Bake For Family Fun Baking Activity -

Let's Get Started Baking!

When you start to bake it is helpful to know why you are using certain ingredients and what their functions are. With time, you may be able to experiment a little bit with your ingredients to make a recipe your own creation. In order to do that, you need to know how they function in a recipe. Ingredients and their uses

Measuring ingredients correctly is important, and in order to measure the right way you need the right tools. Here are guidelines to use for your equipment: Measuring Equipment

Look at our Family Fun Guidelines for information on how to make this a fun activity for your family!

When you start to bake, make sure you read your recipe thoroughly and gather the materials and ingredients you will need ahead of time. Keep the unused ingredients to the left side of your workspace and move them to the right after use. The right workflow will help make mixing easier. Also, keep a sink of warm soapy water ready for used dishes and utensils. This helps make clean up a snap!

Materials needed:

• Large mixing bowl
• Dry and liquid measuring cups
• Mixing spoon
• Measuring spoons
• Ingredients (flour, butter, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon)
• Oven
• Microwave (optional)
• Pastry brush
• Knife
• Baking sheet

Elephant Ears Recipe (printable)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Take one step at a time, finish each step and double check to make sure nothing was left out.

Instructions:

1. Read the recipe top to bottom first-adults and children together. Explain to children all steps and methods in advance. Discuss and answer any questions.
2. Have all the ingredients and utensils out and ready to go. Let children help prepare.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
4. Place butter in glass dish. Cover and melt in microwave for 1 minute on low heat. You can use a saucepan on the stovetop over low heat. Be careful not to burn or brown the butter.
5. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix by hand.
6. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the butter and milk. Mix until you have a smooth dough.
7. Lightly dust countertop or board with flour. Pat dough into rectangle.
8. Brush surface of dough with remaining butter.
9. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in the bowl; sprinkle on rectangle.
10. Roll up the rectangle tightly; pinch along the seam to seal.
11. Cut the roll into four even pieces; place on baking sheet cut side down.
12. Flatten each piece with your hand.
13. Place baking sheet in oven so it is not touching oven sides or another pan. Bake 10-12 minutes.
14. Keep dry oven mitts close by and a wire cooling rack ready for the pan to cool on. Let an older child or adult remove the finished Elephant Ears.

Additional activities:

1. Go online to the Internet and look for other recipes for elephant ears. Print out and compare with yours. Discuss how they might be different. Look up other recipe sources online.
2. Did you find any other things called elephant ears? (Hint: Colocasia, it's a plant) Find other baked goods that are named after things they look like.
3. Download other recipes you want to try next time. Or let children dream up their own creations (with your guidance), type them up on the computer and print out for experimentation.