Perfect recipes for baking with a toddler
My son is almost three. Like most toddlers he is curious about everything. The kitchen is his new wonderland. He loves rummaging through the refrigerator and cupboards and exploring for snacks. Our kitchen is as small as most people’s closets so cooking with more than one person in there is not a simple feat. After some trial and error I found some recipes my son and I can make together safely and enjoyably.
This is the perfect Snickerdoodle recipe. Follow the tip about using an ice cream scoop and chilling before rolling the dough. You won’t regret it. The batter comes together easily and once chilled your toddler can help you form the balls.
If your child isn’t yet old enough to form consistently sized balls (mine isn’t) then save the very best job for him or her. Take the cookie dough ball and place it in the cinnamon sugar mixture while your child rolls the ball back and forth OR put a lid on and let your toddler go nuts shaking the container while coating the cookie in sugar and cinnamon.
Or any pie that works well with a homemade crust. I find breaking up graham crackers or Oreo cookies to be quite tedious (why don’t I have a Kitchen-Aid yet?). Guess who loves it? My son! Place cookies in a thick bag and let child go nuts. I let my son beat on the bag with a rubber spatula. Once the cookies are broken up he then smooshes them through the bag with his little hands. Always remember to save a cookie since toddlers work up an appetite while baking, or so says my little guy.
Of course this isn’t technically baking but I learned a neat trick recently. Leave out some heavy cream in a mason jar or plastic container with lid, once it has reached room temperature shake vigorously until whipped cream forms. So simple. Why have I been chilling my cream and then dragging out my electric mixer all these years?
The cream whips so much faster this way and my little toddler gets to help. Make sure your child is seated and using a safe container since toddlers have a way of overzealously shaking things and bopping themselves on the head. My son then mixes in a little sugar and vanilla and we serve on the side with some fresh fruit.
Do you adapt recipes to make them toddler friendly? Have any favorites?
