Recipe 12 of the Christmas Cookies Around the World Holiday Project for Kids: Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
One of the most popular Christmas traditions in America is baking Christmas cookies, and when it comes to Christmas cookies, you can’t beat the classic chocolate chip cookie. There are so many delicious cookies to make for Santa this year, which is one of the many reasons I put together this Christmas Cookies Around the World Series.
GET ALL 12 COOKIE RECIPES AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES WITH THE FULL CHRISTMAS COOKIES AROUND THE WORLD HOLIDAY PROJECT.
As part of the Christmas Cookies Around the World project we recommend inviting families to share about their own unique family traditions and favorite cookie recipes. In the complete product we’ve included an editable cookie recipe template so that family-submitted recipes can be added to the Christmas Cookies Around the World Cookbook for the class. There is also an individual response sheet so kids can draw and write about their family’s favorite cookie to eat at Christmas.
The Christmas Cookies Around the World series will help you gently introduce preschool and early elementary aged children to:
- World geography
- Holiday traditions
- Popular cookies from various cultures and parts of the world
- Baking skills
- Math and measurement
It is also designed to encourage togetherness through baking and kindness through sharing with others.
Chocolate Chip Cookie
America’s favorite cookie is surprisingly not that old. The original recipe was created in the late 1930s by Ruth Wakefield who ran the Toll House restaurant in Whitman, Massachusetts.
Fun Facts About USA Christmas Traditions
- The United States of America has many different traditions and ways that people celebrate Christmas, because of its multicultural nature. Many customs are similar to ones in the UK, France, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland and Mexico.
- The traditional meal for Western European families is turkey or ham with cranberry sauce. Families from Eastern European origins favour turkey with trimmings, kielbasa (a Polish sausage), cabbage dishes, and soups; and some Italian families prefer lasagna!
- Eggnog is a ‘traditional’ Christmas drink in the USA.
- Many Americans, especially Christians, will go to Church to celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas. Many churches have special Christmas Carol services and events where the story of Christmas is told.
- Some cookies and a glass of milk are often left out as a snack for Santa on Christmas Eve!
- People in America like to decorate the outsides of their houses with lights and sometimes even statues of Santa Claus, Snowmen and Reindeer.
Videos
Learn about how Americans celebrate Christmas.
Learn all about our unique Christmas traditions and where they come from.
Websites
Use this helpful website to learn all about how Christmas is celebrated in the United States.
Learn all about why and how Christmas is celebrated in America.
This guide showcases many traditional ways to celebrate Christmas in America.
Books
Christmas in America by Callista Gingrich
This unique story will start a conversation about the issues and questions we face as a country.
Additional Resources for Teaching Children About Country
Videos
Learn all about the United States with the help of this video.
Learn a bunch of fun general facts about America in this video.
Find out what the important symbols of the United States are in this video.
Websites
Learn all about the United States with the help of these facts.
This site provides factual and informative information about the United States.
Learn all about the geography of the world’s third largest country.
Books
A Is for America by Tanya Lee Stone
Learn about the history of America in this fun educational story.
American Symbols by Melissa Ann Ferguson
Get the inside scoop on a ton of amazing symbols of the United States.
What Is America? by Michelle Medlock Adams
Discover the symbols, values, and beliefs that make America so grand!
Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus 2 tbsp extra
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped nuts optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Use hand mixer or stand mixer to beat butter, shortening, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until light and creamy.
- Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each one.
- In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt.
- Add the flour mixture gradually to the butter mixture.
- Stir in the mini chocolate chips and nuts. (If you like more chocolaty cookies you can add up to 1 ½ cups of chocolate chips).
- Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets.
- Bake for 9-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. Then move to wire racks to cool completely.
Get Your FREE Christmas Cookies Around the World Taste Test Recording Sheet
Use the taste test recording sheet to have kids record information about the cookie(s) they tasted and rate how well they liked the cookies. Individual pages can be compiled into a taste test booklet for all the cookies you try in the series, or you can choose to have kids record only their favorite cookie if you prefer.
Save paper by printing two or four to a page if preferred.
Get the entire 12 Days of Christmas Cookies Around the World project
For those interested in expanding the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies Around the World project into a class or family project we’ve created a 50+ page activity guide to make it super easy for you.
Inside you’ll find:
- Quick Reference List of Cookies and Countries
- Generic Cookie Taste Test Recording Sheet
- Cookie Taste Test Recording Table
- Class Graphing Header and Voting Cards
- Christmas Cookies Around the World Passport (three versions)
- Taste Test Journal
- Cookie Recipe Cookbook
- Editable Cookie Recipe Page to add in additional family and multi-cultural options
- Gift Tags
- Notecards
- My Family’s Favorite Cookie Recipe (two versions)
- Editable Parent Letter (two versions)
- Ingredient List by Cookie
The project is designed for use in the classroom, at home, or in community programs. Suggestions and modifications for each setting are included in the resource.
Get your Christmas Cookies Around the World Project
This project is also available on Teachers Pay Teachers.
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