Ever since my kiddo discovered the joys of licking the spoon, she wants to bake all the time. Seriously. All. The. Time. Because I try to implement a policy of “if there’s no reason not to, why not?”, I tend to give in to her desires. (Plus I enjoy baking.) So I’ve had to look for quick, simple recipes that we can do together.
Here it is. Perhaps the simplest, most versatile cookie recipe you’ll ever find, cake batter cookies.
Cake Batter Cookies
Ingredients: 2 eggs, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1 box of Funfetti cake mix, 1 tsp baking powder, sprinkles (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350.
- In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, oil, and vanilla.
- After that is mixed well, add in the baking powder and cake mix.
- Once the batter is more or less smooth, stir in sprinkles if desired.
- Prepare a cookie sheet. To me, the easiest method is just to cover a sheet in parchment paper.
- Spoon the cookies onto the sheet and bake for about 10 minutes.
I mentioned the recipe is versatile. You can use virtually any flavor cake mix. We’ve done funfetti, strawberry, and lemon, and all were delicious. Sprinkles are optional (unless you’re baking with my kid, in which case you probably don’t have enough sprinkles).
I love baking with my kid. It provides positive bonding time, and she also gets exposure to gross and fine motor practice, science, and math without realizing it. We discuss the 5 senses. We talk numbers. We crack eggs and stir and spoon batter. When she’s older, maybe we can discuss how heat causes the chemical changes that turn the batter into cookies.
For more information about how kids benefit from baking, tips for baking with young children, and some more kid-friendly recipe ideas, check out this site.
What is your favorite kid-friendly recipe?