The thought of cooking with the kids may sound like a nightmare to some parents, but it doesn’t always have to be this way! What you might just discover is a way to teach the kids about such things as healthy eating, chores and teamwork and of course, it’s the perfect opportunity to spend some quality time with those lovable little rascals. So without further ado here are Captain Fantastic and The Wonder Crew’s top 5 tips to getting the most out of cooking with the kids.
1. It’s all about the build-up…
Kids want something to look forward to and the more they look forward to it something, the more they’ll enjoy it (and the more they might behave in the run-up). Why not take them shopping for ingredients, this lets them experience the full process from start to finish and builds their excitement towards what could be a rather fun weekend ahead. Remember to tuck those ingredients away safely though, you don’t want those little sprouts getting ahead of themselves!
2. Play it safe…
Mums and Dads, you’ll know better than anyone what happens when you take your eye off the kids even just for a second. Avoid hot pans, boiling water, sharp knives and smelly cheeses and you should have no unnecessary kitchen nightmares.
3. Get Messy!
There’ll be no room for Michelin star cooking where the kids are involved so leave the pan seared scallops for another time. Kids want to get messy, let them break eggs for you and mix dough with their hands and if it gets all over their faces (and yours) then so be it, this is where the real fun begins! Plus, the clean-up job won’t be so bad afterwards as you’ll have one or two little helpers who need a lesson in chores.
4. Be Creative…
To make the most of the experience the kids will need to be as involved as possible and nothing gets the kids more involved than getting creative. Choose a recipe that allows the kids to put their stamp on the end result. It could be anything from an edible sticker of their favourite cartoon character to drawing a smiley face and writing their name – just a little something that shows it’s theirs.
5. Celebrate!
When you’ve finished your masterpieces, give the kids a well-earned pat on the back and celebrate! No, I don’t mean open a bottle of bubbly for yourself, I mean get the camera out, take selfies with the kids and let them take pride in their creations. Doing this will heighten the importance of the experience and of course, make them want to do it all over again.
Then, tuck in!!!
Captain Fantastic’s Recommended Recipe…
EMOJI CAKES
What You’ll Need…
- 110g/4oz butter or margarine, softened at room temperature
- Yellow icing (rollable)
- Chocolate icing or black/brown decorative icing
- 110g/4oz caster sugar
- 2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 110g/4oz self-raising flour
- 1-2 tbsp milk
- 3 changes of clothing
Method…
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper
- Mix the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale. Beat in the eggs a little at a time and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Fold in the flour using a large metal spoon, adding a little milk until the mixture is of a dropping consistency. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until they are half
- Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until golden-brown on top and a skewer inserted into one of the cakes comes out Set aside to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.
- Roll out some yellow icing to about 0.5cm thick
- Use a blunt knife to cut circles the size of your cupcakes
- Place the circle on to your cupcake
- Shape some chocolate icing into the shape of your emoji’s features – eyes, eyebrows, mouth,
So, who’s hungry?
