Share your love of cooking with your children – and grandchildren. Baking cookies with children is a great way to create memories that will last a lifetime.
More and more people are discovering the joy of baking cookies with children. It is not only fun, it is one of the best ways to start teaching your children how to cook – for several reasons:
- Cookies are sweet, portable (good for lunches), and easy to make.
- Everyone loves the end result – who can resist warm cookies from the oven?
- You get to spend time with your children.
- You are teaching them a skill that will last a lifetime.
- Everyone has a good time.
The cooking-making process can be very flexible. If you are a very busy mom or dad who thinks this is a great idea, but has limited time, try making the cookies in stages.
- Set out all the ingredients and tools you will need – placing them in the right order.
- Prepare the dough.
- Bake the cookies
These three steps can be done hours apart. For example, set out everything whenever you have a chance during the day; make the dough in the evening; and bake the cookies the next morning.
Divide up the responsibilities.
- Include all the children in the organization process.
- Older children can read the recipe and do the measuring and mixing.
- Smaller children can pour the measured ingredients into the bowl and stir gently to begin the mixing process of the dry ingredients while the butter, sugar and eggs are being creamed together.
- When the dough is ready, children of any age can roll the dough into balls and flatten it with a fork.
When baking cookies with children, there are enough things to do and plenty of fun for everyone. The keys to success are patience and remembering that having fun is the goal – not a perfect, tidy process.
Cooking hint: Add a little corn starch to the dry ingredient mix (replace a little of the flour). It gives the cookies a finer texture and a more tender crumb than cookies made with just flour. You can also use whole wheat flour for most cookie recipes, if you prefer.
Watch for three cookie recipes that are perfect for cooking with children.
