Recipes

Inexpensive Family Fun With Delicious Results

Posted: 4/29/2011

Before starting to bake these delicious Bunny Ears, read the recipe together and assemble the needed ingredients.

(NAPSI) - A surefire recipe for entertaining your kids—after school and during school breaks, vacations or “staycations”—is to bring them into the kitchen. Baking is an inexpensive family fun activity that can have delicious results.

Mastering cooking techniques can also reinforce math skills such as counting, measuring and separating, as well as improve eye-hand coordination.

Parents should remember to be flexible, not expect perfection and to have fun! Make sure the projects you attempt are age appropriate. For example, while you may have to read preschoolers the recipe, they can learn to wash hands and surfaces. Once you have premeasured ingredients, you can let kids add them to the bowl. Preschoolers can cut with plastic knives and, with supervision, cut shapes with cookie cutters. They can also sprinkle baked goods with candies, chopped fruits and sugars.

Kindergartners to second graders may be able to read recipes and chop soft foods, grate cheese, wash fruits and vegetables, measure, stir batters and knead dough.

Third to sixth graders can read the recipe and assemble ingredients, use small appliances and preheat the oven.

Interest has risen in cooking classes for kids, an increasingly popular form of entertainment at kids’ parties and scouting events.

You can also find classes offered by recreation departments and colleges or by private instructors. Here’s a fun recipe from the Clabber Girl Culinary Classroom cooking camp for kids:

BUNNY EARS

4 tablespoons softened butter

1 cup flour

3 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon Clabber Girl baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

⅓ cup milk

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

powdered sugar (to taste)

1. Read all steps in advance.

2. Have all ingredients and utensils out and ready to go.

3. Preheat oven to 400°.

4. Place butter in glass dish. Cover and melt in micro-wave for 1 minute on low heat. (Or, use a saucepan on the stovetop over low heat. Be careful not to burn or brown the butter.)

5. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; mix by hand.

6. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the butter and milk. Mix until you have a smooth dough.

7. Lightly dust countertop or board with flour; pat dough into rectangle.

8. Brush surface of dough with remaining butter.

9. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in the bowl; sprinkle on rectangle.

10. Roll up the rectangle tightly; pinch along the seam to seal.

11. Cut the roll into four even pieces; place on baking sheet cut side down.

12. Flatten each piece with your hand and shape into “Bunny Ears.”

13. Place baking sheet in oven so it is not touching oven sides or another pan. Bake 10−12 minutes.

14. Remove the finished Bunny Ears from oven and cool on wire rack.

15. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

For more activities, age guidelines, and a free Clabber Girl School of Baking Certificate, visit www.bakeforfamilyfun.com