Easter Cookies

For the past several years, we have used this “object lesson” on the night before Easter, just before our children go to bed. My children look forward to the retelling of this story every Easter Sunday!

Ingredients
1 cup whole nuts (pecans or walnuts work the best)
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 egg whites
1 pinch salt
1 cup sugar
Zippy bag
Wooden Spoon
Tape
Bible

1. Preheat oven to 300 degree F.

2. Put egg whites into a mixing bowl. Eggs represent life. EXPLAIN that Easter is the season we remember when Jesus gave His life for us. Read John 10:10-11.

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

4. Sprinkle a little bit of 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. It also can remind us of the bitterness of our own sins. Read Luke 23:27.

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing. They don’t taste very good by themselves or even all together.

5. Add 1 cup sugar. EXPLAIN that the sweetest part of this story is that Jesus died for us because He loves us. He wants us to know that we belong to Him. He wants us to live with Him again. Read Psalms 34:8 and John 3:16.

6. Beat ingredients on HIGH until stiff peaks are formed. EXPLAIN that the color white represents how pure we can be before God when we repent of our sins. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

7. Place nuts in zippy bag and let children beat them with a wooden spoon to break them into small pieces. EXPLAIN that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3. Fold broken nuts into the mixture.

8. Drop by teaspoons onto a wax-paper lined cookie sheet. EXPLAIN that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.

9. Put cookie sheet in oven. Close the door and TURN THE OVEN OFF!!

10. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. EXPLAIN that Jesus’ tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.

11. GO TO BED! EXPLAIN that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus’ followers felt despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20, 22.

12. On Easter morning, open the oven! Give everyone a cookie! Notice the cracked surface. Take a bite . . .

The cookies are hollow. On the first Easter morning, Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.

Testify of the sacrifice and Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Happy Easter!