Baking with the kids is often viewed as messy and time consuming, but if you want to teach your children some valuable skills to take forward into adult life, it is definitely worth having a go. Kids enjoy baking. It’s fun and creative. They can get as messy as they like and eat what they make. What’s not to like?

Delicious Treats for the Family

The great thing about baking is that you eat all of your delicious creations. Most people can’t resist cakes and buns, but even if you are unlucky enough to have a nut allergy or be gluten intolerant, you can adapt your recipes to accommodate. Here are some simple recipes you can try at home. They are not too difficult, even for younger children, so why not have a go?

Cookie Dough Pizza

• 3/4 Cup  butter
• 3/4 Cup golden caster sugar
• 1/2 Cup soft light brown sugar
• 2 medium eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 Cups self-raising flour
• 1 tsp salt

This recipe uses a sweet dough instead of a savoury dough, so you can have it for dessert instead of a main course. Beat sugar and caster sugar together using an electric or hand whisk and then combine with beaten eggs and vanilla essence. Once the mixture is well beaten, add the flour and salt and fold in until evenly combined.

Roll your dough into a giant cookie shape and place on a large baking sheet. Bake it in the oven until it’s golden around the edge and soft in the middle. The consistency you are looking for is spongy, much like a regular pizza.

Leave your cookie pizza to cool for a couple of minutes and then spread Nutella or generic chocolate spread over the center. Decorate your pizza with chocolate buttons, marshmallow, and sweets. Let the kids be creative and make faces or any design they like. It’s great fun! You can also use fruit to decorate your pizza if you want it to be a little bit healthier. Fresh strawberries and sliced up tangerine works particularly well with the chocolate topping.

Nutty Biscuits

• 3/4 Cup hazelnuts, toasted
• 1/4 Cup of  plain flour
•  1/2 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/2 Cup  golden caster suga
• 3/4 Cup of  unsalted butter
• Bag of chocolate Chips

Your kids will love these nutty biscuits. Toast the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and chop them up in a food processor. Mix with the flour, sugar and a pinch of salt. Add the softened butter and work the mixture together until it forms a pliable dough.

Knead the dough on a floured surface and cut it into small balls. Flatten each ball with a wooden spoon, place on a piece of baking parchment or tray, and chill for half an hour in the fridge. Bake your biscuits in a pre-heated oven until they are golden brown. Take them out of the oven and pop a chip  in the center of each one. It will melt on the biscuit and create a warm, gooey hazelnut mouthful. Yummy.

Have fun baking with your kids – and look forward to eating some tasty treats!

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