The Ultimate Lesson for Children: Baking - Create from Scratch

      Photo by Matthew Septimus

      Baking is not only an enjoyable, interactive, and educational activity for children, but it’s also something you can share together. Plus, you get to enjoy the tasty results!

      I have always had a love for children. About thirty years ago, while I was exploring various ways to have children of my own, my dear friend and colleague Elizabeth Karmel offered her nephew August for me to teach a cookie baking class. He was only around four years old, but Elizabeth assured me he was exceptionally bright, so I decided to give it a try. Cookies are a perfect introduction to baking since they are forgiving, and their small size makes them accessible. She bought him my Rose’s Christmas Cookies book, and the class turned out to be a huge success. This led to an annual tradition, and before long, his younger brothers joined in.

      I hold a degree in teaching at the high school level from NYU, but it was the classes for those three boys that revealed to me the tremendous value of teaching baking to kids. I discovered that it imparts numerous essential life skills: creativity, science (like the importance of weighing ingredients), patience, math, sharing, and love. Additionally, there’s the added incentive of licking spatulas, tasting the final products, and sharing goodies with friends. They were so enthusiastic about licking the spatulas that they ended up breaking several by biting through them!

      A couple of noteworthy teaching moments occurred a few years later when my eight-year-old nephew Alexander came to stay with me for a week from San Francisco, California. My brother Michael's only request was that I ensure Alex read each day. A few days in, he called to ask if Alex was reading. I replied, “Oh, yes.” He then asked, “How did you encourage him to read?” I said, “I simply read myself, and he wanted to join in whatever I was doing. I didn’t even need to prompt him.” Alex had picked up a book he had read several times before and sat right beside me! This illustrated the power of learning by example for us adults!

      The second notable lesson occurred that week when I was preparing my dad's favorite cherry pie for his annual visit. Alex expressed a desire to help, but I explained that my dad gets this pie only once a year, and I wanted it to be perfect. I immediately felt guilty for discouraging Alex, so I gave him a small piece of dough to shape however he wanted. After he crafted it, he looked at his pastry with disappointment and said, “I guess I’m no pastry chef.” This made me feel worse, but then I had a great idea! I fetched a little fluted tart pan and encouraged him to press the dough into it and fill it with some cherry pie filling. Alex added his personal touch by shaping some of the dough into balls to decorate the top.

      That afternoon, when my dad arrived along with guests, we all enjoyed the cherry pie on the porch. I handed Alex his baked tart and a plate, instructing him to turn the tart onto it. When he lifted off the tart pan and unveiled the beautiful tart molded by the pan, his eyes lit up with surprise and joy. He then did something he typically wouldn’t do in front of others—he gave me a big hug. Oh, I almost forgot to mention an important lesson baking teaches kids! It is perhaps the most crucial lesson of all: empowerment and self-confidence!