Since Christmas Vacation began, Leah has been asking if we could please, please, please bake together. Fevers and congestion hampered our plans but today I thought we were in good shape to tackle crackers. Really, how much effort could it possibly take to make something as simple as crackers?
It turns out that it takes quite a bit more effort than I’d anticipated, particularly when you have such a helpful helper who wants to do everything herself.
“Mummy, stop it. I do it all myself,” was a constant refrain during our baking session, whether we were measuring ingredients, operating the food processor or rolling out the dough.
To be fair, she listened to instructions reasonably well, but Leah clearly wanted to take the lead in every single step.
We settled on hearts and flowers for our cracker shapes, and Leah loved using the cookie cutters.
By the end of it, Leah was fairly adept at pushing hard enough to cut through the dough without destroying the individual crackers.
And then came the best part: eating the leftover dough scraps!
The crackers were a success (as evidenced by the handfuls Adam and Leah shoved in their mouths the moment I said they had cooled enough to eat)! They were tasty, though next time I’ll make sure we poke holes in them so they don’t puff up quite so much.
Baking with kids requires a certain amount of patience that I don’t always have, along with a willing, enthusiastic child, so I’m grateful for the moments when the stars align and I can spend some time in the kitchen passing on cooking and baking skills to the next generation. I figure this guarantees that 20 years from now, I’ll be eating well when I come to visit them in their own homes.
