Children's Christmas Christmas is a magical time of year for children, even more so if they're encouraged to step their little feet into the kitchen to bake their own cookies, cakes and mince pies. Here are some ideas to get them cooking this Christmas.

In this article

Edible gifts Cookies and baking

Christmas cakes Pretty presents

Kids' Christmas meal

Cooking's a great way to encourage chidlren's creativity and they'll be proud to show off their culinary skills with presents they've made themselves. The following homemade treats can be devoured oven-fresh or left to cool and wrapped up prettily to make inexpensive yet impressive gifts for teachers, family and friends.

Even very young children can get involved with decorating cookies or cutting out shapes from the dough. The slightly moist, spiced Ginger stars will look gorgeous nestled in a box or tin lined with tissue paper, or threaded with ribbon and hung from the Christmas tree. Or try the chewy-centred White chocolate and cranberry cookies - stack them up and wrap them in cellophane tied with ribbon. Children will love the Snazzy snowmen cakes and will learn how to make a basic sponge mixture in the process.

• Ginger stars by Annabel Karmel
• White chocolate and cranberry cookies by Annabel Karmel
• Snazzy sonwmen by Annabel Karmel

Annabel Karmel, author of sevreal children's cookery books, suggests hosting a 'cookie exchange' with your children and their friends this Christmas. Everyone brings different cookies then swaps them for other flavours and gets to take home a variety of treats. Annabel says: "Buy some disposable containers to package the cookies. Ask your guests to tell you in advance what they're baking to avoid duplication and ask them to bring enough copies of the recipe for everyone attending." If you're feeling really brave, you could even host the baking part too!

For a little bit of Christmas magic that children will love, try the Stained glass window biscuits. Crushed boiled sweets melt during cooking then harden to create gorgeous little panes of 'glass' in the middle of the biscuits. The grown-up approach would be to use one colour of sweet per biscuit, but good luck trying to convince the children.

• Stained glass window biscuits by Annabel Karmel

The blank canvas of a snow-white Christmas cake allows endless creativity. Equip children with a selection of coloured sugar balls, ribbon, marzipan and writing icing and give them free rein to create a festive masterpiece.

Alternatively, for a slightly more sophisticated end result, you might want to give them one of the following recipes to follow. For some decorating without the baking, try the brightly coloured Mini Swiss roll crackers.

• My favourite Christmas cake by Annabel Karmel
• Silver star cake by Angela Nilsen
• Sparkly Christmas tree cake by Angela Nilsen
• Mini Swiss roll crackers by Annabel Karmel
• Mini mince pies by Annabel Karmel

Annabel Karmel and her children make their own Christmas cakes to give as presents to their teachers every year. They sit the decorated cakes on round cake boards and place them inside pretty cake tins or wrap them in clear cellophane tied with a large bow. Here are some more of Annabel's ideas on how children can give their gifts an impressive appearance:

• Include a copy of the recipe with the gift. Cut a piece of card into the shape of a cupcake, Christmas tree or other shape and write the recipe on it.
• Use old shoe boxes to package your cookies or cakes. Cover them with Christmas wrapping paper, line with tissue paper and wrap with a ribbon and some Christmas decorations such as holly.
• Buy attractive round cake tins for presenting your Christmas Cakes, and pretty lunchbox tins for cookies or cupcakes. As well as looking attractive, they can be used for storage or as a lunchbox once all the treats have been gobbled up.
• For a professional way to present cookies, simply stack them on top of each other, wrap in cellophane and tie with a big ribbon.
• Look out for inexpensive jars, bowls or dishes in the shops. They'll look lovely filled with your homemade cookies, wrapped in cellophane and tied with a ribbon.

Most children are more than happy to tuck in to a traditional Christmas meal, possibly with the exception of the sprouts. But if they're going through a fussy phase, or want to host and/or cook their own children's Christmas meal during the holidays, then they could try this menu. A turkey burger flavoured with grated apple, thyme and parsley and a fun take on the usual baked potato, served with their favourite vegetables, makes a festive-themed main course. Finish off with a pot of melting Chocolate fondue and add some 'snowballs' (white marshmallows) to the fruit platter for a festive touch.

• Caroline's turkey meatballs with spaghetti and tomato sauce by Annabel Karmel
• Rudolph the red nosed baked potato by Annabel Karmel
• Chocolate fondue with fruit platter by James Martin