Hi Trimont,
Here`s the recipe for the cornflake cakes.
Ingredients:
4 oz chocolate ( I use dark choccie)(plus extra for nibbling)
2 oz butter
1 tablespoon syrup
1 tablespoon cocoa
4 oz cornflakes
Equipment:
set of kitchen scales
1 x 6 pint heavy based pan
2 metal tablespoons
1 wooden spoon
bowl into which you put the cornflakes
lots and lots of teaspoons
14-16 paper cases
Folded cloth kitchen towel
( I usually read the list of equipment needed and make the kids find them and assemble them all before we start)
Method:
1. Break the chocolate up into pieces. Place in the pan and add the butter, syrup and cocoa.
2. Place over a low heat and stir using the wooden spoon. Stir until smooth.
3. Add handfuls of the cornflakes and stir well between each addition.
4. When all the conflakes have been added, give the mixture a final stir to make sure that you have taken the wooden spoon into all the corners of the pan.
5. Turn off the heat.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and place on a folded, cloth kitchen towel. If possible, remove the pan to a kitchen table BUT the pot MUST be put on to a folded cloth!
7. Each child needs 2 teaspoons - one in each hand.
8. Lift a teaspoonful of the mixture with one hand and hold over a paper case. Push the mixture off using the other teaspoon and place in the paper case.
9. Get the kids to check that the cakes look roughly equal in size and if necessary steal a bit from one to add to another so that they look even.
10. Leave the cakes for 1 hour so that they can set of put in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
As you will see from reading the recipe, this develops quite a number of skills which can be adapted for each child, even though they will never know it.
* older children can be tasked with measuring ingredients.
* providing an adult stands at the cooker AT ALL TIMES and maintains a discrete hold of the pan, a child of 4+ can stir the mixture (standing on a chair/mini steps) as it melts over a VERY low heat.
* a 2/3 year old can add the cornflakes to the chocolate mixture as long as it is off the cooker.
* using 2 teaspoons develops manual dexterity
* checking the size of the cakes and adjusting them develops spatial awareness.
* children of different ages can be tasked to do different things - it just needs Grandma to explain that each will have a role and set the ground rules as to how they behave in HER kitchen - (works every time!)
Actually, in my experience, this is a favourite with kids 3+ and above as they see the results of their efforts very quickly and they never realise what skills they are developing as they do it! Also, it is quick from the adults` perspective and I always make the older children do the washing up!
Hope this helps,
Archiduc
