Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow....

I have always felt Cooking is an art – it just cannot be mugged and reproduced. May it be a kid cooking or an adult there’s always something to learn new in this field.
This xmas holidays my toddler P and me decided to try out some easy recipes. As he was introduced to baking in his nursery, he was keen on helping me in kitchen. With the weather being bad couldn’t venture out much so thought why not make it interesting for him.....

This is when I felt Cooking is also a skill where kids learn to read, do math and organise their work logically. Kids generally hesitate to try new things. But with a little inspiration, we can make food more fun!

We made a Snowman cake and enjoyed watching him emerge as a personality as we decorated him with candy and fruit leather.
What we did was:

Ingredients

Self raising flour – 250gms
Butter – 250gms
Caster Sugar – 250gms
Cocoa Powder – 2 tbsp
A pinch of SaltLarge eggs – 5

Vanilla extract – 1 tsp

For decorating

Vanilla frosting – about 1 ½ Cups to 2 Cups
Shredded coconut
Licorice drops black – 2
Large Orange gumdrop/Strawberry – 1 (i replaced the gumdrop with strawberry as i cudnt find it)
Red shoestring licorice
Red fruit leather
Licorice drops red – 3 or 4
Chocolate licorice sticks – 2 ( replaced with green shoestring)

Method

1. Heat the Oven to 180 deg centigrade. Grease and flour two ovenproof glass bowls make sure to use one slightly larger than the other.

2. To make the cake, sift together the Flour, Cocoa Powder and Salt in a large bowl.

3. In another bowl, blend the Butter with Sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Separate the Egg white and yolk. Beat the white till it is stiff and keep it aside.

5. Next add the yolk to the Butter-Sugar mixture and blend well.

6. Then fold the Flour and the Egg Whites alternately until it is mixed well. Add Vanilla extract and mix well.

7. Fill the greased bowls about two thirds full. Bake both the cakes for about 40-50min.

8. Baking actually depends on the Oven – so it’s always good to check with a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

9. Cool the cake in the bowls for about 10min. Then invert onto a large platter so that the cakes resemble a Snowman. Let this cool completely.

10. Ice the cakes with Vanilla frosting, then sprinkle with shredded Coconut. Add licorice drop eyes, insert an Orange gumdrop nose and fashion a broad smile with a shoestring licorice.

11. For the scarf, cut two 2inch wide strips of fruit leather, notch the ends and wrap it around the neck of the snowman. And for the buttons use red gumdrops. Finish the snowman with two chocolate licorice arms!!!Thus you can alter according to the availability and choice!

But remember the Oven is HOT HOT HOT so the Kids step is only reading out the ingredients, measuring and adding the ingredients to the cake batter, and frosting and decorating the cute snowman.

P enjoyed reading all the alphabets to make a word, counted/recognised numbers, arranging the ingredients and pouring 1 by 1 (trying to copy Katie on TV- he pored exactly she does) got to know so many candy available in store :-p. Ofcourse the whole fun was being confident about the result and waiting for it to come on the plate :). And now everyday even after a week he wants only Snowman’s eyes or hands....where do i get so many from?

Hope you all enjoyed the making of our Snowman :)
Have a nice weekend and more toddler recipes to follow....