It was raining out two days ago, and the kids were bored. They looked bored anyway. I decided to have a small baking project with the kids. It was also an excuse for me to use up all the 5 Granny Smith apples I had in the fridge. Plus, my kids love to help out in the kitchen.
To make the baking project run smoother, I try to keep the following in mind:
- Things that need to be cut or sliced will be prepared by me first. I don’t want the kids to wait around while I am busy slicing.
- Try to measure out the ingredients all ready, so it saves time.
- If anything needs to be thawed, take them out first.
- If you need to set up any mixers or blenders, set it up all ready.
- Kids have very short attention spans (mine do!), so it’s good to try not to keep them waiting too long.
Above all else, bear in mind that when baking or cooking with kids, placing priority on the the process rather than the product should be of utmost importance. In our case that day, the kids had loads of fun helping me stir and toss the apples in cinnamon and sugar, and then spooning the slices of apple in the pan. We took turns doing that, and then I explained to them the process of stirring, mixing and baking and it was great fun watching them getting all excited when they periodically checked on the progress of the cake in the oven.
For some reason, the sides and top of the cake turned out burnt. It could be due to the cinnamon mixture overflowing to the sides of the cake, or it could be insufficient batter (if so, I am not sure why). Anyway, the inner part of the cake was super moist and Hannah especially enjoyed it very much. I had to cut away the burnt portions though (you can see it in the background).
I intend to try this cake again at a later date to see if I can obtain an unburnt version and hopefully then, I’ll share the recipe. For now, the cake’s almost finished, and my kids had a lot of fun participating in the project.
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By the way, if you are reading this and you are a parent of kids aged 5-12, could you please help a dear friend of mine by filling out this survey? It will only take less than 5 minutes, and my friend has pledged to donate RM2 for every completed survey to Rumah KIDS, an orphanage based in Klang, Selangor. There’s also a survey to be completed by the kids (if possible) too!
Survey for parents of kids aged 5-12: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/D8HSSXR
Survey for kids: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/D7RDMSJ
DEADLINE for completion: 15 August 2011
Please feel free to forward this on to as many friends as you like. Thank you all!
Little Miracles
Our Journey of Love
