Chocolate Chip and Oats Cookies

Whoever said never to work with children has obviously not tried baking with little ones as it is a joy to cook with even the tiniest of tots. Ok, so it may get a little messy but the results are worth it. Baking to them is like playing and pretending to copy the adults on cooking. After their hard work, that they are then able to eat the results of their labour is invariably met with wonder and joy. The important thing when baking with little children is to allow a lot of time - children hate being hurried- and not to worry too much about the look of the results! It's the time spent creating something together that's important.





My friend's seven-year-old daughter In-ha, came over to visit us. She mentioned that she have an assignment on how to measure up the ingredients for her baking goodies. So I decided to make some simple and easy to follow recipe and a healthy cookies. I teach her how to measure the ingredients using the digital scale, obviously this is easier for them rather than using the traditional scale. She helped me sift the flour, stirring and my son and In-ha help add up the other ingredients.





Baking at home also gives control back to us parents over what our children eat. The kids can still enjoy sweet treats but without the long list of additives most of us know little about. My son Younnes found baking is fun and was happy to help and sit to lick out the bowl, or 'help' with the washing up in a sink full of bubbles, while I finished off the recipe.




Chocolate Chip and Oats Cookies

100 g butter or margarine
100 g soft light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
150 g self-raising flour
75 g porridge oats
50-100 g plain, milk or white chocolate chips

1. Help your child to cut out two large sheets of parchment paper to line the cookie sheets while you set the oven to 375°F.



2. Place the butter and sugar in the mixing bowl and help your child to beat them together either with an electric mixer or a wooden spoon until creamy



3. Add the egg and vanilla essence and mix together again. Place the sieve over the mixing bowl, sift in the flour and then mix in.



4. Add the oats and chocolate chips and stir in, then, using a teaspoon and another spoon to scrape the mixture off, place a generous spoonfuls of the mixture in 24 or so lumpy heaps on the baking sheets. Allow plenty of space between the heaps as the cookies will spread as they cook.



5. Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, until the ones on the top shelf are golden brown, then remove them from the oven and move the other baking sheet up from the bottom shelf. Bake these for a further 3-5 minutes until they are golden, then remove.



6. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring , with a palette knife, to a cooling rack. The cookies will be crispy as they cool.