Trilo-Bites and Crinoid Rings!
Want a rainy day or snow day activity with the kids or grandkids that is FUN, EDUCATIONAL and DELICIOUS? Try making Fossil Cookies!
It is nearly impossible to get cookie cutters for fossils, dinosaurs yes, other fossils no. So, some improvising is in order. I used the outside of a first aid tape and the inside of a plumbers tape (pliable plastic circles) to create the crinoid rings and then bent them slightly with my fingers to create the ovals for an Isotelus Trilobite, at least that is what they are supposed to resemble! LOL
Then I bought some <$4 “Writing Icing” at the grocery store for a very little mess icing the grandkids could decorate with. Just show them a drawing or picture of the fossils you are making, or let them create their own!
You can give them butter knives and let them create their own shapes. Explain the parts of whatever you are creating. This is a nice anatomy lesson. Trilobite: Cephalon – Pygidium – Thorax, etc. Cephalopods are always fun to freehand with the tentacles!
You can cheat and use frozen sugar cookie dough (Or any cookie dough you like, really.) or packaged cookie dough, or go from scratch and make it a baking lesson as well!
Sugar Cookie Recipe
1/2 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Shortening
1 Cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla
2-1/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
In a mixing bowl cream butter, shortening (Nuke to make it easier if desired.) and sugar. Add egg and vanilla, mix well. Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Shape into whatever (You can make these 3 dimensional.) or roll out and do cutouts. Just be sure to keep like thicknesses on the same sheet to make baking time consistent for the entire sheet of cookies.
Place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes. Don’t let them brown!
Yield about 5 dozen small cookies or 2 dozen larger cookies, depending upon how much of the dough you eat!
These freeze well.
ENJOY!
