Ashton Keefe, from the French Culinary Institute, blogger at: “Diary of a Sweet Tooth” and a Metropolitan Sitters babysitter gives us some tips on successful baking with kids!
In terms of cooking with kids, it’s a GREAT way to get them involved in knowing where their food comes from, how it’s made, and why it’s good for you. Plus, what kid doesn’t want to eat what they are a part of creating!? It’s a win-win.
~The most important thing is keeping it safe. No knives and no fire are the rules. These are adult only jobs.
~It’s important to give each kid a task, from filling the muffin tins with liners to stirring the bowl, etc. This way everyone feels a part of the process. Have everything organized and laid out before you begin, the kids will get antsy if they have to wait for you to find everything in the kitchen.
~The cupcake trend sweeping Manhattan has always been a kids staple, so cupcakes are a crowd pleaser, but if you want to try something else I’d suggest breakfast type things such as muffins, breads, sticky buns, etc. Kids rarely finish a whole piece of cake, or appreciate an elaborate pastry, keeping it simple is best.
~Including vegetables in sweets is a great opportunity to get kids to eat their vegetables. Instead of zucchini bread, which is popular, try zucchini muffins, that way each kid gets their own. I’ve included a recipe below that not only uses grated zucchinis but Greek yogurt, which is a healthy substitute.
Zucchini Muffins (or Bread)
1 cup walnuts chopped (optional, but again, great way to teach kids a healthy food)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 vegetable oil
1/2 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
1 cup coarsely grated zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line muffin pan with tins. Toast walnuts until fragrant. This step can be done by the adult ahead of time or not at all. Not even a situation if omitting nuts.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Add all wet ingredients. Fold in grated zucchini and nuts. Stir until batter is evenly moistened. Fill cups about 3/4 full and bake about 18-20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Allow them to cool before the kids eat, enjoy!
