//byJamie C. Martin//12 Comments
Written by Jamie Martin, editor of Simple Homeschool and writer at Steady Mom
We made these Cinnamon Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins yesterday–um, incredible. Stop whatever you’re doing (yes, even reading this post) and go make them right now! (Just a note for those interested: We substituted the sugar with maple syrup, and decreased the milk to 1/4 cup.)
Okay, all done? Let’s move on, then!
Thanks for the wonderful response to yesterday’s post on teaching kids to bake! Enough of you asked for the specific items my children are learning that I thought I’d do a short follow up today. Keep in mind that you can easily tweak these choices to whatever cookbooks and recipes you like best.
As I mentioned yesterday, I’ve chosen the first eight items for my kids’ baking “curriculum,” then they will pick the final two items from all of our cookbooks and resources.
I made my selection with the goal of a well-rounded baking overview in mind:
The eight items I have on my kids’ baking list are as follows:
Homemade Granola – Beauty That Moves
Simple Whole Wheat Bread – Allrecipes.com
Chocolate Chip Cookies – Beauty That Moves (Do you see a theme here? You should totally sign up for one of Heather’s awesome e-courses!)
Vanilla or Chocolate Cake – Actually I’m still looking for a simple recipe for these…preferably with a natural sweetener…anyone?
Muffins – I like the blueberry muffin recipe from the Green Market Baking Book by Laura C. Martin
Apple Pie with Butter Crust – Recipe from Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair
Simple Scones – Allrecipes.com
Biscuits – Recipe from Homemade Fun by Rae Grant
Dark Chocolate Whole Wheat Brownies – 100 Days of Real Food
Favorite Cookbooks/Blogs
- Feeding the Whole Family
- Green Market Baking Book
- King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking
- The Little House Cookbook
- Simple Bites – Everything Aimee and her contributors make is inspiring! Many of our holiday recipes (like shortbread and pumpkin pie) come from this site.
For those with younger children
I have been baking with my children (before I started official “lessons”) for years. Tuesdays have always been “baking days” and each child would have their own bowl. As I added ingredients to my mixing bowl, I would add a little of each to theirs as well–they would mix, stir, make a mess, laugh, cry, and enjoy!
Gather more ideas for baking with younger kids from my post on Steady Mom – How to Cook with Kids…Without the Frustration
Have a recipe that you and your children have enjoyed baking together? Share the link below!
About Jamie C. Martin
Jamie is an introverted mom of three, who loves books, tea, and people (not always in that order), and avoids answering the phone when possible. She co-founded SimpleHomeschool.net in 2010 and began IntrovertedMoms.com in 2020.
Jamie is the author of four books, including Give Your Child the World (reached #9 on Amazon's Top 100 Best Sellers list), and her latest release, Introverted Mom (an ECPA bestseller). Her work has been featured by LeVar Burton of Reading Rainbow, the Washington Post, Parents, Today Parenting, and Psychology Today.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
EllenThanks for the links! I’m going to try out those brownies!
We love this: http://cookieandkate.com/2011/honey-whole-wheat-banana-bread/
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I bake a whole lot and I have loved this post about doing this with your kids as part of homeschool. We are in our second year of homeschooling. As far as an easy recipie for vanilla and chocolate cake, these two are my favorites! The white one is fluffy and amazing in texture and flavor! http://sweetapolita.com/2011/07/fluffy-vanilla-cake-with-whipped-vanilla-bean-frosting/
I just love all the sweetapolita stuff I have tried. I have not tried her icing but I am sure its good but the cake well its just amazing and pretty simple. And I also like her chocolate cake which is again is amazing in flavor and super simple to make
https://sites.google.com/site/sweetapolitaprintables/rich-chocolate-cake
Thanks for sharing all that you have, especially your amazing idea to teach your kids to bake and thanks for sharing the recipies that you have taught your kids to bake!Reply
Thanks for these cake links, Bobbi–I’ll check them out!
Jamie ~ Simple Homeschool’s latest post: Recipes to bake with your kidsReply
I think this is such a lovely idea. My little guy is only two, but he loves working in the kitchen with me. This morning, I had him flattening cookies before baking, but I never thought of letting him have his own little mixing bowl. He’d love that – such a great idea!
Megan’s latest post: Chick-O-Stick PB Cookies: Because not everyone loves chocolate.Reply
See Also72 Patriotic RecipesOh fabulous… thanks for the recipes!! Always fun to try something new!!!
se7en’s latest post: Sunday Snippet: Remembering Remembrance Day…Reply
- Valerie
I like to bake, but have not had much success with my few attempts at cake. The Moosewood vegan chocolate cake is one that I’ve had success with you — I’m pretty sure I got the link from one of Heather’s classes:) Perhaps, though, you are looking for a more traditional cake to teach that skill, and this wouldn’t be the recipe for that. But others may find it useful.
http://www.grouprecipes.com/57460/moosewoods-six-minute-vegan-chocolate-cake.html
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- Rebekah
I love this super easy, one-pan chocolate cake from the Mad Hungry: Feeding Men and Boys book by Lucinda Scala Quinn
http://en.petitchef.com/recipes/mad-hungry-busy-day-chocolate-cake-fid-1267482Reply
Here is a carrot cake that uses honey instead of sugar. It’s moist and yum!
1⁄2 cup honey
1⁄2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 cup sifted unbleached flour
1 tspsalt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon
1⁄4 tsp ground cloves
1 cup carrots, grated
3⁄4 cup walnuts, chopped
1⁄3 cup butter
1⁄2 cup honey
8 oz cream cheese
1⁄2 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, beat the honey and oil with a wire whisk or electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add eggs one at a time and mix until well blended.
In a separate, medium-size bowl, mix flour with salt, baking soda and spices. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture and stir until all of the flour is evenly moistened. Fold in carrots and walnuts.
Put batter into prepared 9-inch round cake pan. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the cake shrinks from the sides of the pan and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool 10 minutes in pan and reverse onto a cake rack.
Meanwhile, to prepare cream cheese icing, cream butter and honey until smooth with a wire whisk or electric mixer. Add cream cheese and vanilla and mix until smooth.
When cake has cooled, frost with cream cheese icing.Reply
Here’s a recipe I love: http://simplygreater.org/recipes/easy-cookie-bouquets/?utm_campaign=SF024&utm_id=SF024
It’s really simple to make with kids and the cookies turn out delicious! Plus they look really cute, so that’s great too!
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- Cassie
Hi,
I was wondering if you do the recipes consecutively or if you round-robin them? For instance, do you do the Granola with mommy one week, then Granola with supervision the next week and then followed by Granola by yourself OR do you do Granola with Mommy one week, Bread with Mommy the next and so on.Just not sure which way would give them the most confidence in their abilities. Thanks!
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We do the same recipe three weeks in a row, so they grow in confidence each time before having to do it on their own. Good question!
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- Sahir Ahmed-Evans
We love to bake together, my two teenage sons still get involved and often whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies for us to munch on! Myself and my youngest daughter like to regularly bake as part of our home schooling activities, carrot cake is a favourite of ours.
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