Poppy's Cookies

Even at the tender age of 7, Poppy already loves cooking.  Up until recently, she was always content to be my little sous chef, but a few weeks ago she asked if she could cook something entirely by herself. At this point, I have to confess to being a bit of a busybody in the kitchen; I find it really hard to not interfere and offer hints and tips!  Most of the time this does not go down too well, so I had been given strict instructions to let Poppy get on with it all by herself even if it ended up being a total disaster!  Poppy chose a cookie recipe that she wanted to cook and after getting all of the ingredients and equipment out for her, I sat back and let her get on........

Recipe for Poppy's cookies:

150g plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
25g ground almonds
150g light muscavado sugar
50g porridge oats
50g raisins
40g chocolate chips
150g melted butter
1 large egg yolk

1. Mix the dry ingredients together
2. Add the wet ingredients
3. Mix well with hands
4. Form into small walnut sized shapes, place onto a lined baking tray and flatten out slightly
5. Heat oven to gas mark 5
6. Cook for 10-12 minutes

Poppy proceeded to measure, weigh, melt and mix her way through the instructions.......

 

 

Then after 10-12 minutes of cooking, we got to see (and taste) the results:

 

The cookies were truly excellent and I honestly don't think I've ever tasted a better homemade cookie.

 

Even more important was the fact that Poppy had a fantastic time making them and loved being the queen bee in the kitchen for once.

 

A few weeks after this, I read a really interesting article in the Times about the attitude that the French have towards food with their children.  The whole point of the article was that there are far fewer problems with French children and food compared to Britain.  The article made at a number of points, but the two that really stood out to me were firstly about how the French allow their children to get really involved in cooking and secondly the fact that treats are not treated as evil, rather as treats. 

 

I feel really strongly about both of these points. 

 

If our children are not taught how to cook and not allowed to experiment, how will they ever be able to be self reliant and not just rely on ready meals?

 

and if crisps, biscuits, chocolates etc are treated as evil (as many schools treat them - might need to do another post on this!), how can we expect children to take a balanced and sensible view to consuming them when they get their own independence?  In my view a balanced diet should be just that - balanced.  There is room for treats, as long as they are enjoyed sensibly.

 

Anyway, I was so happy with how much fun we all had, either making, watching or eating, that I think this will be a regular occurrence as Poppy continues to grow.  I'm not sure if I have the courage to let George loose yet though........