What kid is going to turn down the opportunity to bake cookies? Or a cake? Or muffins? Or donuts? Not mine! And with the pandemic keeping us at home more than ever, my son and I spent a lot of Friday nights (and Tuesday nights and Sunday afternoons) last fall baking. Banana bread, pumpkin donut muffins, pumpkin cake, pumpkin-chocolate marble cake, brownies, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip cookie bars, more brownies …
Baking is more of a science than cooking — and demands us to be more precise (and pay more attention to recipes) — but it’s more fun to do with kids in spite of that … because, ya know, there’s a cookie at the end of it.
In the Kiddos in the Kitchen podcast, many of my guests have shared how much they love baking with kids and have offered advice. Here are eight tips from my guests (plus my own bonus tip) to help you have an enjoyable baking experience during this National Baking Month.
1. Crack eggs on a flat surface.
“The best way to crack an egg is to actually crack it on a hard flat surface,” says Wendy McGowan, a professional baker and cake and cookie decorator in Arizona. “I know my grandmother taught me to crack it on the side of the bowl, but that is actually not the best way to do it. You want the flat surface because it will crack the shell, but it will keep the shell attached to the membrane, which keeps the shell out of your bowl.” (Check out episode one of the podcast for more info from Wendy on eggs, including how to get pieces of shell out of your eggs.)
2. Think of it as an activity.
It’s important to be in the right mindset to cook, says Toria Frederick — the fabulous mama of the amazing Julian, who together are behind the Step Stool Chef. “Think of it like an arts and crafts activity,” she says. Set out everything just like you would set out paper and glitter and glue. Think about cooking as an opportunity to create something and have fun, rather than a must-do chore.
3. Read the recipe first.
For McGowan, a successful baking adventure relies on planning. “The first thing in preparation that I do is I read the recipe,” she says. “The important thing is to check to make sure whether it needs to chill overnight or not. Most cookie — especially sugar cookie — recipes, ask you to chill it at least overnight, and that is important.”
You never want to tell kids you’re baking cookies and then realize after you’ve made the dough that you have to wait to bake them!
4. Put away your cell phone.
“Probably my number one thing is keeping the phone out of the kitchen,” says Amisha Klawonn of the Centered Mama. Eliminate your own distractions so you can be fully present. That will help make for a better, less stressful experience for you both.
5. Plan ahead — like a TV chef.
Klawonn also likes to get all of the ingredients out in advance when she and her son bake cookies. “When you watch those cooking shows, they always have everything ready to go,” she says. “So I'll try to just kind of pre-arrange a little bit so that everything is ready to go like our own mini cooking show.”
6. Use visuals upfront.
Babysitter Guru Hassanatou Barry reminds us that visuals are important — especially for younger children.
“Show them everything,” she says. “Maybe show them a quick two-minute video of how something is made.” Then, show them all the utensils you plan to use so they can see what’s in store before you dive in.
7. Stay positive.
“I always say baking is about happiness,” Barry says. “There shouldn't be any type of negativity in baking. You're eating sweets for goodness’ sake.”
8. Trust your kiddo.
Meghan Stott, a teacher for the blind and visually disabled, has a daughter who is visually impaired. Her daughter, who is 11, doesn’t always like to read recipes. She prefers to jump in — and when baking bread, for example, use her other senses.
“She would just work that dough until it felt the right way under her fingers,” Stott says. “She's surprised me on several occasions. And so I think what I've learned from her is just not being so restricted and that, ‘Yeah, you're right, Kait, it is just flour, water, salt and yeast.’”
Bonus tip: Choose a time when you can be relaxed and enjoy the moment.
I love baking. And I usually love baking with my son. But there are days when I need to acknowledge it’s just not the time to bake together. Do we have to be somewhere soon? Am I stressed from work? Is his bedtime around the corner? Am I concerned about having a clean kitchen later that day?
Because the thing is, Hassanatou Barry was right: There’s no room for negativity in baking. And I know that if I’m stressed or we don’t have the proper amount of time for the baking activity, that I will almost surely bring negativity into the kitchen. So, my bonus tip is this: If you’re not in a mental place with enough time to relax and be fully present with your kiddo in the kitchen, skip it this time. The best baking experiences demand you to be at your best.