Kiddos

40 min | 20 min prep

24 whoopie pies

* 1/2 cup hot water
* 1/2 cup baking cocoa
* 1/2 cup shortening
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 2 eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup buttermilk

Filling

* 1/2 cup milk
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 dash salt
* 3/4 cup shortening
* 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
* 2 teaspoons vanilla

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons butter, softened
* 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
* 2 teaspoons milk
* Several drops peppermint, almond, lemon, or orange extract or flavoring
* 2 to 3 teaspoons small, multicolored decorative candies
* 12 purchased chocolate chip or other cookies, about 2-1/2 inches in diameter

Directions

1. In a small mixing bowl, beat together butter and one-half of the powdered sugar.

2. Beat in milk, extract, and remaining powdered sugar.

This friendly walking stick is made out of your child's favorite snack foods.

What You Need:

* 8-inch trimmed celery stalk
* Two tablespoons peanut butter
* 13 mini marshmallows
* Two 4-inch pieces of red shoestring licorice
* 12 thin pretzel sticks

Instructions:

1. Fill celery stalk with peanut butter.

2. Cut a marshmallow in half for eyes. Set eyes and licorice antennae into peanut butter at wide end of celery.

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup whipping cream
* 1/3 cup powdered sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 8-ounce carton lemon yogurt
* 3 cups sliced fresh strawberries or 2 cups fresh blueberries
* 1/2 cup coarsely crumbled shortbread cookies (5 cookies)

Directions

1. Beat whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer or rotary beater until soft peaks form. By hand, fold in yogurt and half of the berries.

2. Spoon some of the whipped mixture into the bottom of 10-ounce individual glasses.

Even if you're wary of those red and green mystery "fruit" powders, you can still give your kids the jiggly treats they want. The trick is to use a juice with ingredients you approve of and set it in a plain gelatin. These cubes are not only healthier, but they're also just as easy to make as the boxed stuff.

* 2 cups of your kid's favorite juice (we used grape and grapefruit in the photo)
* 2 packets of unflavored gelatin
* 1 tablespoon sugar or honey (optional)