Parent Hacks

  • About the Book
  • Where to buy
    • Amazon
    • Powell’s Books
    • Bookshop.org

"Just...genius." — Buzzfeed

Parent Hacks is the encouraging book I needed when I was an exhausted new parent.

Find out more

Perfect first baking project: Blondies

in: Food & Mealtime

Amazon: How to Cook Everything, Completely Revised 10th Anniversary Edition: 2,000 Simple Recipes for Great Food (Book)What's the first dessert you remember baking all by yourself? Cake from a mix? Chocolate chip cookies? Well, I stumbled onto a recipe for Mark Bittman's Blondies over the weekend, and I hereby dub it The Perfect Recipe for a New Baker.

My criteria:

  • The ingredient list is small (and you've probably got everything on hand).
  • The measurements are straightforward.
  • The preparation is simple.
  • The cleanup is quick.
  • The results are chewy, luscious heaven.
  • There are tons of variations, so one could make these 10 times in a row and have a different dessert each time.

My 8 year-old daughter made these bar cookies by herself. And I mean she did everything by herself except take the pan out of the oven (which she could have done but was too nervous to try). Not only did I have the pleasure of watching my kid bake something independently, she felt the pride of ownership. Each time she offered us a Blondie, her chin lifted an inch or two with satisfaction.

This recipe comes from the indespensible How To Cook Everything app for the iPhone, which I was lucky enough to get for free (it was "Pick of the Week" at Starbucks). Otherwise, it's $4.99 at the iTunes App Store, but a 100-recipe version called How To Cook Everything Essentials is always free. (There's the book, too.)

MARK BITTMAN'S BUTTERSCOTCH BLONDIES
adapted from How To Cook Everything

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted (in the microwave at 30% power for 1 minute)
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg, beaten
Pinch of salt
1 cup flour

Optional additions: Up to 1 cup of shredded, unsweetened coconut, chopped nuts, chocolate chips (any flavor), and/or chopped dried fruit. My daughter chose to add coconut, and then pressed additional coconut and chopped almonds onto the top before baking. Other ideas: dried cherries + semisweet chocolate, chopped peanuts + milk chocolate, dried cranberries + white chocolate, dried apricots + chopped amonds. I'm thinking candied ginger + pistachios would be amazing. You could even make a grown-up version with a bit of bourbon.

Preheat the oven to 350, and butter or spray an 8×8 pan (I used my ceramic Fiestaware square baker because it's dishwasher-safe).

Beat melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. (My daughter used the stand mixer, but one could also use an electric hand mixer or a whisk and a wooden spoon.) Beat in the egg and vanilla. Stir in the salt, then gradually stir in the flour. Stir in any additions.

Pour into prepared pan and bake 20-25 minutes or until the center is barely set (you've got some wiggle room here). Let cool before cutting into squares. We cut ours into 2-inch cubes to prolong the enjoyment…otherwise we would have inhaled the entire pan.

What's your favorite first recipe for kids who want to bake all by themselves?

Big thanks to Linda Candello who was with me at Starbucks and suggested I download this app, and to Kyran Pittman who sang its praises on Twitter (reminding me to actually use it). It has become my "what should I make for dinner?" standby.

More: Let them bake cake by themselves

And: High-protein snack: Honey Peanut Butter Cookies

Get updates from Asha.

I'll email you when I have new writing, events, or news to share. Low-frequency (I respect your attention & inbox), privacy always, unsubscribe any time.

*indicates required

Newest posts

  • How to tighten pants without sewing
  • You’re invited
  • Can blogs rebuild America?
  • What feeds us
  • Behind the Book: Writing the Parent Hacks manuscript

About Asha Dornfest

Asha Dornfest is a writer, parent, and insistent optimist living in Portland, Oregon. She is the author of PARENT HACKS, co-author of MINIMALIST PARENTING, and co-host of the Edit Your Life podcast.

Comments

  1. adrienne says

    January 23, 2012 at 12:58 pm

    I LOVE this book and have given it as a wedding gift many times (not because people can’t cook, but because there are so many more things in the world than they may presently know how to cook). It’s a great reference.

    Rice Krispie treats were an early favorite. They are more assembly than baking, but it’s fun and low-impact.

    My kids 3 & 6 love to help make oatmeal scotchies (the family cookie of choice) which we now make as bar cookies. I’ll be checking out Bittman’s blondie recipe immediately. YUM!

  2. Lauren says

    January 23, 2012 at 3:06 pm

    My 3 and 5-yr-old chefs would love blondies. We sometimes bake cream scones or cream biscuits because they have a short ingredient list. We’ve also enjoyed bread machine baking (lots of measuring and dumping) and baking pizza. The same things that are easy for me to do with little kids would probably work for bigger kids to do alone.

    Pizza is also great because your young baker can assemble a salad and serve dinner for the family.

  3. CookwareBliss says

    January 25, 2012 at 8:17 am

    What a great idea for youngsters to do. I will be doing this with my child as soon as I can! Another great idea that I did with my child during the holiday’s was make snowman cupcakes. It was a lot of fun and the kids loved it. Here is the recipe for those who want to try it out 🙂

    http://cookwarebliss.hubpages.com/hub/My-Top-Five-Holiday-Treats

  4. J says

    January 29, 2012 at 11:31 am

    We had fun making these but, unfortunately, they were not done on the inside even after 35 minutes. The edges were crispy and the top golden brown, but the middle was runny. Wondering what we did wrong.

Your go-to gift for new parents

Parent Hacks, a book for new parents

Popular Posts

6 satisfying meals to cook with a hotel coffeemaker or iron

6 satisfying meals to cook with a hotel coffeemaker or iron

How to tighten pants without sewing

How to tighten pants without sewing

A tool to help kids respond to unfriendly teasing

A tool to help kids respond to unfriendly teasing

About the Author

Asha Dornfest is an author, optimist, and mom of two. She started the Parent Hacks blog in 2005, and turned it into a book in 2016. More about Asha »

Disclosure: This site uses affiliate links when linking to some products, which means I get a small commission if you click through and buy. There’s no cost to you, but these commissions help me pay the costs associated with running this website. Thank you for supporting independent writers!

Copyright © 2021 All Rights Reserved | PARENT HACKS is a registered trademark owned by Asha Dornfest | Terms/Privacy Policy