I just don't want to decorate cookies. I don't know the people we are likely to invite super well and I am lousy at decorating cookies.

The kids would do the decorating. You'd just make the cookies. You can use premade cookie dough if you don't have the time for cut outs.

There's always bark to melt and pour over just about anything too. I'm drawing a blank on other easy recipes. I'll come back if I think of some we've made in the past.

Yeah, and then my five year old would say, mommy, you decorate one. And then the kids would run off to play and there would be a couple dozen cookies left to decorate with people I barely know. And I would feel awkward having invited them over to do something I suck at. I don't mean to be argumentative, but I had already thought this idea through and decided against it.

I'd rather not do two candies. And I think clusters front load the kid participation part (five year olds can't pour melted chocolate out, but they can scoop clumps out to drop). So I guess I'm mainly looking for cluster recipes and something else non-candy and super easy--like bar cookies.

How about cake mix cookies? http://www.food.com/recipe/cake-mix-cookies-15559

Basically you use whatever flavor of cake mix you like, mix in whatever goes with it, and make drop cookies. I've made chocolate/chip, spice/raisin, and lemon/craisin. Super easy, and the kids could do the dropping. Check out some of the reviews for combinations others have tried.

What about chocolate pretzels? Melt chocolate, dip pretzel rods, roll in crushed peppermint. For cookies, Graham cracker cookies are dead easy and a big hit.

My sister used to make the chocolate dipped pretzel rods with her kids when they were young-- they rolled some in sprinkles and some in peppermint. They also half dipped oreos in the chocolate and covered with peppermint or sprinkles. Very easy and fun for young kids.

Another kid favorite is Holly Cookies .. I cringe a little sharing this as they require green food coloring but they hold a place of nostalgia for us. They are basically marshmallow treats made with cornflakes and dropped to look like a cluster of holly leaves. We "decorate" them with tiny teaberry candies that look like holly berries (purchased at Nuts.com).

As for true cookies.. I'd think any kind of ball cookie would be fun for the kids.. like chocolate crinkles or the peanut butter cookies with the hershey kiss stuck on top (I don't make these but i think the dough is rolled into a ball before cooking.. and then the hershey kiss stuck on top when they are removed from the oven)

Go to Costco and buy a tray of the mini angel food cakes. Cut them into 2" cubes (or however large you want them). Make some ganache (easy peasy). Have the kids dunk the angel food cake cubes into the ganache 1/3 - 1/2 deep. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top while the ganache is still wet. Chill in the refrigerator.

Magic Cookie Bars? The coconut could be tinted green (by you ahead of time to avoid kid messes) to make it more Christmas-like. Magic Cookie Bars

I think the dipping pretzel idea is great. It doesn't require a long period of concentration so if the kids lose interest you're not stuck with an unfinished batch of cookies. Dip in chocolate, sprinkle on various toppings (crushed peppermints or colorful sprinkles), and done. The long pretzel sticks keep fingers away from the melted chocolate.

Saltine Toffee BarsThese saltine based toffee bars are super simple and always a huge hit. They really are addictive

How about bring a your own dough party? You provide the decorations, baking sheets, containers, boxes bags to take the treat home, and basically will clean up the mess. If you know one mom is especially good at it, enlist her to demonstrate. I'm with you, I don't know how to do the piped icing.

How about graham cracker gingerbread houses? The decorating of anything is what makes it individual and fun for the kids.

Or, do a craft. You can buy wooden Christmas ornaments that the kids can decorate glitter and paint. Learn how to tie fancy ribbon to make it even more festive. This would be something the parents can help with.

You could learn a simple origami ornament that you can teach while others are painting and decorating.

I like the idea of pretzels too, but I can't see this taking too long and I'm not sure I want to worry about hot chocolate on a stove with a lot of kids in the kitchen.

You are inviting people that you would like to get to know better, and this is a good way to do it. Keep things as easy as possible.

I did cookie decorating and ornament parties for my kid's friends for years, starting in kindergarten. Trust me, you don't need any artistic ability to participate. Don't let Pinterest intimidate you.

I made my own sugar cookie cut outs but you can buy rolls of pillsbury sugar cookie dough from the grocery store. We used popsicle sticks for knives. We decorated with white frosting (to save my furniture). I bought canned frosting from the store but you can scoop the frosting in a bowl before the guests arrive. We just used all kinds of colored sprinkles and candies for decorating. You don't need any artistic ability to spread frosting on a cookie and put candy on it. I provided inexpensive white shirt boxes lined with wax paper so the kids would have a way to bring their cookies home.

