Little Chef: Involving Your Preschooler in Making Sugar Cookies

Soft, chewy, and irresistibly sweet, these sugar cookies are the perfect treat for both adults and kids alike. And the best part? Your preschooler can be part of the baking fun! Here's a step-by-step guide on how to make them, along with ideas to involve your little one.

Your preschooler will love helping in the kitchen!

Here’s how you can make the process interactive, engaging, and educational for your preschooler, plus the easy cookie dough and buttercream frosting recipes that we’ll be using!

Ingredients ( cookie dough):

• 3/4 c softened butter

• 1 c sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 T vanilla

• 2 1/2 c flour (plus extra for rolling)

• 1 t baking powder

• 1 t salt

  
  

Buttercream Frosting:

• 1/2 c softened butter

• 3 T milk

• 2 t vanilla

• 4 c powdered sugar

• 3-5 drops of food coloring (optional)

• anything else you want!

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F:

2. Cream the butter and sugar: 

   In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

3. Add eggs and vanilla: 

   Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla until combined.

4. Mix the dry ingredients: 

   In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, stirring until fully incorporated.

   **at this point, you can refrigerate your dough for 1-12 hours, however, I usually skip this step and the dough doesn't spread in the oven**

5. Roll the dough: 

   Lightly flour your surface and use a rolling pin to roll the dough until it is approximately 1/4" thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut shapes and place the cut out cookie dough on a cookie sheet. Leave space between each cookie.

6. Bake: 

   Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until the edges are just golden. The centers should look slightly soft—don't over bake!

7. Cool and frost: 

   Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about two minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

8. Make the frosting:

   Beat the softened butter and other frosting ingredients together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add food coloring if you'd like.

9. Decorate your cookies:

   Once the cookies are completely cooled, use a small spatula or butter knife to spread the frosting. Add sprinkles or any other toppings you would like.

   
   
   
   

How to Get Your Preschooler Involved: 

1. Let Them Help Measure the Ingredients:

   Preschoolers love to scoop and pour! Let your child practice their counting and number recognition by measuring out ingredients like flour, sugar, and butter. This is a simple and fun way for them to learn about quantities and develop basic math skills.

2. Stirring the Dough:

   Once the dry ingredients are added to the wet ingredients, your preschooler can help stir the dough. Stirring is a great opportunity for them to practice fine motor skills and coordination. Encourage them to mix until the dough starts to come together, and if they want, they can even use their hands to feel the dough taking shape!

3. Rolling the Dough:

   Once the surface is floured and you've started rolling the dough out, let your preschooler have a turn with the rolling pin. This is a great way to build their confidence in the kitchen while practicing their motor skills. Plus, they’ll feel like they’re truly contributing to the recipe!

4. Cutting out the cookies:

   WIth your supervision and help, your preschool can use the cookie cutter(s) to cut out the cookies into various shapes. This is an exciting and hands-on activity for your preschooler!

5. Watching the Cookies Bake:

   Kids are fascinated by how things change in the oven! While you bake, explain the magic of how the dough turns into cookies. Let your preschooler watch through the oven door (from a safe distance) as the cookies rise and turn golden brown.

6. Decorating the cookies:

   You can let your preschooler use a child-safe knife to add frosting to the sugar cookies. For an extra fun step, you can even let them add sprinkles to the cookies. This gives them a chance to be creative and personalize each cookie with their favorite colors!