With the holidays out of the way but the chilly days still persisting, you and your kids may be feeling a little stir crazy. If you’re sick of binge-watching TV or playing card games, then break out the muffin tins and baking supplies! 

Getting Creative

No matter what your family likes to eat, there’s something you can bake to appeal to their tastebuds! Figuring out what would be the easiest to make with your children’s age ranges may be the hardest part of the baking process! Of course, baking can be a little irksome with how precise some of the recipes have to be, but you can always select easier recipes to start with and work your way up from there. Your kids can help sift flour, roll out dough into different shapes, and of course help decorate them, among many things! You can also bake items for your neighbors, upcoming events, or for your children’s teachers as a mid-year thank you. 

Tried and True Recipes

If you’re at a loss for what to create, there are always those go-to baked goodies that are sure to please. At the top of the list is of course cupcakes! These versatile little treats are fairly easy to make, and are loads of fun to decorate. They are great if you are planning to hand out the treats once finished, as they are small enough to reach everyone on your list. 

Another easy go-to are cookies! These can become a little more difficult depending on what recipe you use, and how crunchy or soft you prefer them. There is a plethora of recipes out there for either the more traditional, such as chocolate chip, peanut butter, and oatmeal raisin, or the more creative, like red velvet, Oreo, and s’mores cookies. 

Another great recipe to try is muffins. These can also vary greatly, depending on how sweet, savory, or in-between you want to go. You can make super sweet double chocolate muffins, or keep it a little more mellow with some apple cinnamon muffins. The recipes will vary on your individual skill set, and you can always bake something that suits your needs in terms of accessibility. 

If you are a master baker already, you may want to try your hand on some scratch-made bread recipes too! Your kids can see the process that goes into making a simple loaf of bread, and that it’s not always easy! But if you’re leaning more towards the savory side of baking rather than the sweet, then baking bread may just be the recipe of the day!   

Katie Kyzivat