Toddlers In The Kitchen: Apple Crumble Cake
This weekend we are headed down to Connecticut to celebrate my grandmother’s 80th birthday and I have been tasked with bringing a dessert to the festivities. I have always enjoyed baking so I let out a sigh of relief and started brainstorming.
Over the past month, I have discovered that my 17 month old ALSO enjoys baking. It has been so much fun getting her involved in the kitchen (and having extra sweets around the house)! Often times, I feel like she gets bored of the toys that I have out for her regardless of how recently they have been rotated. I have found that practical, everyday tasks hold her interest for much longer periods of time AND help her build the skills and confidence that toddlers long for.
Since going to the orchard last week, we have a truly absurd amount of apples sitting on the kitchen counter. I made a batch of homemade applesauce (which baby girl finished in TWO days!) but that barely made a dent in the 1/2 peck of apples that we came home with. So today me and my sous chef are firing up the oven to make an apple crumble cake for her Nonna.
Some general tips on baking with a toddler:
1) Pre-measure ingredients and place them into small bowls. Your toddler can have fun combining everything and you can rest easy knowing the measurements are correct!
2) Choose safe tools and tasks that allow your toddler to be independent instead of being micromanaged. You and your toddler will both have significantly less fun if you are hovering over their shoulders worrying about this or that.
3) Embrace the mess! I struggled with this one the most at the beginning. Batter will spill and splatter and that is okay. Just think how much easier it is to wipe down a counter than it is to clean up a thousand blocks and puzzle pieces for the third time today.
4) Choose tasks where taste testing is okay. If you are concerned with your little one eating raw egg then don’t leave them unattended mixing batter for a long period of time because they WILL eat spoonfuls of it (can you blame them?). Instead, let them mash up fruit, roll out dough or explore the settings on the stand mixer.
5) Remember to have fun! Throw on some music and dance while you stir. Fill the sink with bubbles and splash around while you clean up. If you are having a good time and are engaged then chances are your toddler will be too.
This apple crumble cake contains a good amount of processed sugar which I like to avoid if at all possible. That being said, I did give my little one a taste because I think it is important for her to connect the process of cooking/baking with the finished product. In our everyday cooking and baking we try to choose natural sweeteners like quality maple syrup or honey instead of refined sugars. Happy baking!