One year we made sandwich bag wreaths and that was very popular and inexpensive. All you need are coat hangers, plastic sandwich bags and a nice bow. There are tons of tacky looking plastic wreaths on the internet but they look great outside and the clear ones have a nice wintery look.

One thing to keep in mind that the kids will rush through everything much faster than you think. I always had a supply of Christmas videos and sing alongs if there was a lull.

Thanks everyone!

I'm thinking maybe these raspberry jam bar cookies from Allrecipes. The older boys (11-12 years old) could probably do a lot of this recipe without much help. And we could do them in disposable foil baking pans and each family could just take a pan home with them.

And I'm thinking these cherry almond clusters maybe with one batch white chocolate? The little kids (5 year olds) could stir in the almonds and cherries and drop the mix onto the cookie sheets.

Here's a very easy cookie bar that's almost like candy - you can add a teaspoon of spices like cinnamon or ginger, if desired...

Toffee Bars

1 c. sugar (Brown, or white mixed w/ 1 T molasses)

3/4-1 c. butter or other shortening

2 c. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1-2 tsp. vanilla

1 c. chocolate chips

1 c. chopped nuts or unsweetened coconut (optional)

1/2 c. raisins (optional)

Blend all ingredients well.

Press into 10"X15' jelly roll pan.

Bake 18-25 minutes @ 350F (or until golden brown).

Cut while hot. (seriously, they will shatter if cold)

Remove from pan when cool.

************************************************************************************

Got this from the Betty Crocker website - they have a lot of easy recipes using cooky mixes. I made it using Arrowhead Mills organic sugar cooky mix & skipped the almond flavouring, using a generous amount of nutmeg instead & adding a tablespoon or 2 of lemon/lime juice to the jam. I also made them w/ canned cranberry sauce instead of jam - super yummy They have to be quite cold to hold together when cut :

Betty Crocker

Raspberry Streusel Bars

Fruit jam that you probably have on hand makes the tasty filling in this easy-to-make layered bar.

Prep Time: 10 min

Total Time: 3 hours 20 min

Makes: 25 bars

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 tablespoons Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 egg

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 8-inch square pan with cooking spray.

2. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, flour, almond extract and egg until dough forms. Press half of dough into bottom of pan; bake 15 minutes. Spread jam over base. Crumble remaining dough over jam.

3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 2 hours. For bars, cut into 5 rows by 5 rows.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Heat oven to 375°F. Increase flour to 3 tablespoons. Increase second bake time to 22 to 27 minutes.

Variation:

Try apricot, blackberry or strawberry jam for the raspberry.

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Almost forgot to add that I shared some very easy candy recipes on the other candy thread...

http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3536577/cookies-cookies-cookies-how-about-candy?n=27

I don't think there's enough "doing" in making cookies or candies to keep everyone engaged. I would take the decorating approach. The pretzel rods are probably the best idea but I think you need to keep the chocolate warm but still let the kids have access to it. Then I'd want an assortment of ingredients to decorate them with to keep the kids' attention, especially the older boys. I think kids naturally like to sprinkle and roll things in ingredients. It's an activity where I think some would want to do more than one, so that keeps them occupied.

As a mom of a boy, a former teacher, and having run an after-school program for 30 kids, that's the activity I would choose.

Yeah, and then my five year old would say, mommy, you decorate one.

I think that you are underestimating how much kids love squeezing frosting out of tubes!

I would think any kind of dough that needs to be rolled in a ball first would be great. Mom had a super easy cookie recipe she made with the cub scouts oh so many years ago when they were stuck inside on a rainy pm. I'd post it here, but I'm sure I lost it and good thing...they tasted awful...not awful to kids, but awful to adults. As I recall it was made with instant pudding and oil. Ugh! But effective for it's purpose in the early 60s...

I know you don't want to be talked into cookie decorating, but kids LOVE to spread frosting (tubed and canned is fine) and add sprinkles. You can also get stencils and just sprinkle colored sugar on plain cookies.

Kids of all ages love to roll and cut cookies, too. So maybe have a batch baked up they can decorate while theirs are baking.

I just don't think mixing a bar cookie will be very fun or interesting or time consuming for kids. You could also do the pretzel decorating - here is another idea:

One more - cut brownies into triangles:

Here's one more idea that I have saved on pinterest - no recipe attached, but any drop cookie would do

TIng-a-lings

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup corn flakes (I use Nature's Path gluten free ones because then Celiacs and gluten intolerent people can eat these)

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 raisins (I used to also put in peanuts but not anymore)

1 tsp vanilla

Melt the chips in the top of the double boiler. Add the other ingredients and drop by spoonfuls onto wax-paper lined cookie sheet. Put in the fridge to harden.

