Lets Bake, Bake Bake...

Its National Baking Week {no, I never knew such a thing existed either!}, but I LOVE baking, and better still my kids LOVE baking. Its ones of those pastimes thats very easy to do, and have FUN, with kids. No matter what their age, something can be baked with them. And I feel its a memory maker, some of fondest childhood memories are of baking with my mother and grandmothers.

This weekend, my youngest requested ice cream cakes. Hmm stumped, but thanks to our facebook page, got some great tips on how to make 'ice cream' cakes {mix double cream and vanilla essence together and add that to your sponge mix was Zoes excellent advice}. The cakes were delicious and the icing of them kept them amused for ages. My children range from 18years down to 4 years, but hot cakes out of the oven and licking bowls are enjoyed by them all. Ok a must in our house is aprons for the kids, and we use these cooking sets which make the kids feel quite 'grown up'.

There are some absolutely brilliant baking toys for children, most of which we have tried and tested. The little bakers set is a firm favourite in the Baba Me household, and we can confirm every piece works and can be used!

We are really looking forward to using the nativity baking set this Christmas and making lots of nativity cakes for our visitors. Christmas cake baking is a long tradition in our household, with raisins soaking for weeks in advance. 

Last year I had the pleasure of meeting a lovely danish lady in the shop who filled me in on the Danish customs of baking the gingerbread house, it seemed so perfect and so 'christmassy'. I must try and remember to look for some recipes and do these with our children this year, and make memories for my children.

I think this is why I love baking so much, the memories I have as a child making fairy cakes, rice crisp cookies and christmas logs with my mother. My nanny {who is 91 and still going strong} was an amazing bread maker and every summer I loved the smell of the bread, and helping her mix it. I could never pick it up though as her recipe seemed to change every time - she had that age old instinct of knowing exactly how to make soda bread. My other granny was famous in her area for her apple tarts and jam. I still to this day have never tasted an apple tart as nice as hers.

So during national baking week I think we should all get out the baking tins, and bake bake bake, but more importantly have fun!