Get cooking: an easy recipe for kids in the kitchen
It may be a cliché but, for many, the kitchen really is the heart of the home, where families and friends gather to graze, make meals and memories. Of course, not every supper is a showstopper, but kitchen catastrophes can be just as memorable (and teach us a thing or two for next time!).
Inspiring kids to cook can be as rewarding for you as it is for them, and we don’t just mean devouring the delicious dishes you create together. Sending your Scout off to camp with some basic cooking skills will prepare them for handling food and cooking equipment safely, while pitching in around the stove or campfire. The cooking badge - available to Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers- is a great way to teach, inspire and challenge young scouts to cook.
A few tricks of the trade:
Always wash your hands before handling food
Keep kitchen areas tidy so you can find everything you need
Keep cooking utensils, pots and pans spotlessly clean
Use oven gloves when handling pots and pans on the heat
Getting your kids into the kitchen is also a great way to spend valuable time with them, as long as you don’t mind a bit of a mess (at least the first time round). And when better to get started than in colder months, when a freshly baked cake can brighten up the drizzliest autumnal afternoon.
Try this easy recipe together.
Chocolate banana cakeIngredients
125g sunflower spread
125g sugar
1 tablespoon honey
2 eggs
1 ripe banana, mashed with a fork
150g plain flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
For the icing
125g soft butter
125g icing sugar
150g milk chocolate
White chocolate
Method
Switch on oven to 180°C/350°F
Cut a 30cm circle of baking paper and push into a 24cm round cake tin (it should rise up the sides).
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with an electric whisk until light and fluffy.
Beat the eggs in one at a time, followed by the honey and banana.
Carefully add the flour, baking powder and cocoa. Stir first to avoid a flour and cocoa explosion, then beat until fully mixed.
Pour into the tin and bake for 30-35 minutes. The cake should be well-risen and browned on top.
Remove cake from tin to cool completely.
For the icing, melt the chocolate in a glass bowl, either gradually in a microwave (30 seconds at a time on medium-low heat) or over a pan of simmering water - a “bain marie”. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
Stir together the butter and icing sugar, then beat in the chocolate until creamy.
Using a blunt knife, spread the icing evenly over the cake.
Grate white chocolate to decorate.
Alternatives for the adventurous:
Melt the white chocolate, then drizzle it in patterns onto baking paper. Allow it to cool then peel off the shapes and pop them on the cake. Try drawing the Fleur de Lis!
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