrise service at 6:30a (yep we're waking the boys up for that) at a park, making Resurrection Biscuits, then normal services and then some ham. :) It's been a great weekend.


I hope to include Easter Story Cookies and Resurrection Biscuits every year. It's a fun memory for the boys and can make the Easter story a little more real when they hear it in different ways and are able to do something tactile.

Easter Story Cookies
to be made the evening before Easter
recipe adapted from allrecipe.com

1 cup whole pecans
1 tsp vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1 cup sugar
zip-lock bag
wooden spoon
wax paper
tape
Bible

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees
2. Place pecans in zip-lock bag and let the children beat them with the wooden spoon into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, the Roman soldiers beat him. Read John 19:1-3.
3. Let each child smell the vinegar. Put vinegar in the mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.
4. Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.
5. 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 bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.
6. So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalms 34:8 and John 3:16.
7. Beat the mixture on high speed for 12-15 minutes until stiff peaks form. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been washed away by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.
8. Fold in the broken nuts. Drop by teaspoon onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain how each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matthew 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. Rad Matthew 27:65-66.
9. GO TO BED! :) Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20, 22. 
10. 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 Matthew 28:1-9.

Enjoy!! :)