Desserts for Kids

It's an unofficial holiday tradition in our family that the aunts spend time in the kitchen with nieces and nephews, baking and assembling gingerbread houses, mixing and frosting cookies, or pouring melted chocolate into molds. While giving children valuable lessons in kitchen safety and baking techniques, it's also a wonderful way to bond over something besides presents and television. I must confess that I've tweaked the tradition somewhat by getting my sister's kids all sugared up with copious taste tests before we have brutal snowball fights outside. But the result is the same: tasty treats that we've all had a hand in making.

Another staff member is a long-distance grandma, and her 8 year-old granddaughter collects baking recipes in between her visits. When they visit, they bake together everyday. Since the granddaughter is home schooled, it’s also a good time to work on fractions, by doubling and halving recipes. The granddaughter had her heart set on making this Yule log even though it was October. The recipe was rather complicated, but they did it all from scratch. New kitchen lessons included how to use parchment in the pan, and how to roll up the cake using a tea towel. Grandma and granddaughter even used a double boiler for the chocolate frosting. The grin is all you need to know that the Yule Log was delicious!

If this sounds like a winter wonderland to you, there are lots of great children's cookbooks available to help select age-appropriate tasty recipes. If you're not up for helping the kids burn off the sugar after, breads and muffins can be a great alternative to cookies and gingerbread. Or if it's your child's turn to bring a snack to school, brownies are an easy way to get to know the kitchen. Many children's cookbooks also include healthy recipes that kids will enjoy making. As for me, however, I'll stick with teaching the younger generation the fine art of desserts.