Rivendell, WIS

O to grace how great a debtor Daily I'm constrained to be! Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to Thee.

Saturday, April 15, 2006

Easter Story Cookies

Our kids like me to make these on Easter weekend, though we are sometimes too busy to do it. They call them "tomb cookies."

Ingredients:
1cup whole pecans
1tsp vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1 cup sugar
zipper baggie
wooden spoon
tape
Bible

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees (This is important. Don't wait till you're half done with the recipe!).

Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.

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 the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup 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 Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and I John 3:1-3*.

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that 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. Read Matthew 27:65-66.

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 and 22.

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.

He is risen! Alleluia!

*Note: edited at 3:38 pm to correct scripture reference in the 8th paragraph. It read "John 3:1-3" originally; I John 3:1-3 seems to better fit the topic of that section.

4 Comments:

  • At 5:22 AM, Blogger Katie said…

    We have done this a few times, too! I thought about making these cookies at around 7:30 Saturday evening this year, and I was too tired to even look up the recipe. But it is things like this that really bring home a story to a five year old, and that is currently our focus with these basic Bible truths. (It helps the olders to have a refresher too!)

    We hid the Resurrection eggs, and each child found four, and then Daddy read the story of the passion week out of the Bible, while the kids listened hard in order to contribute their eggs' contents at the appropriate moment in the story. The cookies would have been a nice addition.

    Oh well. We can still do them. There is no reason for the story to be told or the cookies made *only* Easter weekend. Maybe we will bake them one night this week.

    God bless!

     
  • At 5:23 AM, Blogger Katie said…

    Oops! I forgot to say thank you for posting the recipe and story!

    Katie

     
  • At 7:31 AM, Blogger HowGreatADebtor said…

    The evening before Easter was busy for us this year, too. We did lots of other cooking, but no tomb cookies. Sure, make them any time! Every day is another opportunity to remember our Lord and Savior.

     
  • At 12:27 PM, Blogger Leslie Noelani Laurio said…

    I love this idea! I wish I'd seen it in time to try it a couple days ago - we were looking for something just like this to reinforce the resuurection message.

     

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