One of the simplest ways to teach children the true reason we celebrate Easter is by making a batch of Resurrection Cookies. The ten-step process begins the evening before Easter Sunday, and is a treat for kids of every age. In the process, the account of Jesus’ death and glorious resurrection is explained. Here’s how:

Set the oven oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Assemble the following ingredients:

• 3 egg whites
• 1 cup whole pecans
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• A pinch of salt
• 1 cup sugar
• A medium-sized bowl
• A zip-lock baggie
• A wooden spoon
• Wax paper
• 2 cookie sheets
• Tape
• A Bible

Directions:

1. Put the pecans in the zip-lock baggie. Have the children beat the pecans with the wooden spoon while you explain this is a symbol of the Roman soldiers beating Jesus. Read John 19:1-3.

2. Have the children smell the vinegar before they put it in the bowl. Explain how this is a reminder that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, the soldiers gave him vinegar. Read John 19:28-30.

3. Add the egg whites to the vinegar. Explain how the eggs represent life and are a symbol of Jesus giving his life for us. Read John 10:10-11.

4. Sprinkle salt into the children’s hands and let them taste some before throwing the rest into the bowl. Explain that this symbolizes the salty tears shed by Jesus’ disciples and loved ones when he died, as well as the bitterness of our sins. Read Luke 23:27.

5. Add the sugar. Explain how the sweetest part of the Resurrection account is that Jesus died because he loves us and wants us to trust him so we can be his children. Read Psalm 34:3 and John 3:16.

6. Beat the ingredients with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes. When stiff peaks form, explain that the white is a symbol of how clean we are when Jesus forgives our sins and we trust him to be our Savior. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

7. Gently fold the nuts into the mixture and drop it by teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Explain that this symbolizes the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.

8. Put the cookies in the oven, shut the door, and TURN IT OFF. Have the children place pieces of tape on the oven door to seal it. Explain how the Roman soldiers rolled a heavy stone in front of the tomb’s entrance to seal Jesus’s body inside and stood guard in front of it. Read Matthew 27:65-66.

9. Tell the children to go to bed. They may feel sad, the same way Jesus’s disciples and loved ones felt the night when they placed his body in the tomb. Read John 16:20-22.

10. On Easter morning, have the children open the oven door. Give everyone a cookie. While they are looking at them, explain that the cracks in the cookie represent the tomb. When they bite into the cookies, they will find them hollow. This is a symbol of the empty tomb … the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty.

JESUS HAS RISEN! Read Matthew 28:1-9.

Note: all Bible verses are in the English Standard Version.