Pencil Cones

When my children were younger, I spent lots of time on the phone on hold waiting for my call to be taken at my childrens’ pediatrician’s office.

The good part about it was that after hearing the recording again and again, the important and useful information really stuck. One of the lines I remember well was: “Do not give in when your child cries and whines to stay up longer. Spending an extra few minutes tucking him in and saying good night, may relax him and help him fall asleep faster.”  

I feel that this concept applies to all areas of parenthood.

Many children are anxious at the start of a new school year. When sending your children off to school, spending that extra bit of time to write an encouraging, funny or loving message, or making a special supper or craft can go a long way.

These adorable Pencil Cones is a cute way to transition from summer mode to back to school mode!

You will need:

• ice cream cones
• cake batter of your choice
• frosting 
• brown food coloring 
• scotch tape
• printable pencil wrapper
• chocolate chunk or chocolate chip (I used Trader Joes chocolate chunks)

Directions:

1. Fill an empty cone approximately 2/3 of the way. (It is a good idea to test one before you bake all to make sure the height is right.)
2. Place cones on a baking sheet and carefully place in the oven.
3. Bake till toothpick inserted comes out clean.
4. Allow to cool.
5. Frost cupcake and stick in the chocolate for a point.
6. Tape ends of the cone together and place the cone into the wrapper.

Photos by Sina Mizrahi

This article originally appeared in Family First