Cross Cakes

• Even if you aren't an expert cake decorator, you can use simple cake cutting skills to make a cross-shaped cake. Bake one 9-inch by 12-inch cake and one 11-inch by 13-inch cake. Use the larger cake as the shaft of the cross. Then cut the other cake in half to form two 9-inch by 6-inch pieces. Place those pieces on either side of the larger piece. If you'd like, you could trim the side pieces to provide a base at the bottom of the cross. Or, of course, you can buy a cross-shaped baking pan. Frost the cake with chocolate or vanilla frosting to hold the pieces together.

Decorated Cookies

• Decorate sugar cookies them with Christian-themed Easter symbols. Use tubes of frosting to draw crosses, flowers, and write "He is Risen."

  Some families make storybook cookies an Easter tradition. Parents and children make the cookies together, reading a Bible verse from the Easter story every time an ingredient is added or a baking step is performed. This helps to teach the Christian story of Easter to children.

Hot-Cross Buns

• Hot-cross buns are an Easter tradition that is directly related to the Easter story. The frosted cross on top of the sweet buns are meant to be a symbol of the death and rebirth of Christ. They are traditionally served warm and are sometimes eaten for Easter breakfast rather than waiting until the end of the Easter dinner. In some traditions, they are served hot immediately after church.

Biblical Fortune Cookies

• Make homemade fortune cookies with a twist. Instead of the usual fortunes, create messages with Bible verses told from the Easter story. Some examples might include John 11:25-26, I Peter 1:3, Matthew 27:50 or any of the verses from Matthew 28:1-10. You could choose to have one verse from an entire passage in each fortune cookie and then have the kids at the meal try to put them in the correct order, then read them aloud.