bare cupboard
bake off
One mum of 3 found lowering expectations helped revive her baking-with-kids mojo
As a one-time aspiring Earth Mother type, my baking-with-kids activities dramatically declined in inverse correlation with our increasing number of boys. Just keeping them all alive already seemed enough to take on! As the elder two have begun asking to help more in the kitchen, I’m trying to get my bake on again, and have found the following tips help reduce the stress level of baking with three boys to slightly below heart attack-inducing:
• Using American cup measures rather than weighing
• Sticking to methods where ingredients should be ‘just combined’ rather than creaming, whipping etc.
• Using hot oven, short bake time recipes
• Choosing foods that can be eaten pretty much straight from the oven - and timing for lunch!
We’re packing to move house at the moment, plus I’m running down the cupboard staples. A quick survey of the minimal utensils and ingredients available has us settle on savoury scones. An easy picnic or baby-led weaning standby (freezing well and defrosting fast), these fulfil all my easy-bake preferences above.
Having got out the meagre ingredients and equipment needed, we preheated the oven to 250⁰C (230⁰C fan). Rory (3) measured out the flour using the breadmaker cup. Then I helped him measure the butter using the handy marks on the pack, cut it into small cubes and rub it into the flour. He then coarsely grated the onion and cheese, using a mandoline food holder to grip the
You will need:
• 2.5 cups self-raising flour
• 50g butter
• 2 small onions, grated
• 2 cups grated cheese
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 1.25 cups milk
Makes 12 large scones. Variations include pepper, bacon and olives.