For this weekend, I suggest we have a great time cooking with our little ones.
And since in my homeland, Asturias, frixuelos or crepes (as they are popularly known) are very typical during Carnival, I'm going to share a very easy recipe to make sure they turn out delicious... And I ask, is there any child who doesn't like them?
First of all, the ritual is very important: we all wash our hands very well so we can handle the ingredients without fear... so the children get used to always doing it. Then, I always put their apron on them (each child has their own) and their chef's hat... It might seem silly, but if we make things a bit more fun, besides fascinating them, it will make them feel important!!
It's also necessary to prepare things in such a way that children can genuinely cook, stir, touch, smell, pour, knead, etc... They should feel that they are truly participating in the process because otherwise they will get bored and there will be no point in having them there...
So, if you cook with children, let them do it; it's okay if they spill or don't do everything perfectly. Above all, it's about: HAVING A GOOD TIME TOGETHER. Plus, it's a great opportunity for them to experiment with new textures, flavors, aromas, etc., and to teach them new things about food.
Next step: we get the ingredients out, and we can take the opportunity to explain or talk to them about each one, whatever things come to mind about the food, quantities, etc. In this case, we will need (to make about 8 frixuelos or crepes):
- 3 eggs
- 400 ml. of milk
- 180 gr. of flour
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- lemon zest (the original recipe calls for a dash of sweet anise, but I prefer to use lemon zest and they turn out delicious too)
- a little oil or butter
Beat the eggs with a whisk (or rather, let them beat them and then we finish beating them), add the sugar and beat again. Then add the flour, little by little, to avoid lumps, and add the milk and lemon zest… And we explain each step to them and let them participate in it... If there's more than one child: always take TURNS, so no one feels left out.
If we see too many lumps, we can always quickly use a blender to remove them.
Once the batter is ready, it's our turn, so we can tell them: "Now go play! The crepes will be ready in a little while and we'll sit down for a snack!" Oh! Don't forget to congratulate them on how well they've done and how much they've helped you! They're surely the best little helpers in the world!
Then we take a tiny drop of oil and spread it over the entire pan (we can use a bit of kitchen paper to do this, because very little is actually needed).
When the oil is hot, pour in some of the batter we prepared, spread it well across the pan, wait a couple of minutes for it to set while carefully loosening the edges with a spatula, and once it's set, flip the crepe and cook it for another minute. If you notice, the batter doesn't have much sugar; the idea is to take it from the pan to the plate, sprinkle a good amount of sugar on the outside of the crepe, and then roll it up…
I'm leaving you here a video for this part, because sometimes an image truly is worth a thousand words.
As you can see, it's a very easy recipe to make with kids, and they'll love it... My little ones were already licking their lips before eating them... And it's also a perfect plan for any afternoon you decide to stay home...
This is how ours turned out the last time we made them... Although we usually eat them with just sugar, of course, you can add or fill them with whatever you want: fruit, chocolate, cream, syrup, etc...
And you? What recipe do you usually make that engages your little ones?
If you liked the idea, share it!
