Bake Up A Storm This Weekend With The Kids

Baking the best sweet treats is exactly what winter is all about. Once hot girl summer is over, all many of us want to do is hibernate at home and start enjoying our favourite indulgences with the family. 

If you are a parent, baking with the kids this weekend has more than one benefit – as well as being a great way to spend time with the kids, it will also teach them a valuable skill they can take into their lives later on. 

So whether you decide to bake a construction grade gingerbread house recipe for your Sunday gingerbread house project, some amazing sweet cupcakes for the family, or the easiest shortbread ever for your family care packages – there are tons of things to choose from. 

Here are some of our favourite sweet recipes that you have to try this festive season with the kids. 

Triple chocolate cookies 

Let’s start off strong with the mother of all sweet treats – the triple chocolate cookie. What could be better than a chocolate cookie with white chocolate and dark chocolate chips inside. 

Ingredients: 

• 250g plain flour 
• 30g cocoa powder 
• 175g Demerara sugar 
• 125g butter 
• 1 large egg 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1 tsp baking powder 
• 100g dark chocolate 
• 200g white chocolate 

1. Cream together your butter and sugar until light, then add your egg and whisk until light and creamy. 
2. In a bowl, sieve your flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt to ensure there are no lumps. 
3. Add your flour slowly into the wet mixture and fold together to make a thick batter. 
4. Use a shape knife to chop your chocolate into pieces. You can be fairly rough with this as in the oven these prices will melt and make for the most amazing flavour pockets. 
5. Add the chocolate to your batter and form into 12 balls. Freeze for 1 hour or chill in the fridge for 2 hours. This will ensure that they don’t completely flatten when you bake them in the oven. 
6. Preheat the oven to 190C. Add your cookies to a baking sheet with plenty of space between them, and bake for 14-16 minutes. Take out and let them cool for 10 minutes. 
7. You can freeze cookie dough balls for a few months safely, and whenever you fancy a cookie just take one out and pop it in the oven! 

Salted caramel brownies 

Ingredients: 

• 185g butter
• 185g dark chocolate
• 85g plain flour
• 40g cocoa powder
• 50g white chocolate
• 50g milk chocolate
• 3 large eggs
• 275g golden caster sugar
• 200g granulated sugar 
• 90g butter 
• 120ml double cream 
• 1 tsp Flaky salt 

1. To make your caramel, add granulated sugar to a pan and heat on medium, stirring occasionally. 
2. Once it is dissolved and becomes Amber in colour, add your 90g butter and stir. It will bubble rapidly here so be careful. 
3. Cook for 1 minute, then add your cream slowly and stir. 
4. Remove from the heat and add salt. Set aside.
5. For the brownies, start off by melting the butter and dark chocolate in the microwave. Leave to cool. 
6. Whisk your eggs and golden caster sugar until doubled in size, and then add in your cooled chocolate mixture. Fold in the dry ingredients. 
7. Chop your chocolate and add to the batter. 
8. Heat the oven to 180C. Bake your brownies for 25-30 minutes – they will be done once they are no longer wobbly in the centre. 
9. Leave to cool, then drizzle with your salted caramel to finish. 

White chocolate and raspberry cupcakes 

Cupcakes are super easy for kids to make, and these ones will bring a sweet and tangy taste together in perfect harmony. 

Ingredients: 

• 120g self raising flour 
• 120g golden caster sugar 
• 120g butter 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 tsp baking powder 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 200g white chocolate 
• 200g raspberries 
• 100g granulated sugar 
• 280g icing sugar 
• 140g butter 

1. Add your raspberries into a saucepan with granulated sugar, and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain smooth and set aside. 
2. Melt most of your white chocolate, leaving around 20g. Shave the 20g and set aside. 
3. In a bowl, cream together your 120g butter and caster sugar, add in the eggs and whisk for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy. 
4. Add in the flour, salt, and baking powder, as well as half of your melted chocolate. 
5. Preheat the oven to 200C.
6. Add your batter to cupcake cases, and then use a spoon to add a small amount of your raspberry sauce to each. Use a skewer to marble this.
7. Bake for 15-18 minutes. 
8. Beat together your remaining melted chocolate, 140g butter, and icing sugar to make a creamy buttercream. 
9. Prepare a piping bag and nozzle, and then use a spoon to add stripes of your raspberry mixture. Pack with buttercream, and pipe into your cakes. You should end up with a beautiful red and white striped effect. 
10. Top with your grated white chocolate!