children — Blog 1

“PLEASE CAN WE MAKE SOME CAKES WHEN WE GET HOME?”

This innocent request by a child is often heard as I go about my weekly shop, I often glance at the parent and see a look of fear and dread in their face as if they have been asked to walk a plank above an ocean of angry sharks. The cogs in their mind are already saying “don’t eat the batter”, “don’t break the eggs on the worktop”, “why have you added that to that” “Why can I smell burning”, “look at my kitchen” and the idea is dismissed before the child can say cupcake! Sound familiar???

But you can make it easier on yourself to grant their wish without having a meltdown over your child licking the butter or the kitchen resembling a war zone, honestly you can!

There are many documented reasons on why you should bake with your kids such as boosting their confidence, developing their reading, literacy and numeracy skills, but I think the most important thing is the way it makes them feel and that sense of accomplishment at the end product.

Here are a few hints and tips on baking with children.

1. SET ASIDE A TIME TO DO IT

Usually a rushed bake before the film starts or after tea is never successful, set aside a time when you and your child are focused on the baking task

2. DON’T BUY EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT

Many parents think baking will be an expensive hobby and it can be, but there is no need to buy an expensive tin that will never be used again, or a million tools, generally things you have around the kitchen are just as good as specific cake equipment!

3. PICK A MANAGEABLE RECIPE

Don’t pick a recipe with a million complicated steps that will take most of the day to complete! Trust me a toddler will have little patience with waiting for a dough to prove, or interest in making a cake with equal 1cm layers!!!

4. GET ALL INGREDIENTS READY

Make sure you have everything you need and lay the ingredients out in an organised manner with younger children you may finding pre weighing the ingredients into containers is easier for them to manage and avoids mistakes or frustration. Children are also less likely to spill ingredients tipping them from bowls or cups than they are from packets.

5. REDUCE MESS

If you are worried about mess, try laying a strip of greaseproof paper across your worksurface, most mess will be caught on this, and it can simply be scrunched up and chucked in the bin when you have finished.

6. KEEPING THEM ENTERTAINED

The time when the bake is cooking, or you are waiting for something to cool is the time they loose interest. Pre plan for this by getting an activity ready for this time, maybe get them to draw a baking related picture, or play a baking related quiz, keeping them entertained and not dashing off to do something else

IF IT GOES WRONG WHO CARES

Remember its not about a perfect sponge or an award-winning cookie its about having a go and having fun, if they learn something along the way then that’s a bonus! Most bakes may not look picture perfect but will usually taste great.

I hope you enjoyed these simple tips, and they take some of the fear out of those dreaded baking requests! Be sure to follow my new blog, and also my social media pages @bakealongwithbec on Facebook and Instagram for more hints, tips and recipes for baking with children.

Or check out our Bake Along with Bec membership where I take all the hard work out of baking with kids and just leave the fun part

https://www.rhcakes.com/bake-along-with-bec

Hopefully together we can get you off that plank walk over the ocean into an apron and relaxed

Bec

Oh No Not Baking!