Empty Tomb Easter Cookies

Need a quick, easy and last minute Easter activity to do with your kids that is actually meaningful?
Here is a fun one that I read about a few years ago & couldn't wait to do it with Kate.
We made these last Sunday (on Palm Sunday) but it is really meant to be done the night before Easter Sunday.

Empty Tomb Easter Cookies
Here is what you need:

1 Cup of Pecans
1 Cup of Sugar
1 tsp. Vinegar
3 Egg Whites
Zipper Bag
Wooden spoon
Wax Paper
Pinch of Salt
Tape
Bible

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Place pecans in zipper bag and beat them with the wooden spoon to break them into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested that He was beaten by the Roman Soldiers.

Read John 19: 1-3 and smell the vinegar.

Put 1 tsp. Vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink.

Kate asked me where all the pictures are in my Bible. haha!

Read John 19: 28-30. Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.

Read John 10: 10-11. Sprinkle a little salt, taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’ followers, and the bitterness of our own sin.

Read Luke 23: 27. Add 1 cup of sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is the Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him.

Read Psalm 34: 8 and John 3: 16. Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12-15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed.

12-15 minutes is a long time for a 3 year old to wait...Kate had fun with the tape while we were waiting.

After the 12-15 minutes, your mixture should look like this:

Explain that the color white represents the purity in God’s eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.

Read Isaiah 1: 18 and John 3:1-3. Fold broken nuts into mixture.

Stir:

(Don't let your kid taste the mixture...raw eggs! Oops!)

Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus body laid.

Read Matthew 27: 57-60. Put cookie sheet in the oven:

Close the door and turn the oven off. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain the Jesus’ tomb was sealed.

Read Matthew 27: 65-66. Go to Bed!! Explain that we may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight just as Jesus followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.

Read John 16: 20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie.

Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow!!! On the first Easter, Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.

Read Matthew 28: 1-9. Christ has risen, hallelujah!

I think this is going to be a new Easter tradition for us!

Happy Good Friday (& Happy Spring Break to me!)

I hope you have a wonderful weekend with family & friends celebrating all that Christ has done for us!