I realise you say you are lousy @ decorating, but I have to put in another vote for cooky decorating as a kid-tested favorite holiday activity. We used to do it in our family & I passed it down to our kids & now my stepdaughter is making it her kids' tradition as well. We didn't use anything fancy from the store, just lots of small dishes of different tinted icings (from 1 large batch made from scratch - I use confectioner's sugar & half & half w/ a pinch of salt & a bit of vanilla), sprinkles, colored sugar, raisins & dragees, using butter knives & toothpicks to cover all kinds of fun shapes like trees, stars, reindeer, gingerbread men, birds, horses, etc. @ a table covered w/ waxed paper & opened out brown paper bags. The cookies can be baked way ahead & stored in the freezer until needed. My mom always made sugar cookies & 1 called molasses cutouts, that looks like thin gingerbread, but has no spices.

& don't forget about popcorn balls - those are somewhat simple, depending on the recipe, & kids love 'em. My mom used to make them & wrap them in variously colored cellophanes for a holiday treat - a classic.

FWIW, HTH

What a great bunch of options, Oly! My niece (17) made the pretzels with chocolate and an M&M for thanksgiving and they were a big hit. The brownie christmas trees look simple and awesome!

You could do gingerbread houses (premake them from cardboard, much easier than real gingerbread), or premade gingerbread men. Just provide frosting and various candies and sprinkles, and let them go crazy :-)

I've done variations on two of the above -- very easy and good.

I've made gingerbread reindeer with a recipe for cut out gingerbread people, but just rolled the dough into balls, flattned a bit, used plain mini pretzel twists for antlers and a red candy for the nose, Very easy, especially if you use parchment and you don't have to worry about sticking or breaking when you take them off the sheet (just slide the parchment over to the cooling rack). I think they looked even cuter than the ones above (which look like a peanut butter dough to me).

The pretzels with kisses can be done with the waffle or mini twists and use either rolos or caramel filled kisses -- though be gentle with the kisses because they will tend to spring a leak. Top with an M&M or a pecan half. Always a hit.

You can also dip the rods (full lenth or the smaller ones), into melted caramel (use a glass measuring cup or similar and it will be easier to dip without using a lot more caramel), then roll in finely chopped nuts and drizzle with melted chcolate (semisweet chocolate chips work fine).

Another idea -- make peppermint spoons by crushing peppermints (let the kids smash some for fun, but have some done ahead in case it gets old too quickly or takes too long) and melt them in a silicone spoon mold (available at craft stores. When they areuse cooled, you can dip the spoon ends in melted chocolate -- or not. Then make some hot chocolate and use the spoons -- package up additional ones to send home.

ETA: Do shortbread that just has to be pressed into a pan. If you don't have a shortbread pan, you could make tiny shortbread cookies that are so fun and taste great. (hard to see it but there is a link there),

Turtles, using mini pretzels, Rolo caramels, and pecan halves. Similar to Olychick's idea.

I'm thinking maybe hot chocolate mix? Layered into mason jars with chocolate chips and marshmallows? Super easy to make.

Ds actually likes cooking a bit and is usually substantially more interested in cooking than decorating--he's turned down cookie decorating the last couple of years. But he also likes salty things a lot more than sweet. Chex mix? Is that too boring? Spiced nuts?

There are a bunch of party mix variations on the Chex website -- and probably others. Same for spiced nuts. I've collected a bunch of recipes for nuts and even have a book (Party Nuts). If more of a cook than baker and thinking savory instead of/and/or sweet, you could also consider popcorn -- flavored with dry ingredients after popping or syrup. Snack mixes too -- look for reinderr food or holday snack mixes.

I have a December birthday -- one year my mom let me incvite friends over and make saltwater taffy for my brthday. Not something everyone would do, but it went well and I liked it enough to remember it now.

What age group are we talking about -- and how many? Too many will make anything difficult to keep focus or to have them all involved enough to be successful. ow many is too many will vary with the age and the kind of activity.

We are inviting one friend's family per kid. If the friend Ds most wants to invite can come, I Think that will mean an 11 year old and his mom--but I'm going on what Ds has told me as I do not know this kid or his family. If that kid cannot come, he wants to invite a friend I do know which would mean a 12 year old, his younger sister (9 or 10 years old I think) and probably one parent. I am going to let Dd also invite one of her friends, I think she will choose a classmate with an older sister so that might mean a five year old, a seven year old and one or two parents.

