I was blessed to grow up in a household where my mom was a great cook. She really had a knack for it – and even opened up, and ran, a restaurant at one point in time. So it goes without saying that we were taught to cook – and bake – at a very early age. I'm most fortunate for this and that's why I always invite my kids into the kitchen with me whenever I'm busying myself in there.
We all know about the educational benefits that a child gains from cooking with a parent – you need math skills to measure ingredients, you need reading skills to follow recipes, you need science to understand why you add baking soda or baking powder to baked goods – but, cooking with your children also provides lots of opportunities for parenting, sibling bonding and plain old fashioned fun!
I know for me, some of my most pleasant childhood memories happened in our parent's kitchens. There's just something about walking into the house on a cold winter's day and being greeted at the door with the smell of your mom's homemade tomato sauce simmering on the stove. Or coming home from a bad day at school and seeing your mom magically pull a loaf of banana bread right out of the oven. As a child, I loved to watch my mom whenever she was in the kitchen – because no matter what she was making, I always knew she made it with love.
That's why, during a recent "cousins'" sleepover, when my handsome little nephew begged me for some "icing with cake", I knew I just had to pull through for him. Nothing says I love you quite like being "The Aunt Who Makes Amazing Kitchen Miracles Happen On A Whim!" 😉
Sadly, I didn't have enough time to bake him a cake from scratch, but I did have a pre-made sheet cake that I knew I could gussy up for him…with some Homemade Butter Cream Frosting. My nephew has a sweet tooth beyond compare and I knew this sugary-sweet recipe would be right up his alley.
The best part? My two munchkins and my beloved niece and nephew all piled into the kitchen with me to watch and help me "make icing". Apparently, making icing from scratch is the equivalent of having superpowers! So drag your loved ones into the kitchen with you – and make some memories. You won't regret it!
HOMEMADE BUTTER CREAM FROSTING
Frosts a 13×9" cake
Ingredients:
* 1/3 cup butter, melted
* 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
* 2-3 tablespoons milk
Directions:
Combine butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and 2 tablespoons of milk in bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. Beat on medium speed until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl occassionally. Dilute with remaining teaspoon of milk until frosting is spreadable but firm enough to hold swirls.
Make some memories,
Denine
P.S. This recipe came from Pat Sinclair's Baking Basics & Beyond, 2nd Edition.
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