Baking With Teenagers

Getting Started

• Kids Health suggests starting with simple recipes when you introduce your teen to baking. This keeps frustration levels low for parents and kids. Easy recipes allow your teen to get involved with each step because you won't be dealing with strange ingredients or time-consuming techniques. It's also an effective way to let your teen hone her skills and build confidence in the kitchen. Look over your cookbooks and find several baked goods you can start with, then move to more advanced recipes as she gets better at baking.

Recipes

• Several baked recipes work well for beginning bakers and make an ideal jumping off point for your child. Registered dietitian Delfina Shelomenseff, co-author of "Fast Meals and Quick Snacks: A Cookbook for Teens," suggests banana bread, muffins, fruit crisp and cheesecake. Each of these recipes contains minimal ingredients and requires only simple techniques, such as stirring and measuring. These are things teens can handle, even if you step out of the room. Cinnamon rolls and fruit pies are other easy choices for teens, adds the Become a Better Baker website.

Benefits

• Getting down and dirty in the kitchen offers several benefits for teens. Baking with your teen improves your relationship, according to CT Parenting. It also boosts creativity and can improve eating habits, adds North Dakota State University. Baking requires your teen to use his math and language skills and increases self-esteem. Once your teen is proficient in the kitchen, it lets you take a night or two off from cooking and gives your child the opportunity to prepare food for the family.

Safety

• You probably don't have to worry as much about safety with your teen as you would when cooking with a toddler or preschooler. However, proper precautions and techniques are vital for keeping your teen safe, too. Teach your teen to wash her hands well before baking and anytime she handles raw eggs, which can transmit bacteria that could make her sick. Show her how to safely place food in the oven and use a potholder to remove it. If you're chopping ingredients, show your teen how to handle a knife while minimizing the danger of cutting herself in the process.