Easy baking recipes

[mumofone]

I'm looking for super easy baking ideas to do with a 4 year old who has a very short attention span! We've done flapjacks which take 10 mins max that's about their limit before they get bored!

[alex__17]

Not baking exactly but easy and fairly quick is fish cakes, 4 (ish) tins of sardines in oil, mash them up in a bowl bones and all, mashed potatoes, an egg, sweet corn and whatever else they want to add, herbs, onion, chopped peppers etc. Mash it all together, mix in a big bowl then shape into little patties to be fried, really yummy and healthy for kids

We also quite regularly decorate pizzas for dinner, using a pitta bread as the base and they add the toppings, again not really baking but gets them involved in preparing their food and maintaining attention on an activity for a bit longer as they're doing it for a reason (dinner!)

[alex__17]

We also do gingerbread cookies fairly often, I tend to stick it all in the mixer as they enjoy rolling and cutting the shapes out themselves more than making the dough, with older ones that won't get bored quickly they help measure everything out, and they keep for ages (3+ weeks!) so can be decorated days later which is really handy if you have the kids just 1 day a week and want them to do them from start to finish but they aren't interested enough to do it all at once. Make great Xmas presents for parents etc too

[loocyloo]

we do washing and/or chopping of fruit for crumble, and then making a crumble topping, then eating it for lunch!

or chopping fruit for fruit kebabs.

cutting up veg to have with hommus or other dips.

we make (English) muffin pizzas.

I sometimes make dough in the breadmaker and we make that into bread roll shapes.



but i don't do much at the moment, as most of mine are too little and still put everything in their mouths all the time!

[Ellisha]

We've done basic fairy cakes - it was basically throw all the ingredients in the bowl and whisk/stir. The kids (2x 2 year olds) enjoyed putting the cases into the muffin tin and putting the mixture in the cases. We then iced them in the afternoon, which again they loved.

I've done the pizza decorating with muffins. Also made some basic biscuits - the kids put way too much flour in when I turned my back to get something else, so I had to try and rescue them with some milk! They still came out ok!

[Simona]

It could be that the child gets easily bored because the task is too easy for her...so up the challenge and, possibly, her attention span will also improve?

If it is not just baking you want to do what about making rice salads, or tomato with mozzarella...all that cutting and chopping and pouring olive oil will keep her focussed!...and use basil to garnish from your garden centre if you can!

[mumofone]

We've done basic fairy cakes - it was basically throw all the ingredients in the bowl and whisk/stir. The kids (2x 2 year olds) enjoyed putting the cases into the muffin tin and putting the mixture in the cases. We then iced them in the afternoon, which again they loved. I've done the pizza decorating with muffins. Also made some basic biscuits - the kids put way too much flour in when I turned my back to get something else, so I had to try and rescue them with some milk! They still came out ok!

Hi Ellisha, do you have the basic biscuit recipe? :-)

[mumofone]

We also do gingerbread cookies fairly often, I tend to stick it all in the mixer as they enjoy rolling and cutting the shapes out themselves more than making the dough, with older ones that won't get bored quickly they help measure everything out, and they keep for ages (3+ weeks!) so can be decorated days later which is really handy if you have the kids just 1 day a week and want them to do them from start to finish but they aren't interested enough to do it all at once. Make great Xmas presents for parents etc too

Do you have the recipe alex? I made some ages ago but it was quite a complicated recipe I think..

[Simona]

Do you have the recipe alex? I made some ages ago but it was quite a complicated recipe I think..

If that recipe didn't work for you Mumofone maybe you could try one on the Bake Off list? ...plenty of biscotti recipes there.
I have plenty but not sure what type of biscuits you like ...or how complicated you want the recipe to be...cantuccini are very nice!!

[alex__17]

Pretty sure I used this one, did small tbsps of syrup and added more flour little by little until it came together into a rollable dough.
They kept very well in an airtight box so were great to send home as Xmas presents last year and meant they could be baked and decorated on separate days :-)

http://www.netmums.com/recipes/gingerbread-men

[Simona]

alex_17...would you be able to give us a 'few clues' so we can guess and find the website you kindly linked...is it pacey maybe?
As you can see it is starred ...wonder why?

[alex__17]

Sorry it shows up fine on mine! How strange!
I googled easy gingerbread recipe and it's a net mums recipe right at the top, has a picture of a row of gingerbread men and a plate of star biscuits :-)
We make them using Xmas cutters, Easter cutters or as gingerbread men if we fancy baking!

[Kirstylob]

I use these recipes. They are great, really easy and work every time. The gingerbread one is good as a sensory because it's warm when you roll it out.

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[mumofone]

I use these recipes. They are great, really easy and work every time. The gingerbread one is good as a sensory because it's warm when you roll it out. <img src="http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=8766"/> <img src="http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=8767"/>

Thanks kirsty, what's be ro self raising flour is that just a brand? I presume it works with any self raising flour?!

[mumofone]

Pretty sure I used this one, did small tbsps of syrup and added more flour little by little until it came together into a rollable dough. They kept very well in an airtight box so were great to send home as Xmas presents last year and meant they could be baked and decorated on separate days :-) http://www.netmums.com/recipes/gingerbread-men

Thanks alex :-) x

[Kirstylob]

The recipes are from a Be Ro cookbook. I use Tesco value flour so yes any brand would be fine. X

[Ellisha]

Here's the basic biscuit recipe (it's from Cooking with Coco by Anna Del Conte):
100g unsalted butter - very soft
100g caster sugar
1 egg
200g flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Flavouring - either rind of one lemon, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp cinnamon or 1/2 tsp of ginger depending on what you have available

Cream together the butter and sugar, then beat in egg. Add all the other ingredients and beat together to form a dough. Then roll out to abut 3mm in thickness and cut into shapes. Put shapes onto lined baking trays. Recipe says to put in the fridge for 30 mins, but I never have. Then bake on 180/gas mark 4 for 8-12 mins. They should be golden around the edges. It also says you can leave them for 10 mins and then decorate and then leave to cool completely but we've never decorated them.

HTH.

[mumofone]

Thanks everyone you're the best :-) always good to have tried and tested ones :-) x