Baking activity for toddlers

Hello everyone!! Wish you all a very happy New Year!! The last month of 2013 past by really fast. Me and my little one did lots of fun activities together.  He is really crazy about everything related to Christmas. Good for us there were a lot of fun fairs, Christmas markets and Christmas parties here in Dubai. They even had artificial snowfall at fairs and market which I think everyone from old to young enjoyed. One such Christmas market had a workshop for kids to make or/and decorate gingerbread cookies and houses organized by French Bakery. My son is too young for that I thought. He was 22 months in Dec 2013. But since he really loves to watch Maisy bake gingerbread i began to plan in mind a baking fun activity with him. So one morning when he was telling me how to make a gingerbread, I thought he is just ready for baking. 

1) I gave him a steel bowl with 3 eggs in it. He was super happy and roamed all over in admiration.

2) then I let him break the eggs under my supervision. 

3) then he whisked the eggs.. Round and round. I let till he was satisfied. Then dropped the flour and other things in it. Again the mixing went on. Before pouring it in the pan I whisked it again.

3) then he poured it in the pan.. Yes he dropped it here and there. He had fun.

4) then I put it in the oven. I keep him away from oven and stove.

5) he admired his creations after they cooled down. 

6) then we drew designs on it. I held his hand while doing it.

Voila that's it!! It tasted amazing. Out of this world.

After this we have baked 2 more cakes and gingerbread man cookies. He loves the idea of putting things together and then it forms a shape that everyone eats. 

Some tips if you are planning such a activity:

Safety first: Keep all sharp objects away from his reach. Operate oven and blender by myself. 

Planning or not:  Let this activity be impromptu, unplanned when your enthusiasm is at high and the little one is also in the mood to 'create' or 'make ' something. 

Enjoy: Don't stress too much about the mess they would create. 

Role playing: Two  roles I let him play in our baking activities are either 

Assistant: Make him your assistant and tell him to get/ keep things, mix or pour.

Or

Master chef- in-training: Give instructions and help/intervene/ a bit but not too much.

Be a role model: I have learned that Children learn a activity  when they watch their mother/ father doing it and enjoying it. 

Above all not to forget. All children are different and that's the beauty of life.

All images taken by me@ home. Please do not copy without permission.

Father day cake

This is our first Father's day. So I made this cake for DH. The cake is chocolate walnut with chocolate frosting.  I baked it in the sunflower cake pan I had posted earlier about here. Then filled it and covered it with chocolate frosting. I used a very simple recipe to make the frosting: 1 cup cocoa powder, 50gms unsalted butter and 2 tbsp milk. 

I used ready made fondant for the cake topper. At first I wanted to make a peacock son and father. Later realized that I don't have so many colors to make the feather. So I thought I will make it some other time and occasion. For this Father's day occasion I thought of elephants would be very cute. So there they are Daddy and Son elephant!!

  After several unsuccessful attempts I was able to get the correct form. My little ones was very curious about what I am doing. So I made him sit on my lap while making the little one. It was really fun...precious moments. We will cut the cake tomorrow for breakfast..

Happy Father's day!! Have fun and a great weekend!!

Joining party at weekend wrapup party, 

made with love, Metamorphosis Monday

Sweet creations

When I was pregnant I tried to stay away from any sweet desserts thinking that they will just increase my weight and as such are of no health benefit to my baby and me.. But since I delivered I have this intense desire to eat cakes and chocolates.. So after trying to control my sweet tooth for a month I have finally given up and I have started baking cakes almost every next weekend:) 

The first one(clockwise) I baked and decorated for my mom on her birthday..It was a chocolate cake with strawberry butter cream icing inside..I baked and decorated it at midnight when my then 1.5 months old baby was sleeping..So did a hurried job on decorating the cake fearing he will awake soon.. I used store-bought marzipan to decorate the top and the sides.. also made swills with icing on the sides..The verdict was that it tasted yummy and looked very homely:)  You can see its slice in the last picture..

Next picture is of angel food cake I baked .. a healthier cake without eggs, oil, butter.. It was very light and frothy ..so light it was that it reminded us of the Austrian soufflé/ salzburger nockerl we had on our Austrian holiday..  Next pic is of  chocolate muffins on one such weekend.. Couldn't take picture of the finished one as I gobbled up a few too many as soon I baked them:)

Hot and Sweet !!

Baked a chocolate cake ... frosted it with cherry & Kirsch cream!!!

A chocolate log cake with coffee and chocolate butter cream frosting.. Snowman with butter cream with marzipan heart hat!!

Golden Christmas tree on a vanilla cupcake!!

Joining the party at Patty for Weekend wrap up!!