4 super fun Christmas family recipes you can make with the kids

Christmas is all about spending time with friends and family… and indulging in an amazing festive feast, of course.

One of the best things about Christmas is getting into the kitchen to make treats with the kids … and then eating them. These no bake Christmas treats will keep the Santa-has-arrived excitement all day long.

The recipes are simple to follow so you can easily make them together, or let the kids loose in the kitchen. 

White crackle snowmen

Prep and cook: 2 hours plus chilling time
Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 2½ cups white choc melts
• 12 milk choc melts
• 12 pieces Dairy Milk Chocolate Roll
• Mini M&M’s, black writing icing and chopped orange Jelly Beans to decorate

Crackle mixture

• 2 x 180g block white chocolate, chopped
• 75g Copha, chopped
• 2 cups Rice Bubbles
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut

Method

Crackle mixture

1. To make crackle mixture, place chocolate and Copha in a large heatproof bowl. Sit the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until melted. Remove from the heat.
2. Stir in 1/2 cup of Rice Bubbles and coconut until well combined. Refrigerate until just firm.

Snowman head and body

1. To make the snowman’s body, roll one level tbsp of mixture into a ball. Repeat to make 12 large truffles balls. Place onto a lined baking tray and set aside.
2. To make the snowman’s head, roll 2 tsp of mixture into a ball then repeat to make 12 small truffle balls. Place onto a prepared baking tray with the snowman’s body balls.
3. Roll truffle heads and bodies in remaining Rice Bubbles to coat. Return to baking tray and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Coating the snowman

1. Meanwhile, place choc melts into clean heatproof bowl. Sit bowl over saucepan of simmering water and stir until melted. Remove from heat.
2. One at a time, dip all the truffle heads into the melted chocolate, allowing excess to drip away. Return to lined tray.
3. Repeat with the truffle body dipping so that only the bottom half is covered in chocolate. Place onto prepared tray with truffle heads and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Reserve remaining chocolate.

Decorating the snowman

1. Using a sharp knife, trim top off truffle heads to sit flat. Using some of the reserved melted chocolate as ‘glue’, stick one milk choc melt on top of each truffle head, then stick one piece of Dairy Milk Chocolate Roll on top, for the ‘hats’. Stick truffle heads onto truffle bodies.
2. Using chocolate as ‘glue’, decorate snowman bodies with M&M’s for the ‘buttons’ and glue the Jelly Bean piece for the nose on the truffle head. Use writing icing to draw ‘eyes’ and ‘mouth’.

Tip: Store in a sealed airtight container in the refrigerator and the snowmen will keep for up to one week.

White forest crackle cheesecake log

Prep and cook: 1 hour plus chilling and setting time
Servings: 8

Ingredients

White chocolate crackle mixture

• 60g Copha, chopped
• 60g white cooking chocolate, chopped
• 1½ cups Rice Bubbles
• 1/2 cup icing sugar mixture
• 1/3 cup desiccated coconut
• 2 tbsp full cream milk powder

Cheesecake filling

• 100g Copha, chopped
• 1/2 cup white cooking chocolate, chopped
• 375g cream cheese, diced, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup thickened cream
• 1/2 cup stoneless black cherries in syrup, drained well, chopped
• 100g white choc melts, melted
• White chocolate curls
• Fresh cherries, to decorate

Method

Cheesecake filling

1. Combine the Copha and chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, stir until melted. Remove from heat. Cool slightly (10 minutes).
2. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment for 1 to 2 minutes or until soft. With motor operating on low speed, beat in melted Copha mixture until combined. Add cream and then beat on low speed for 10 seconds or until thick. Fold in the cherries.
3. Spoon filling onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Enclose in plastic wrap and roll into a 7-centimetre wide and 23-centimetre long log. Refrigerate overnight.

White chocolate crackle mixture

1. Combine the Copha and chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, stir until melted. Remove from heat.
2. Combine the rice bubbles, icing sugar, coconut and milk powder in a bowl, add the Copha mixture and stir to combine. Press mixture over log to coat. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until ready to serve.
3. Place log on a serving plate. Drizzle with melted white chocolate. Decorate with chocolate curls and cherries. Cut into slices to serve.

Tip: Garnish can be changed from fresh whole cherries to maraschino cherries.

White and Dark Chocolate Crackles

Prep and cook: 30 minutes
Servings: 24

Ingredients

Classic chocolate crackle

• 250g (1 block) Copha
• 125g (1-cup) icing sugar
• 60g (½ cup) cocoa powder
• 4 cups Rice Bubbles
• 100g (1 cup) desiccated coconut

White chocolate crackle

• 250g (1 block) Copha
• 125g (1-cup) icing sugar
• 60g (½ cup) milk powder
• 4 cups Rice Bubbles
• 100g (1 cup) desiccated coconut

Method

White chocolate crackle 

1. Line two standard 12 cup muffin trays with paper cases.
2. In a large bowl, combine white chocolate and Copha. Place bowl over a pot of lightly simmering water. Stir until melted. Remove from heat.
3. Add icing sugar, Rice Bubbles, milk powder and coconut to the bowl. Stir to combine.
4. Divide 2/3 crackle mix evenly into the muffin pan holes. Put in the fridge for 20 minutes to set. Leave the remaining white chocolate crackle mix at room temperature and start making the dark chocolate crackle mixture.

Classic chocolate crackle

1. Melt Copha in microwave on high or in a saucepan until fully melted. Mix rice bubbles, icing sugar, cocoa powder and desiccated coconut in a large bowl.
2. Add in the melted Copha, and stir to combine.

Assembly

1. Remove white chocolate paper cases from the refrigerator. Spoon all of the classic chocolate crackle mix on top of white chocolate crackle base.
2. Add remaining white chocolate crackle mix on top to decorate and put back in the fridge to set for 15 minutes.
3. Crackles are ready to serve.

Tip: Crackles can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.

White Christmas

Prep and cook: 30 mins
Servings: 24

Ingredients

• 250g Copha
• 3 cups Rice Bubbles
• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• 3/4 cup icing sugar, sifted
• 1 cup powdered milk
• 1 cup packaged, dried mixed fruit
• Glace cherries for topping

Method

Crackle mixture

1. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
2. Melt Copha slowly over low heat.
3. Cool slightly and pour onto dry ingredients. Mix well.
4. Working quickly, spoon into paper patty cases or press into a lamington tin.
5. Freeze until set (about 15 minutes), then store in the refrigerator.
6. Cut into fingers, top with glace cherries and serve.

What is Copha?

Developed in 1933, Copha quickly became popular with busy mums who wanted a no-fuss vegetable shortening for home baking and cooking. The key ingredient in much-loved kid’s recipes such as chocolate crackles, White Christmas and other no-bake desserts or sweet treats, it is made from 99% coconut oil. From Christmas lunch with the cousins to baking at home with mum or grandma, Copha has always been associated with family, and can be found at Coles, Woolworths and your local independent store.

This article on no bake Christmas treats is a Holidays with Kids digital exclusive produced in partnership with Peerless foods.

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