This time of year is innately magical. This is the time of year that we celebrate the birth of Jesus and children are dreamy-eyed in anticipation of the BIG day--that's right, Christmas morning. Parents can harness this excitment by making each and every day monumental in some way. Just such a way to make a December day special is a cute, themed snack.
Here in Waco, Texas you can visit stores and see many examples of adorable pre-made snacks--these, however, can sometimes get quite costly at a time of year that parent's are trying to make every cent count. That is why this Examer calls parents to try their hand at homemade Christmas snacks.
One such example of a homemade snack is the Santa Crackers pictured above. For these crackers you will need:
Ritz crackers
white icing (sour cream or highly softened cream cheese)
pepperoni slices
celery
black food coloring
2 bakers bags
grass icing tip
Using clean kitchen scissors simply cut the slices of pepperoni, 1-3 slices at a time, into the shape of a santa hat. Chop the celery into small curved pieces. Place a small amount of icing (or whatever medium you chose to use) on the back of the pepperoni to adhere it in place on the top quarter of the cracker. Load 2 bakers bags. The first bag should be cut for insertion of your grass icing tip. This bag will hold your white icing. The second bakers bag is for your black icing. Please color the icing before placing it in the bag. There is no need to use a tip on this bag. Simply load the bag and cut a very small hole in the tip to pipe the eyes and nose of Santa.
After your two bakers bags are loaded and ready for use, pipe the fur across the brim of the pepperoni hat. You may wish to practice on a paper plate before you attempt to ice the cracker, especially if you aren't accustomed to using a grass tip. Once the hat brim is iced, pipe a semi-circle of white across the bottom 1/2 of the cracker.
Once the hat, and what is to be the beard, are piped onto the cracker, it is now time to pipe the 3 small black dots that are the Santa's eyes and nose. Leave a bit of a gap between the black dot nose and the beard, this is for the celery mustache.
Take one curved piece of celery and slice it in half down the middle. If cut correctly this will provide you with the 2 parts of the mustache that is to be placed below the black dot nose of Santa. Once the celery is placed the Santa cracker is complete!
These are a great hit with kids and at parties. They do require a bit of work but with one or more cooks in the kitchen (let little hands help you to do the work) it should fly by smoothly!
Happy snacking!
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