Baking with Tiny Tots

By JULIETTE ROSSANT What makes Becky Johnson's Baking with Tiny Tots (Hamlyn 2007) so good is that the recipes tell parents exactly how to help their small children participate in baking. It is certainly easier and faster and less messy not to cook with your children – but there are plenty of reasons you should: Children learn a huge amount from cooking without ever realizing it. First, there's the exposure to cookbooks full of recipes. From these they learn that the written word provides information that can be used to make things. They also see photos of older children doing things that they will then want to try themselves. Second, there's the coordination required to measure out ingredients, to mix, spoon out, beat, and spread. Next, measuring introduces children to the concept of numbers, volume, and accuracy. Finally, there's the chemistry involved in the baking itself – the transforming effect of heat on food. (p. 9) Even for children of a very young age, Becky's recipes are kid-friendly and fun. This is a British book so the recipes are nursery classics – the best part of old-fashioned British cuisine. The Introduction includes many helpful hints about tot-size equipment like a step stool or a plastic sheet for the floor, making the most of shopping, and how to teach little ones to knead dough. She also covers safety measures like encouraging kids to help clean up but remembering not to leave knives or food processor blades in the sink where little hands can get cut when the sink is full of tantalizing soap suds. The recipes include instructions about what children can do and what the adult helper has to do. Lemon Sand Castles (p. 16) includes saffron and plenty of lemon. Children can help by mixing, measuring, buttering pans and dividing the batter. The enchanting photograph by Vanessa Davies shows a little girl filling the cake tins, licking a spoon and decorating the finish cakes with immense pleasure. Many of the photos of children (1.5 to 4 years or so) show concentration, joy and pride. They are inviting to children picking up the book. The British recipes include Commonwealth favorites like Down Under Cookies (p. 44), commonly known as Anzac biscuits made without egg (but plenty of sugar and butter) so they would last the sea voyage to Australian troops fighting in World War I. There's the whimsically named Monkey Nut Cookie (p. 45) that are close to American peanut butter cookies. Butterfly Cakes (p. 80) are traditional children's birthday cupcakes with the tops scooped out and then filled with buttery frosting. The book includes some savory treats in Snack Time from Cheesy Feet (p. 90) to Money Bags (p. 95) that are phyllo pastry stuffed with tomatoes and cheese. Baking with Tiny Tots take you by the hand with easy to understand recipes and step-by-step instructions. These are real recipes for real food that everyone will want to eat – even if it does turn out to be a bit messy! The focus is on the children, not the celebrity chef or professional chef writing the recipes. Previous articles: [Kids Cookbook Reviews - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, cookbook reviews, Baking With Tiny Tots --> back to Super Chef