So four to six kids total ranging in age from five to twelve and three to six adults is my current best guess.

And ds has already been checking to make sure there will be time to "just play." The treat making is somewhat an excuse to invite whole families so I can meet the mom of ds' friend. Because Ds would like to be able to invite this friend over but I can't imagine that his parents would be okay with that when they have never met us. And now that the kids are in middle school, there isn't much opportunity to meet through school.

Have you ever made the no-bake chocolate-peanut-butter-oatmeal cookies? Kids seem to love them & they are super-easy. I used to make them a lot when our kids were little and they enjoyed dropping them on the trays and devouring them. Here is one link. Just don't over-cook the first part. Some good suggestions in this recipe.

http://www.food.com/recipe/no-bake-chocolate-oatmeal-cookies-23821

Does anyone know if the Saltine Toffee Bars can be made ahead? The recipe says to store them in the refrigerator, but it doesn't seem like saltines would fare very well.

Peanut butter cookies? Fun to roll into a ball and flatten with a fork.

I just tried this one a few weeks ago. Very easy to make. (Taken from Southern Plate website).

Tiger Butter

Print

Ingredients

• 1 package ( 24 ounces) white almond bark
• ½ cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (Milk chocolate will work fine too)

Instructions

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with waxed paper. Set aside
2. In large mixing bowl, break up almond bark as best you can (or you can just toss the whole thing in). Place bowl in microwave for about one minute. Stir well. Microwave at 30-45 second intervals, stirring after each, until bark is melted and smooth.
3. Stir in peanut butter until melted and well blended.
4. Spread out onto waxed paper lined baking pan.
5. Place chocolate chips in a small bowl and microwave at 30-45 second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth and melted.
6. Drop dollops of chocolate onto peanut butter mixture in pan. Swirl with a knife.
7. Place baking sheet in refrigerator until hardened or allow to harden completely at room temp.
8. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

I don't know if I would all this a "recipe" but I made these a few years ago with my DD2's class. We used different color candy for the scarves (the fruit leather with sugar on it?). We also did a face with icing. So cute!

https://www.google.com/search?q=snowman+with+peppermint+patties+and+reese's&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwimkq69sMrJAhWFkx4KHc99DxgQ_AUIBygB&biw=1442&bih=916#imgrc=dglfvNYi0kAs1M%3A

I second the Saltine Toffee Bars which teeda has already given the recipe. No dough to mess with and absolutely delish! If you've never had them before, I guarantee neither the kids or you will be disappointed!

Stations for different types is a great idea. One on stove. One baking, one no cook. I am with you on the "no decorating" sugar cookies!! They are not a favorite to eat and way too much work and mess for what you end up with. We do the saltine toffee each year (no fail!!!) and for "shaped" cookies we do a date filled cookie with the bells and stars and hearts. The saltine toffee I make and we eat for as long as they last--several weeks. They
cannot go 'bad'. Most of my candy is made weeks ahead. I keep mine cool
in the garage but none of it in the 'fridge.

How about the classic snicker doodle; If you make the dough up first the kids could have fun putting the star/kiss in the ball and then easy bake...

you cannot get any easier than peppermint bark!!

melt white chocolate(nestle white chips work fine!), add some peppermint extract, spread between 1/8-1/4" thick on a cookie sheet lined with foil and sprinkle with crushed candy canes or starlight mints while still soft and press in the candy slightly... let cool.

I make it every year because a couple of mine love it. you could also make it with semisweet chocolate or white and regular chocolate layered, but mine prefer it with only white chocolate...

Those reindeer face cookies are seriously adorable! I might have to make a batch of those myself!

I did the reindeer cookies with kids at church and used peanut butter store bought roll of dough). The kids love making them.

Another variation on the pretzels is to top with a piece of rollo candy and a pecan half - turtles!

I agree that the toffeerecipe is really good.

UPDATE

Just want to say thanks again everyone. Ds insisted that he wanted us to decorate cookies so I made six dozen cut-outs ahead of time and he and his friend spent less than five minutes decorating cookies. Fortunately the five year old girls were substantially more interested and spent a lot of time happily decorating. And fortunately dh pitched in with the cookie decorating and it went fine. (Though I'm never making them again just for ds!)

I had pretzel rods set up for dipping in chocolate and sprinkles. No one did much of that, but it was easy so I did enough to send a few home with everyone.

Overall I feel like we accomplished our goal of getting to know some people better and hopefully that will lead to play dates/hanging out for the kids!