Good recipes to make with grandchildren?!
Answers: Anyone got any fun ideas?
Don't know how old your grandchildren are but here are some I make with my two granddaughters.
Thumbprint cookies (they love to put their thumb in the cookie and fill it with jam - use one of those souvenir spoons for them to work with - less spillage of the jam that way)
This one makes a dessert pastry. I will give you the instructions to make one large one - but you can divide it in half and allow two grandchildren to each work on their own.
For that you take 2 containers of the refrigerator crescent rolls (the kind you pop on the counter). Open the first container, separate the croissants. Place them on a cookie sheet with the points out and each side overlapping the croissant next to it - to form an oval. Then place a line of jam down the center of the dough all the way around (your choice on flavor - or the child's choice). Then take either a package or can of almond paste or marzipan, pull off some and roll it into a rope and place it on top of the jam (you don't want a lot of jam - just a line of it). Then open the second can of croissants, separate them, and place them on top of the first with the points IN (not out like the lower layer), again overlapping the sides. Fold the points from the lower layer up and the points from the upper layer down. Pinch together to enclose the filling. Bake according to the package directions. Once it's out of the oven, drizzle powdered sugar icing over it. If it is for Valentine's Day, once the oval is put together, change the shape of it into a heart before baking and add either red food coloring to the icing or marischino cherry juice to make it pink. If each child is making their own (2 grandkids), have them make the oval with half a can of croissants and use the other half for it's top layer.
I have done High Teas for my granddaughters (giving them apple juice in their teapots). We had chocolate muffins baked in the mini muffin pans, the thumbprint cookies, 3 kinds of sandwiches (ground chicken, cucumber, and egg). For one of those two grand-daughters her mother had a High Tea for her birthday party - all her little girlfriends were there (she was 8). Her aunt supplied costumes for children (had velcro on the backs so one size fit any sized child) to dress up in before the lunch (they had to take them off to eat, though) - along with the boas, hats, etc. They had a great time. I supplied the High Tea food for that. One thing I did add that they also liked were appetizers made with a plastic device that punched out different shaped appetizers - diamonds, rounds, squares, and ovals - of layered bread, meats, and cheese. It made pretty colors and they were on toothpicks so the kids could just pick them up and pull them off the toothpick.
I have made bread with my granddaughters and grandson. Everything we made together, they got to take home to eat and share with their families. We've made all kinds of cookies (by the way, some children are interested until the first ***** comes out of the oven and then you are on your own for the rest - learned that the hard way.)
For the bread, I make mini-loaves in those mini loaf pans that are equal to about two biscuits - they go good with soups and just the right size for the kids. They ask for it every Thanksgiving and now that 8 yr old is 13. Her father has asked for it since he was a child too - and he's 35.
If you have a Donvier Ice Cream maker (very simple to use - no ice - no salt, your grandchildren can make their own flavors (a good summer idea).
Also, go to your local library to find a book on napkin folding so you can teach them to make their napkins pretty on the table.
Hope that helps.
Rice crispie squares (choc or marsh mallow..)
Choc cornflake nests with mini eggs..
Cupcakes..
Besides the obvious cookies (always a kid-pleaser!), I like to get ideas from the "cooking with kids" part of the Martha Stewart website. Right now she includes recipes like mini turkey burgers, chocolate pudding and German Apple Pancakes. Check it out at:
http://www.marthastewart.com/cooking-wit...
I also like to make pizzas with kids because you can buy ready-made pizza dough and let each kid top their own pizza. Tacos are great too. Any time you can create a "bar" of toppings in bowls and let the kids do it themselves, they love it! Sundae toppings are fun for this too.
Boiled or fried your choice I once bar-b-qued one of mine lol
http://www.northpole.com/Kitchen/Cookboo...
yeah!! I know Christmas is past, but there are some really good recipes on this site. I haven't found a bad one yet.
adding: i just googled Easter Bunny Recipes and came up with this site:
http://www.easterbunnys.net/recipes.htm
have loads of fun, they are only that small once.
cookies
smoothies
milkshakes
ricecrispy treats
etc
You must have something easier than a grandchild surely, those little buggers take ages to cook.
Chocolate cornflake or rice krispie cakes are so easy to do and are quick - kids lose interest shortly after they've had their turn at mixing plus they are ready to eat immediately!
After that a basic fairy cake mixture is good, quick and you can get them to decorate them with different coloured icing, 100s and 1000s, etc after them. You can also slice them in half and add jam, cream, etc and they only take about 15 mins in the oven to rise up!
My lad loves making krispie cakes because he loves melting the chocolate, mixing it with the krispies and can eat them with no frills and no waiting, wherease my daughters love decorating and faffing with the fairy cakes, each trying to outdo the others concoctions!
flapjacks are good for kids to make.
pizzas (homemade)
Lasagna - they can help with the sauce, cooking the meat and layering it out, grating the cheese on top etc..
If they are interested, get them involved in all the cooking stirring, cutting, weighing out etc.. this helps to cut down on 'fussiness' and is teaching them a good life skill.
Good luck
English muffin pizza's. You buy a jar of pizza sauce, or as many as you need, already shredded cheese and put them in the oven at like 350 on a cookie sheet until the cheese is melted and the sauce is hot or warm. They are great. You just get some Thomas English muffins, pizza sauce and cheese. The kids can top them with toppings of their choice and you are good to go. Kari
Here are three creative recipes kids will love!
DIRT CAKE
(no baking required and kids love it)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. powdered sugar
2 sm. pkg. instant vanilla pudding
3 c. cold milk
1 lg. carton Cool Whip (12 oz.)
1 lg. pkg. Oreo cookies
Crumble cookies in small pieces and set aside.
In medium bowl mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
In large bowl mix pudding and milk; add cream cheese mixture and Cool Whip to pudding; stir until smooth.
