Keeping your kids entertained can sometimes be a challenge, especially if they don’t like trying new things right away. After all, some children would rather stick to their toys, others would rather stick to their tablets and TV shows, and other kids might prefer playing outside with their friends.
But, as a mama, you have to help broaden their horizons by challenging them to try different things every now and then. This helps them find fun in other activities while helping them develop other skills. One fun way to bond with your kids while teaching them new things is by baking!
Now, baking may require you to be more precise (unlike cooking) since the measurements for the ingredients need to be exact. But, this isn’t as difficult or hassling as you might think, as there are some recipes that you can still enjoy doing with your kids despite the “strict” measurements. So, if you need some simple and easy recipes to try with your little ones or just want some to try for yourself first, then read on to find out more! We at edamama have listed our top 5 easy recipes for you and your kids to enjoy.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Total Time Needed: 30 Minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter (softened)
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp hot water
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped walnuts (OPTIONAL)
Instructions:
Before anything else, make sure to preheat your oven 350 degrees Fahrenheit ( or 175 degrees Celsius).
Next, beat the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl until you get a smooth consistency. Once smooth, you can beat in the eggs one at a time. Then gently stir in the vanilla.
In a separate bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water then add this to the batter along with the salt.
Once all of this is incorporated, you can add in the flour, chocolate chips, and walnuts.
Line some baking pans with baking sheets and drop spoonfuls of dough on the sheets at least 2 inches apart.
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are nicely browned.
When they’re ready, take them out and cool them on the baking sheets for at least 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy!
Lemon Squares
Total Time Needed: 50 Minutes
Ingredients:
Crust
- 1 cup melted unsalted butter
- 2 cups + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
Filling
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups white sugar
- 7 eggs
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
Instructions:
Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and by lining the bottom and sides of a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper that sticks up above the sides of the pan. This makes it easier to take out after baking. Once you’ve done this, set the pan aside and begin prepping the crust.
To make the crust, simply combine the powdered sugar, flour, and salt in a medium bowl.
Then, add the melted butter and vanilla extract into the mix and stir until everything is evenly combined.
When that’s mixed, you can then crumble and distribute the crust mix over the bottom of the pan. Make sure you press it down evenly, so every inch of the bottom of the pan is covered.
Put this in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until you see the edges become light brown.
Then remove this from the oven and set aside, so it cools.
While the crust cools, prep the filling. To make this, simply combine the sugar and flour and gently add the eggs one at a time. Once combined, gently mix in the lemon juice and salt and whisk together to combine. Try not to overmix it. This means mixing too much until too many bubbles form.
Pour the filling on top of the crust and bake this for 18-24 minutes or until you see the top relatively set.
Remove the pan from the oven and cool for at least 15-20 minutes on the counter before refrigerating. Refrigerating helps firm up the lemon squares so cut them up after they cool down.
When you’re ready to serve the lemon bars, simply take them out of the refrigerator, dust them with powdered sugar, cut them into squares, and enjoy!
Crinkles
Total Time Needed: 3 hours, 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 egg (at room temperature)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
For rolling:
- 3 Tbsp white sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions:
In a large bowl, beat the butter together with the white and brown sugar until fluffy and light in color. This will take about about 2-3 minutes with a mixer.
Then add in the egg and vanilla extract, and then beat on high speed until combined. Don’t forget to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl every so often so you can make sure everything is being mixed well. Put this aside after.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda, until they’re all combined. Then, slowly pour into the wet ingredients while mixing them all together. Mix them until everything is combined well before adding in the chocolate chips. You can expect the dough to thick and very sticky.
Cover the dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours (and up to 3 days). Do not skip this step as this helps with the dough’s consistency.
Once it’s ready for baking, simply remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit in room temperature for at least 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and make sure to line some large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Ready the cookie dough for baking by scooping and rolling them into small balls (with about ½ tbsp of dough each).
Roll these balls lightly in the white sugar before generously rolling them in the confectioners’ sugar. Then place these on the baking sheets, at least 3 inches apart.
Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes or until the edges appear set and the centers still look soft.
Then, take them out of the oven and let them cool for at least 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transfering to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Brownies
Total Time Needed: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup butter (melted)
- 2 cups white sugar
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ cup Chocolate chips (OPTIONAL)
- ½ cup walnut halves (OPTIONAL)
Instructions:
Grease a 9x13 inch baking sheet and preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
Mix together the flour, sugar, melted butter, cocoa powder, eggs, vanilla extract, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl until fully combined.
Once this is mixed, spread the batter into the prepared pan. If you’re adding chocolate chips and or walnut halves, add them onto the batter before putting it in the oven.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the edges of the brownies have started to pull away from the pan and the top is visibly dry.
Take out of the oven, and let it cool for at least 10 to 15 minutes before slicing into squares.
Banana Bread
Total Time Needed: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 pack Maya vanilla cake mix
- 2-3 ripe bananas
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 to 1 ½ cup water
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
Instructions:
Start things off by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a medium-sized bowl, mash the ripe bananas and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the vanilla cake mix with the chocolate chips, making sure that all the chips are separted and evenly coated with the vanilla cake mix. Then add in the ripe bananas and mix well. Make sure that there are no clumps.
Add in the water bit by bit and mix well. Add more water if needed; batter should not be too watery.
Then add in your oil and mix well.
Line or grease a bread pan evenly then pour in the mixture to about ¾ of the pan.
Bake in the oven for 18-24 minutes. Stick a butter knife or a toothpick in the mixture halfway through the baking time to check for the doneness.
Take out and let cool for at least 10 minutes before taking it out of the pan and letting it cool completely.
Slice it up and enjoy!
