Food
Tips for baking with kids
by Sarah Alcock
In my younger days, baking was a way to chill out on a rainy afternoon with the radio on and all the time in the world... Now I have a daughter (Annabel, 3) the vibe is just a little different (and rather less relaxing), but it's a great way to spend time together and create something delicious.
Here's what I've learned along the way:
1) Keep it simple
Biscuits are great for short attention spans as you can make them in stages: weighing and mixing; rolling out and cutting shapes; and decorating.
We tried these simple and delicious spiced biscuits using gingerbread cutters.
Get them involved at every stage, including using the weighing scales as this is a great way to practice counting.
![bakingkids-1.jpg](/uploads/media/960x/08/2278-bakingkids-1.jpg?v=1-0)
2) Easy decorations
The joys of sprinkling chocolate stars and fudge chunks onto this butterscotch date loaf cake should not be underestimated... simple yet satisfying.
![bakingkids-2.jpg](/uploads/media/960x/09/2279-bakingkids-2.jpg?v=1-0)
3) Don't get too precious
Sure, our Malteser cake didn't look as dainty as Jo Wheatley's beautifully styled version...and Annabel got so excited pressing the Maltesers into the ganache that a section of the top layer cracked... but she was proud of decorating it by herself for her grandma's birthday.
Also, try not to worry about the mess – it's all part of the fun. And they've washed their hands first, so you can't get too cross about little fingers sneaking into that irresistible butter and sugar combo.
![bakingkids-3.jpg](/uploads/media/960x/00/2280-bakingkids-3.jpg?v=1-0)
4) Just go for it!
Sometimes I break rule no 1 with a big project – like Miranda Gore Browne's amazing chocolate biscuit house! Here, having a second pair of grown-up hands was a bonus (it was a two-man job monitoring the bowls of sweets), but once the basic structure has set, you can let them loose. I was surprised how careful Annabel was when she was putting on the roof buttons – and playing with Paddington!
![bakingkids-4.jpg](/uploads/media/960x/01/2281-bakingkids-4.jpg?v=1-0)
5) Make sure they help with the washing up!
![bakingkids-6.jpg](/uploads/media/960x/02/2282-bakingkids-6.jpg?v=1-0)
Playing with bubbles is often as much fun as baking!