Canku Ota - November 30, 2002 - 'Tis the Season

	Canku Ota
	(Many Paths)
	An Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America
	November 30, 2002 - Issue 75


	'Tis the Season Winter Treats for Kids

'Tis the season...for snow days, runny noses, and cries of "I'm bored!!" These fun recipes will occupy you and your family and give you some tasty treats to share with family and friends.

Note: All of these recipes should have adult supervision.

Snow Ball Cookies
	Ingredients: 1 c Butter or margarine 1/2 c Sugar, powdered; sifted 1 teaspoon Vanilla 2 1/2 c Flour; sifted 1/4 teaspoon Salt 3/4 c Pecans, chopped
Directions:
Cream butter in large bowl. Add sugar, cream until light. Stir in vanilla. Sift flour and salt; mix in. Stir in nuts. Shape into balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes at 350. Roll in powdered sugar straight out of oven. Roll again when cool. Makes about 36 cookies

Mitten and Glove Cookies
Ingredients: 1/2 cup shortening 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 cup molasses 1 egg 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour Powdered-Sugar Frosting (below)
Directions:
Beat shortening in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the sugar, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves; beat till combined. Beat in molasses and egg till combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer on medium speed, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Stir in any remaining flour with a wooden spoon. Divide the dough into thirds. Cover and chill about 3 hours or till dough is easy to handle. Meanwhile, draw around children's hands on cardboard or heavy paper to make glove and mitten shapes. Even out shapes and cut out. Set aside. Roll one-third of thedough directly on a lightly greased cookie sheet to 1/4" thickness, using a floured rolling pin. Place patterns on dough, leaving 3/4" between cookies. Cut around patterns with knife. Remove excess dough. Bake cookies in a 375 degree oven for 5 to 6 minutes or till cookies are set. Cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes. Remove cookies from cookie sheet and cool on a wire rack. Cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough, rerolling dough as necessary. Decorate with Powdered-Sugar Frosting as desired. Makes about 18 depending on size of pattern. Powdered-Sugar Frosting: In a small mixing bowl stir together 2 cups sifted powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons milk. Stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, till icing is smooth and of spreading consistency. Divide into several portionls; color each portion with a few drops of food coloring. To thicken frosting for piping, stir in a little additional powdered sugar.

Miniature Gingerbread House
	Ingredients: Materials Needed 7 graham crackers Frosting for glue (recipe below) Assorted small candies for decorating Ribbon Frosting 1/2 pound confectioner's sugar 3 tbs. butter/margarine 1/2 tsp. Vanilla 1 1/2 - 2 tbs. Milk Mix all the ingredients together until smooth and spreadable, not runny. Add more sugar if too runny.
Directions:
If you have a pastry bag, place frosting in bag and use a small tip. If not you can use a zip lock bag cutting a small whole in the corner. Place one graham cracker flat on the table, squeeze a little frosting around all edges. Know you may need an extra pair of hands. Place one cracker on each side standing up, now looks like a box with no top. Carefully squeeze more frosting on all outside corner top to bottom and around the bottom of the box. Let stand for a short while to let frosting harden a little. This will make working with the roof a little easier. Now squeeze frosting on two of the top edges of the box and place the last two graham crackers in a V shape on as the roof. Looks like a triangle on a box now from the side. May over hang if you can get the frosting to hold for you. Squeeze frosting along the top of the roof where crackers join. Let stand again until frosting hardens a little. Now comes the fun part - with left over frosting cover the roof to look like snow. (two sides are left open) Then squeezing small amounts on candy place candy on the house to decorate. You can use the frosting to add things like doors and windows. Just use your imagination. After project is totally dry string ribbon through to open side of the roof and hang on Christmas tree. If you want to do this project with young children, you might want to make the base house ahead of time, gluing the corners from the inside - and let it harden. Then turn them loose with frosting and small candies to do the decorating. Special Note: This craft is safe to eat, but if you would like to save your treasure for years to come you can use a spray varnish in a well ventilated area. (2 - 3 coats of varnish)

Hidden Treasure Cookies
Ingredients: 3/4 cup margarine or butter 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1 egg yolk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional) 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour Small candies (small gumdrops, jelly beans, candy-coated chocolate and peanut butter pieces) Brightly colored sugar or small multicolor decorative candies
Directions:
Beat margarine or butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and baking powder and beat till combined. Beat in egg yolk, vanilla, and almond extract, if desired, till combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer on medium speed, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Stir in any remaining flour with a wooden spoon. Do not chill dough. Shape a rounded teaspoon of dough around a small candy. Roll in colored sugar or decorative candies. Place cookies 2" apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or till edges are firm but not brown. Cool cookies on a wire rack. Makes about 30







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