Tips for Baking with Toddlers

[This is Part 2 of entertaining rained-in toddlers on the cheap. Part 1 is here.]

It took about 6 months to figure out the best way and the best kinds of things to make in the kitchen with the girls.

My first rule now is I always make stuff that goes in the oven because they want to see the cooking part and I can't handle the two of them in front of a working stove.

I get out all the ingredients and measuring implements first before "inviting" them to come bake.

I spread out a tablecloth on the kitchen floor and we either mix things up on the floor or else on a low table.

I substitute oil for butter in most things because creaming the butter inevitably involves a mixer or lots of elbow grease and I prefer to just keep the batter really malleable so they have a shot at mixing it.

Speaking of mixing, they both get a tablespoon to stir with. Meanwhile I stir things up with a big spatula. Whenever I tried having them take turns with the real mixing implement they would fight over it and send batter splatting everywhere.

One of the best things to make from a practical budget standpoint -- also a hit because it's like playdough -- is REAL DOUGH. If you have a food processor it's really easy - just follow the manual's basic bread recipe. Using the dough for rolls and pizza are the simplest ways I've found to deal with it. Making actual bread takes multiple risings, so it's harder to keep track of.

This apple cake recipe (below) is a pretty good one for them. Partly because it's made in one bowl with straightforward ingredients. Partly because it involves using this: an apple peeler corer, their favorite kitchen implement. If you have gadgets that do neat things (manual egg beaters, egg slicers) those might be other surefire hits.

NORWEGIAN APPLE CAKE
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

4 cups 1/2-inch cubes of apples (tart apples work well so I use Granny Smith. 4 apples usually equals a little over 4 cups)

2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour

Preheat the oven to 335 F.

Spray a bundt pan well with no stick spray. Combine the sugar and oil. Then add the eggs and vanilla. Once those are combined add the apples.

Now add the baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir just until combined. Finally add the flour.

Spoon into the bundt pan. Bake for about an hour, until toothpick inserted comes out mostly dry.

Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then use spatual to release the cake from the sides of the pan and flip onto plate to cool completely.