The Perfect Opportunity: Bake For Family Fun Month

About author / Christine Gable

Culinary enthusiast; kids cuisine and slow cooking; magazine recipe developer; professional writer. Her simple recipes are great for family dinners.

Did you know that February is Bake For Family Fun Month? No, it's not something that's splashed across the headlines or that made the evening news lately, is it?

The Home Baking Association has designated February as Bake for Family Fun Month--and to make it even easier for you, they have a selection of activities that are designed for different age ranges. From sourdough starter, pumpkin pie muffins and gluten-free banana bread to Red Velvet Cake for your Valentine, they provide the inspiration—you provide the ingredients, the kitchen, and time to help as necessary.

Sure, it may sound rather corny and old fashioned, but baking together is something that not only fills the house with a delectable aroma, it satisfies the need for kids and parents alike to do something together – and even better, to have it end in something to fill the ol' belly. Here in the south central part of Pennsylvania, the winter winds are blowing cold, and that makes for an even better reason to fire up the oven.

Perhaps it’s that old-fashioned part of me, but I think there’s almost nothing better than firing up the oven and putting something to bake inside. And since I just recently replaced my very worn and tired Caloric gas range with an awesome LG 5-burner range (yes, the burners have BTU ratings!), with a large oven and warming drawer, I’ve got an even more exciting reason to find a new recipe to try.

I’ve also noticed that if I plan my baking schedule just right, it can soothe the savage beast that can appear during homework hour. If there’s a batch of lemon poppy-seed muffins, some strawberry thumbprint cookies, pumpkin spice crumb cake or some regular ol' chocolate chip cookies wafting their delectable, calming aroma through the living area, life is good. And if life was good already, it only gets better.

While I often resort to keeping a stash of granola bars and crackers to keep the glass lidded jars on the counter full of snacking booty, there’s something infinitely more satisfying to see homemade goodies in them. And yes, it can be a never-ending job keeping the cookie jar full (of course, it often is empty—hence those purchased granola bars). So if I bake a batch, I now slip half of them into some trusty freezer Ziplocs and have them to pull out in a jiffy. Voila!—empty cookie jar is full in an instant for drop-in family or last minute friends’ get-together.

It’s not sensational, or eye-catching, but it is something that can bring you and your kids closer together. Yes, it’s time with your kids that ends in satisfaction—and even better, a delicious treat. Plus, it builds happy memories, to boot. Try some family baking during February.

Start simple: this batch of cookies only takes one mixing bowl, a spoon and a thumb—preferably your that of kids. They’ll love pressing the middle of each buttery-soft shortbread and tucking a small spoonful of jam inside. And the magic of watching the jam melt and bubble is almost as good as biting into the soft creamy crumb complemented by the sweet fruit jam. (But beware of biting in as soon as they come out of the oven—the jam stays hot for 3-5 minutes, so try to hold off the hungry cookie monsters so no one ends up with a burned mouth or tongue.)

Serves/Makes: 24

• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup fruit jam or jelly (strawberry is good)