Baking and cooking with children not only involves building fine motor skills, but the weighing and measuring can help with numeracy, and what teachers call procedural writing. Getting children involved in the kitchen at a young age is also known to be a stepping stone to help build a pleasant relationship with food.
Depending on the child, and their age some things are easier to make than others. I love the simple exercise of making rice paper summer rolls. It is a good introduction to cooking as there are no hot implements involved, besides some warm water. The child helps to soak the rice paper sheets in the warm water, then lays the sheets gently out on a plate. A selection of herbs, vegetables, some chicken or even prawns, that have pre-chopped, are piled up at the edge of the paper. Then it is rolled tightly to form a summer roll. The fillings can be adapted to suit what your family enjoys, and some simple soya sauce is a good dip.
For a nice weekend treat, there are two recipes here that should take less than an hour to complete. The yoghurt in the buns makes them moist and the recipe has less sugar than a traditional cupcake. You often need to be careful with raw egg around young people. Some children can eat eggs perfectly well when they are cooked but may react to raw egg on their skin.
Puff pastry is a reliable option when working with children. They can help form it into shape and make whatever additions they wish; grated cheese and bacon, spinach and feta or some fresh berries for something sweet.
Vanilla Chocolate Buns
recipe by:Michelle Darmody
A childhood favourite – and a great one for getting the kids involved in the kitchen!
Preparation Time
15 mins
Ingredients
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250g self-raising flour
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1 tsp bread soda, sieved
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90g golden caster sugar
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2 eggs, lightly beaten
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1 tsp vanilla
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150ml natural yoghurt
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100g butter, pre-melted
Method
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Preheat your oven to 170°C and place 12 paper cases in a bun tin.
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Let your little helper sieve the flour and bread soda together then stir in the sugar.
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In a large jug, they can stir the eggs, vanilla, yoghurt and melted butter together.
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Combine the two mixtures with a large wooden spoon.
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Scoop the mixture into the paper cases and bake for about 15 minutes until risen and golden. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
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Top with whatever icing you wish or just eat them as they are.
Puff Pastry Pinwheels
recipe by:Michelle Darmody
Puff pastry is a reliable option when working with children. They can help form it into shape and make whatever additions they wish.
Preparation Time
20 mins
Ingredients
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350g puff pastry sheets
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2 tbs tomato passata
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200g Cheddar cheese, grated
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300g baby spinach, chopped and wilted
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1 egg, lightly beaten
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some seeds to sprinkle
Method
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Preheat your oven to 190°C and lay a sheet of parchment onto each of two large flat baking trays.
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Lay a rectangle puff pastry sheet out flat.
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Spread the passata over the pastry and sprinkle it with the cheddar and spinach.
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Begin to gently roll up the pastry sheet into a sausage with your little helper. It is good to roll it tightly and to roll along the largest side of the rectangle, so you have quite a long sausage shape.
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Slice this into about twelve equal slices. Place these onto your prepared trays.
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Brush the pinwheel with the egg yolk and sprinkle on some seeds. Bake for about 15 minutes and allow to cool on the trays.
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