kid cooks : double brownies

Today the cooking rolled right along with the kids' fair entries for 4-H. Alexei had to make his bar cookie entry, double brownies. I've made these many times and they are always a hit : a blondie, stacked with a chocolate brownie, topped with a caramel frosting. What's not to love? In spite of the multiple steps this is a fairly easy recipe to make and very impressive looking. Let the kid(s) in your life have a go at it!

He started by washing his hands, checking over the recipe, and preheating the oven. This recipe also hails from our Taste of Home's Best of Baking cookbook. You can find the entire recipe for double brownies online here. We omitted the walnuts - I like to add chocolate chips to the middle layer but he chose to follow the recipe.

Grease a 9" x 13" pan with shortening on the bottom and sides. Don't skimp on this step, you do not want your brownies to stick to the pan!

Assemble your ingredients. This is for both layers; that's brown sugar hiding in the back there. Brownies are really pretty simple.

First, add your butter and packed brown sugar to your mixing bowl, and cream (mix until fluffy).

Add in your eggs and vanilla. It's a good idea to crack the eggs in a separate bowl in case you drop any bits of shell! Mix completely.

Measure and add your flour, and mix in.

Spread the bottom layer evenly in the pan and set aside.

For the second layer, cream your butter and sugar.

Then add the eggs and mix away!

In another bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Dump this in with your butter mixture and stir or mix until smooth.

Spread the second layer evenly over the bottom layer, being careful to not dig up the bottom layer.

Torture your baby brother by turning on the oven light and baking for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

When the brownies are almost cool, assemble the ingredients for the frosting (that's powdered sugar in the bowl).

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

Stir in brown sugar and milk and keep stirring until it comes to a boil. Make sure you stay with it or it could burn! Remove from heat and let cool for twenty minutes.

Stir in the powdered sugar until the frosting is smooth and creamy.

Spread the frosting on the brownies and wait patiently for thirty minutes so the frosting can set (firm up) a little.

Cut into squares with a butter knife, and enjoy!

Tomorrow, he tackles yeast rolls and orange almond drop cookies. I'm salivating already.

And he does dishes!

kid cooks : banana oatmeal cookies

First on our list : banana oatmeal cookies. Ibis had been eyeing these in the cookbook several weeks ago; as a banana lover, they were right up her alley. She chose to enter this batch into the 4-H Cloverbuds baking exhibition. Six of her cookies will be turned in on Thursday to a panel of judges at the fair - I imagine it takes a brave judge to sample the wares of kids ages five to eight, but these cookies are actually quite delicious. This is a great recipe to share with the kids in your life. Let them develop a love for baking!

First, give your hands a good scrub. In spite of what she originally thought, yes, soap is required.

Check over the recipe for any special requirements : oven temperature to preheat, special ingredients, etc. This recipe is from Taste of Home's Best of Baking cookbook. You can find the recipe online here. We love Taste of Home!

Assemble the cast of characters. Don't forget the kid power.

Mash the bananas. Somehow we don't own a potato masher, but a fork will do nicely. 

Measure and add the shortening and sugar to your mixing bowl, and cream mixture (let all the sugar mix into the shortening until it's nice and smooth).

Add in eggs and vanilla, and mix until combined. 

Now measure out the flour, baking soda, and cinnamon, and stir them together in another bowl. Ours is a lovely blue plastic.

Add the flour mixture to your mixing bowl. Mix on low at first to avoid a huge mess! 

Now let the bananas join the party.

Measure and add the oats and chocolate chips - try not to eat all of the chocolate chips! Mix completely.

Use a cookie scoop to measure the cookies evenly, and squeeze onto greased cookie sheets.

The first pan is ready for the oven!

Torture your baby brother by turning on the oven light. Bake for 8 minutes or until golden on the bottom edges.

Remove cookies to cooling racks. Be careful, the pan is still hot!

The cooled, finished cookies ready for eating. They taste a lot like banana bread with a hint of chocolate.

Kid made, baby brother approved!

all's fair

 Today, we poked, prodded, dragged, hauled, and otherwise stuffed the bulk of our fair entries into the car and traipsed off to the fairgrounds to be left at the mercy of the harried 4-H staff. And a bunch of sweet old ladies on the creative arts side of things. Gotta love the sweet old ladies.

As a recap, Alexei signed up to enter thirteen classes this year; today was the day to fork over everything but his baked goods and rabbit (the live kind, not fricasee). I showcased the rabbit tabletop in Friday's post. This was also the day for Coral to submit her drawing to the creative arts ladies, and myself a baked good, four professional photographs, and a drawing. I was feeling ambitious this year, too.


Alexei's entry for the Models class - this is a free-for-all, anything goes class. He loves Legos and builds the craziest creations from them. I love that he doesn't use a kit, but rather his imagination. Even the garage door opens! When I was a kid, my Lego houses were just big ugly squares.

The model car he made with his Grandpa for the Woodworking : Toys division. It warms my heart to see him have the opportunity to make something with my dad. Plus Grandpa clearly has the best tools around!

His entry for the Photo Story class. Kids use three to five photos to show something being built or telling a story. These show a Lego car being constructed; the hardest part about this project was setting up the cantankerous old tripod!

Four photos for People, Animals, Scenic, and Architecture categories. He'd have done more if 4-H would let him.

Alexei's drawing for the....well, the Drawing category. Pretty self-explanatory. I was surprised he wanted to enter a drawing, because I know he feels like it's not his best subject. I think seeing my artwork is an inspiration but also a confidence trasher for him, even though that's ridiculous.

Now on to Coral's entry. She's still too young for 4-H but there was no lower age limit on the creative arts list, so she put her heart into this cute little rainbow flower. I think for three years old, it's pretty darned adorable!

I entered four photographs into the professional category. Not that I make a fortune (or even pocket change lately) from taking photos, but it just felt right. Awful photo - they look gorgeous in person. My hubby mounted them to foamboard for me and even gave them beveled edges.

The drawing I picked this year, kind of old and boring but seems like most of my framed artwork has had the glass busted out of it over the past few years; the hazards of moving. One of these days maybe I'll pick up a pencil and draw something new.

Cinnamon rolls for the anything-goes baked goods category. Mostly a good excuse to make cinnamon rolls again.

All of Ibis's entries, Alexei's baked goods, and the rabbits make the trip on Thursday. That should be interesting! Busy week ahead with the kids baking up a storm, rabbits being brushed, showmanship practiced, outfits adjusted, a 4-H meeting, and school in there somewhere. I can't wait!