Yesterday I had a great baking session with my primary school students, which taught me such an amazing lesson that I had to share.
On the menu were gingerbread biscuits as the children had been learning about fairy tales and this was the perfect bake.
Initially, I fretted about time constraints and how I could include the decorating of the gingerbread within the short time that we had. Little did I know that I didn't need to worry, as the kids taught me a valuable lesson:
Keep it Simple.
As adults, we often overcomplicate things, whether it's planning a meal, organising our schedules, or baking with our kids. We worry about every detail, trying to ensure everything is just right. But here's the thing: kids have a natural knack for keeping things simple, and we could all benefit from taking a leaf out of their book.
For our baking session, we started with a basic gingerbread recipe, that was adapted for the children with specific dietary requirements.
This is the allergen-free recipe we used:
**Allergen-Free Gingerbread Recipe:**
Ingredients:
110g Dairy Free Block Butter, e.g. Flora Plant Based (Room Temp)
100g Dark Brown Sugar
4 Tbsp Black Treacle or Golden Syrup
1 Tbsp of Chia or Flax Seeds in 3 Tbsps of Water
410g Gluten Free Plain Flour
Pinch of Salt (If Butter is Unsalted)
1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Tbsps Ground Ginger
2 Tsps Mixed Spice
Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 190c fan (210c conventional/375F) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Beat the butter, sugar and treacle together in a bowl until creamy.
3. Add the egg and beat well.
4. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until a dough forms. The dough should be soft but not sticky, add more flour a tablespoon at a time if it's sticky.
5. Roll out the dough between two sheets of baking paper, and use a cutter to cut out your shapes. Place on the lined baking tray.
6. Bake for 10-12 mins until the edges are golden. Set aside to cool.
As we made the gingerbread I watched the kids eagerly cut out their gingerbread man shapes, and I couldn't help but notice how effortlessly they embraced simplicity. Instead of worrying about intricate decorations or elaborate designs, they used their leftover dough to give their gingerbread people faces and other little details like belly buttons. 😄
It really was a lightbulb moment for me. Our need for perfection means we often forget the simple things that can bring the most joy. The kids didn't need fancy decorations or elaborate techniques to enjoy their gingerbread cookies—they found joy in the process itself, in the act of creating something with their own hands and using their imaginations.
Let's take a tip from our little ones and embrace simplicity in our baking (and in life!). Whether it's whipping up a batch of gingerbread cookies or tackling any other task on our to-do list, let's remember that sometimes, less is more.
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