In a large 8 1/2-inch saucer, layer cookies, pudding, cookies, pudding, thick layer of cookies to cover pudding. Best if chilled overnight, add silk flower and serve.
If you want something really good, you will not want to miss out on the DIRT CAKE... when you crumble the Oreo cookies up be sure they are sort of coarse, Looks like dirt!
POPCORN MISHMASH
This is a great recipe for kids to sink their hands into. Let them get their hands dirty stirring in the ingredients. Take care they do not handle anything hot.
1 bag microwave popcorn, popped
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons honey
? teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup raisins and/or peanuts
Preheat oven to 275° F and arrange popped corn in a 13x9 baking dish.
Combine butter, honey and cinnamon and pour over popcorn. Stir in until evenly covered.
Bake for 10 minutes and then spread on foil to cool for 15 minutes.
Place cooled popcorn in a bowl and stir in raising and nuts.
ICE CREAM CONE CUPCAKES
Easier than you would think and kids get a big kick out of it.
1 box cake mix (and ingredients)
1 box flat-bottom ice cream cones
1 can frosting
Make cake batter according to the directions on the box.
Line up ice cream cones in a 5x9 loaf pan (I can get 6 in one pan).
Pour cake batter into cones stopping about 3/4" from the top.
Bake about 12-15 minutes at 350F or until knife inserted in cake batter comes out clean.
Let cool then frost.
Here are some of my favorite things to do with my grandchildren!
1. Have them help make browies. Let them help spread chocolate frosting. You cut the brownies into small rectangles the size of dominos. Using the dullest side of a butter knife..... score the frosting across each brownie in the middle..... Take white chocolate chips...and place them point side down to form the dot numbers on the brownie dominos! The kids will have fun with this.
2. Make "Bacon and Eggs"...... buy: 1 bag small pretzel sticks, bag of M & M's, white almond bark or white chips.
On wax paper: put two pretzel sticks side by side (dosen't need to be perfect spacing..actully looks more real a bit uneven).
Melt the white chocolate. Put a small amount on top of the two pretzel sticks in the center area.
Put one yellow or orange M&M (logo side down) in the center of the white chocolate.
Put in refrigerator or freezer a couple of minutes to set the chocolate.
3. Make flour tortilla pizzas, using a jar of sauce and different pizza toppings and cheeses. (three should fit on a large baking sheet) Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes... makes great thin crust pizza.
4. Let them open or pour in ingredients that you already set out on the table... Put doubles of some ingredients.... and ask them, "Do you want to put one or two of this ingredient in YOUR recipe? I do this with sloppy Joes, Chili, Spaghetti, Soups.... They are more likely to eat it too.
Have fun!
I'm not a grandma, but I make these with my children who are 5, 8, 10 & 12 (& their mates when they all desend on me)
Pitta Pizza; as the name suggests you need pitta bread, tom puree or ketch-up, mixed herbs, grated cheese & a selection of toppings; my favs are pinapple (tinned) & ham, the kids love pepperomi & salami, but anything goes like a regular pizza.
Slice the pitta in half to open it up, spread on the puree, sprinkle the herbs ( argue over what goes next ) then pop in the oven for 5-10 mins until the cheese has toasted.
I love doing these as they all get a pizza to suit themselves. It's not too messy and they generally eat it all up.
For a cheap desert they break a banana up in a bowl, add a packet sponge mix and an egg, whisk it all together in a bowl pop in microwave for 5mins. Hey presto a light fluffy pudding that we normally eat with icecream.
Cheap Treats by Mum who can't cook
Don't worry, they'll enjoy making anything, even sandwiches, as long as there is a huge mess at the end of it, and they're covered in it!!
Scones - easy to mix, happy to get their hands into the bowl, end result rarely goes amiss, painting with the egg wash, and they can choose what they want in e.g apple, dates, cheese, raisins.
Bread? Might turn out a bit 'flat' but again the joys of bashing the individual bread buns into shape. Or shapes. Or weird and wonderful bread-thingies. It all eats!
Ginger biscuits - easy, and they can be iced into gingerbread faces (if required) and doled out at tea-time.
Coconut haystacks - no actual cooking, lots of 'fingers in' happiness.
Peppermint creams - plus or minus the chocolate dip (can go everywhere, leading to major finger-licking niceness), and something that can be proudly presented to the 'grown-ups'.
Mince pies (especially out-of-season) - happy pastry bashing, followed by cutting and lifting, followed by major concentration of mincemeat slopping, and more mechanical adjustments with the mince-pie top. Keeps a lego freak engrossed for a surprisingly long time. Of course they don't last long, once out of the oven.
Victoria sponge - especially an 'all in the bowl' and beat recipe. The power! Little hands controlling the electric whisk, best to keep a tea towel handy though for the fly-aways though, although one major splat mishap is usually cause for both hilarity and intense concentration. Then there's jam spreading, cream spreading, and finally (gulp) the icing bag - a playdoh substitute in the hands of a playdoh 'expert'. Well, you think that's all, but you may end up with melted flake bits, smarties, sliced ginger, and shrubbery from the garden as further artistic enhancements.
Soup. Yeah, an odd one. But carting vegetables about, measuring out stock volumes, getting up-close-and-accurate with the dried peas and/or lentils (one more or less, does make an enormous difference, you know!), or whatever is going in can be fun. Little hands into all the dried stuff, musical lentils, rattling peas, barley splatters, homemade maraccas as musical accompaniments - and of course you get a good meal out of it too.
Garlic bread - to go with the soup, and possibly disguising the worst oddities of the bread bun making session.
Home-made lemonade. Quick, easy, and if you add fizzy water, bubbly as well. Goes down a treat, ice-cubed, with a ginger happy face.