Baking with children

My children enjoy spending time with us in the kitchen. Particularly when the results are tasty desserts we can share!

These are all classic easy recipes with basic ingredients most of us can find in our kitchen. Since we are in the Netherlands, I added the temperature and measurement changes to make life easier for us. BON APPETIT!

I try to make healthy and easy recipes with them and these are some of our favorite ones:

• Healthy Banana Bread
• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• Cinnamon Rolls
• Vanilla Cupcakes
• Good Old Fashioned Pancakes

HEALTHY BANANA BREAD (from Cookie and Kate)

One of my favorite recipes, you can make it with one bowl, super healthy and I end up hiding two bananas every week so they can ripen and I can keep making it! Easy to memorize too!

• 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
• 2 eggs
• 2 smashed bananas in 1/4 almond milk (or any other kind)
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 smashed bananas in 1/4 almond milk (or any other kind)
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 3/4 flour (I use 1/2 white and 1/2 whole grain)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 C) and grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan
2. In a bowl, beat oil and honey with a whisk. Add (one at a time) the eggs, banana mixture, baking soda, vanilla, salt and cinnamon.
3. Stir in the flour, and you can add raisins, walnuts or chocolate chips.
4. Bake for 55 minutes.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (from www.joyfoodsunshine.com)

• 1 cup of salted butter (227 grams)
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups of all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• 2 cups of chocolate chips (1 package)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F (190 C)
2. In a small bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder.
3. Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs and vanilla until fluffy.
4. Mix in the dry ingredients until combined, then stir the chocolate chips.
5. Roll into 2-3 tablespoon balls and place them evenly on baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly brown.

OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES (from www.inspiredtaste.net)

This is a classic, one of my children’s favorite recipes and really easy for them to make!

• 1 cup of raisins
• 1 cup of hot water
• ¾ cup of unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks or 170 grams)
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¾ all purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 cups of rolled oats

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees (177 C) – Grease or line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Add raisins to hot water for 10 minutes and drain.
3. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until creamy, then add the egg and vanilla.
4. In a smaller bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and then stir the oats.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and finally, incorporate the raisins.
6. Make balls about 1 inch wide and press them gently on the baking sheets.
7. Cook for 15 minutes or until golden around the edges.  

CINNAMON ROLLS (from www.allrecipes.com)

• 1/4 cup of butter (divided) (optional)
• For the dough:
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons softened butter (optional)
  • 3/4 cup of milk
  • 1 egg

For the filling:

• 1/2 cup of white sugar
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
• Cream Cheese Frosting:
  • 1 cup of confectioners sugar
  • 4 ounces of softened cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup of softened butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C)
2. Brush a 9 inch square dish with 2 tablespoons of melted butter
3. Whisk flour, 2 tbsp sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add 3 tbsp butter with your hands.
4. Beat milk and egg in another bowl, pour into flour mixture and stir with rubber spatula until a soft dough forms.
5. Turn dough onto a floured surface and roll into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle. Brush with 2 tbsp butter.
6. Whisk the filling ingredients together in small bowl and sprinkle 1/2 of mixture onto baking dish.
7. Sprinkle cinnamon over butter brushed dough and roll to form a log.
8. Cut the log into 18 rolls and place in baking dish.
9. Bake for 20-25 mintues
10. Beat the cream cheese frosting ingredients and top the cinnamon rolls when ready.
11. Enjoy! 🙂

VANILLA CUPCAKES (from www.marthastewart.com)

We can’t go wrong with Martha Stewart for cupcakes and cakes, and for chocolate cupcakes, it’s easy to substitute 1/2 cup flour with powdered cocoa) – makes 12 cupcakes or 24 mini cupcakes.

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter (113 grams)
• 1 cup of sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cups of milk

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (177 C) and place liners on cupcakes mold
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a larger bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time; scrape down bowl, and beat in vanilla.
4. Add the flour mixture and the milk alternating, and beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
5. Fill each mold about 3/4 full and bake for 20 minutes (12 minutes for mini cupcakes)

GOOD OLD FASHIONED PANCAKES (from www.allrecipes.com)

We like making these on Sunday mornings and use a bottle to shape them into shapes and letters.

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3 1/3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons melted butter

Directions:

1. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl.
2. Make a space in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter.
3. Mix until smooth.
4. Heat a frying pan with a bit of oil and pour the batter to make the pancakes.