Chanukah is the perfect time to create lasting memories with your kids through fun, meaningful activities. Beyond lighting the menorah and enjoying delicious treats, engaging in festive crafts and baking together can make this time even more special. Decorating cookies shaped like dreidels, creating some sufganiyot in your air fryer (yes, I think that still counts as "fried" food!), or making Chanukah- shaped chocolates are great ways to bond while celebrating. These hands-on activities not only keep kids entertained but also build cherished memories they’ll remember for years to come.
Each year , I try to make a time to bake Chanukah cookies with the kids, Sometimes, we even pick oranges from our neighbor's tree and use the juice in this delicious sugar cookie recipe!
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup orange juice (fresh or from concentrate)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven: Set it to 350°F (175°C).
- Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, combine oil, sugar, orange juice, and vanilla extract.
- Combine dry ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Form dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until a dough forms.
- Roll out and cut: Roll the dough on a floured surface to about 1/4-inch thickness and use cookie cutters for shapes.
- Bake: Place on a lined baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges are lightly golden.
- Cool and serve: Let cookies cool on a wire rack before serving.
When the dough is done and they've used the cookie cutters below to make their favorite Chanukah shapes, they decorate to their hearts' desires!
The Dreidel Company Stainless Steel Hanukkah Cookie Cutters
Pack of 5, Hanukkah Menorah, Dreidel, Star, Maccabee Shield Shaped Cookie Cutters
Product information
$8.99
Product Review Score
4.69 out of 5 stars
37 reviewsProduct links
Another really fun activity is having an assembly line to create sufganiyot, or Chanukah donuts. We use Rhodes rolls (found in any grocery store,) a little bit of cooking spray to spray the dough before it goes into the air fryer, and whipped cream mixed with vanilla ,caramel, or chocolate pudding mix as the filling. Of course we do a jelly filling as well, and sometimes even chocolate chips as filling. One kid fries the dough, the next inserts filling into the donut using medicine syringes, and the next places the donut on a paper towel and sprinkles confectioner sugar on it once it's cooled .We make sure to play loud music nand dance along as we run the assembky line. All diets fly out the window as we enjoy this tasty treat! (yes, it's worth the calories. And hey, it's not deep fried this time.)
For the Chanukah chocolates, we get some good quality baking chocolate, melt it and fill up these chocolate molds, and let it sit in the refrigerator.
Chanukah Chocolate Molds
-1.5" Round Dreidel and Menorah Shaped Plastic Molds for Chocolate
Product information
$9.99
Product Review Score
4.24 out of 5 stars
107 reviewsProduct links
These shared moments in the kitchen add extra sweetness to this special week, reminding us that Chanukah is not just about the treats we make but the love and laughter we share while making them. Happy Chanukah and happy baking!
