Super Simple Recipes for Children - A Great Series

We do a lot of baking at our house, this time of year. And yes, I know what you're thinking, we do a lot of baking all year. But trust me, from the first of November until Christmas, we do a LOT of baking.

I'm always looking for recipes the children can help with, or even take over, but that we might still enjoy eating or gifting. So, I was pretty happy when I received Nancy Tuminelly's Super Simple Desserts, Easy No-Bake Recipes for Kids in from the library, especially since I couldn't remember why I had put it on hold. I assume it must have come up in the catalogue when I was searching for cranberry related books, since it contains a recipe for "Maple Cranberry Drops", a sort of Thanksgiving themed, crispy rice type treat, pictured at the top of this page.

I gathered the ingredients for them yesterday, thinking the younger children might try taking on the recipe, with the help of their older siblings. But, E (age 6) took one look at the book, and asked if I would make a recipe with just her - alone. With six children, alone time with Mom can be hard to come by, so I decided since the recipe looked fast and easy, why not?

C (age 5) was not thrilled with the arrangement, but her sisters consoled her by helping her choose a recipe for her turn (and picking the ones for theirs as well). I might make them wait until we can check out another of the books from the author's series, because apart form being super yummy, and super simple, all of the recipes in this particular book are also super sweet. If you read this blog very often, then you know that means something coming from me. We are not your average everyday sugarphobes by any stretch of the imagination.

However the author has several other, and I can only imagine slightly healthier, titles in the series including Super Simple...Breakfasts...Lunches...Dinners...Holiday Treats...and Snacks. We now have the entire set on hold, as well as another series of "really cool" foods also by Nancy Tuminelly.


Working with E, I was very pleased with the layout of the book. The recipe was simply written, and accompanied by explanatory photographs. She could read, and follow most of it with minimal assistance.


I did measure out the sticky peanut butter...


...and placed the bowl with the peanut butter and white chocolate chips in the microwave for her.


But, she was able to set the timer in 30 seconds intervals herself, and to stir to mix the melting ingredients...


...and to add in the final three ingredients of maple syrup, which was really supposed to be maple extract (my only other complaint against the book might be that out of nine recipes, I only had all the ingredients on hand for one of them)...


...dried cranberries...


...and of course crispy rice cereal.


She was even able to handle the spooning of the "dough" into bite sized drops on wax paper to set up, but just barely - the recipe makes quite a few cookies for a six year old to have to spoon out.


All the work paid off though, when she got to serve up "her" dessert after dinner, and it was a huge hit, even if C did pick all the cranberries out.


I'd love to be able to share the recipe with you, because it really is very good, but I don't have permission, so I'll have to settle with recommending the book, which I definitely do. It does only contain nine recipes, but they are unique, tasty, and child-friendly.

If you're looking for a recipe right now, this very minute, head over to the Ramblings of a S.A.H.M.'s Watcha Making Wednesdays for more "in the kitchen with the kids" type fun - recipes generally included.

It's great to be a homeschooler.