Does your little one have a burgeoning interest in baking? Are you trying to foster that interest with something fun and fascinating that you can do with your kiddo? Well, look no further! We understand how important it is to be a proactive parent who helps nurture their child’s creativity. Thankfully, under the right supervision, baking can be a great way to show your kid that you care about their interests while ending up with a yummy treat that you both can enjoy! That’s why we decided to create this amazing guide on two of the best and easiest cookie recipes that both you and your kids are sure to enjoy!
Thumbprint Cookies
One of our favorite kinds of cookies to make for beginners is thumbprint cookies. They are delicious little morsels perfect for you and your children to use as your first baking project. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then gather your ingredients. You’ll need 1 ¾ cups of flour (all-purpose), ½ teaspoon of baking powder, ½ teaspoon of salt, ¾ cup of softened butter, ⅔ cup of sugar (leave a little extra on the side for later), a teaspoon of vanilla extract, one large egg, and your favorite kind of jam (for this recipe we like strawberry).
Now that we have all our ingredients together, it’s time to grab two mixing bowls. In your first bowl whisk together your flour, baking powder, and salt. Make sure you use a whisk so you can introduce air into your mixture. This will help give the cookies a lighter fluffier texture later on. After you’ve made sure your mixture is well mixed, grab your second bowl. In the second bowl take your sugar, and butter and mix until it has a fluffy texture (we suggest a hand mixer for this). After those two ingredients are mixed then beat the egg and vanilla into your mixture. Now that you have your wet mix together, take your dry mixture and add it to the wet in two distinct chunks.
Once you’ve finished that you now have your dough, but here’s an important tip. After you finish your dough, put it in the freezer and let it set for 5 min. This will deepen the flavor and will make the cookies fluffier when you finally take them out of the oven.
Now that you’ve let the dough set, get your baking sheet and place a sheet of wax paper on it. Then at your discretion create small balls with the dough and place them onto the cookie sheet. Now that your dough is on the sheet, use the back of a small spoon and gently press into each cookie until there’s a small divot in the dough. Be careful not to press down too hard, you want to leave a little bit of the orb shape after you’ve created your divot. Now that you’ve finished that step, take your jam and add a small dab to each little indent on your cookies.
Lastly, pop your cookies into the oven for around 15 min, or until golden brown around the edges! And voila! You have a delicious batch of thumbprint cookies.
Chocolate Chip
Nothing reminds a person of home, quite like the chocolate chip cookie. It’s a little slice of heaven with gooey chocolate that just melts in your mouth. Let’s go over how you can make your very own delicious chocolate chip cookies! First preheat the oven to 375 degrees, then gather your ingredients. You’ll need 2 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 2 ½ sticks of softened butter, 1 ¾ cups of packed brown sugar, 2 eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and finally 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips. To begin, we’ll begin with a similar start as our previous entry. Take two mixing bowls, with the first mix together your flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Make sure to sift your ingredients together so that plenty of air gets into your mixture. Next, take your second bowl and beat the butter, and brown sugar together. Then beat your eggs in one at a time, and after that add in the vanilla. After you’ve gotten a good fluffy mixture in your bowl, start adding in your dry ingredients. Once your dough is mixed add your chocolate chips by stirring them into your dough by hand. After you’re done with your dough, put a piece of plastic over the bowl and put it inside your fridge for at least an hour. After your dough has been set, it’s ready for the oven! Cook for about 15 minutes or until the cookies get golden around the edges. After you take them out of the oven, let them sit for 10 minutes, and then enjoy!
Conclusion
When you’re looking for projects for you and your little one, it can be a harrowing task. There are so many options that it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. That’s okay because baking an easy set of cookies is a great project for you and your little one! Spend quality time together while making something delicious, and most important of all foster their creativity!