Catherine Devaney shares ideas from a kitchen in the Fife countryside
Preparation
The best thing about baking with kids has to be their wild enthusiasm. Pouring, whisking, cracking eggs, smearing butter round a baking tin, mashing a banana…these are all activities that send my four and two year old into a frenzy of excitement.
On one level it’s adorable: up on tiptoes at the kitchen counter, aprons tied, wooden spoons at the ready. On another level, let’s be honest, it could test the patience of a saint! Especially if you are in any way particular about precision of measurement or pieces of eggshell. I’ve found it helps to plan in advance. Weighing ingredients and assembling all the equipment before they suspect what is happening eliminates a lot of frustration. And like most things with children, timing is key. I find we have most energy in the mornings and ideally after a snack. Hungry children do not make patient bakers (nor do hungry parents!).
Healthy baking
Baking is also a fantastic way to introduce fruits, vegetables and nuts in a fun way, particularly if they might otherwise be fussy. Beetroot blitzed to a glorious purple puree adds a subtle sweet gooey-ness to chocolate brownies – and you can skip the additional sugar as there’s plenty in the chocolate and the beetroot’s natural sugars. Throw in some chopped nuts for extra texture and flavour. Grated courgette and lime zest make a delicious addition to a lemon loaf. Try adding ground almonds for a really moist bake. Carrot, coconut and raisins make a healthy, more-ish combination for a muffin. Savoury bakes can be fun too: try cheese and leek muffins, courgette scones or add grated carrot or courgette to pizza dough.
Music to cook to
My music to cook to this month is Midnight Train to Georgia by Gladys Night & the Pips. My husband and I discovered a shared love of this song in a bar on Bleeker Street in Greenwich Village, New York. It was the first dance at our wedding. When there are too many little fingers reaching into the mixing bowl and nothing is being weighed out properly, this song has the power to chill me out!
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