Valentine's Day Pretzels

Round up a group of toddlers for this fun, easy recipe—it's geared to introduce them to cooking by engaging them in age-appropriate tasks, and yields a yummy finished product. Ask for a volunteer for each of the following tasks:

Butter Bambino measures 2 3/4 ounces butter.

Sugar Sweetie scoops and pours 1/2 cup sugar.

Flour Girl scoops and pours 2 cups all-purpose flour.

Cocoa Cutie scoops and pours 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder.

Crack Up cracks one egg.

Water Wonder measures 4 tablespoons of water.

Stir and knead all ingredients together. Give each child a ball of dough, and have children roll the balls into "snakes." They can then form the snakes into pretzel shapes, or any shape they want.

Optional for Valentine's Day: add frosting and pretty sprinkles!

Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes.