I've always been intrigued by this phrase, "easy as pie." Frankly, I think pie is pretty damn hard. Pie crust is my nemesis. I've followed countless pie crust recipes, tips from friends, video tutorials, you name it. Pie crust kicks my butt. But, I keep trying, convinced that one day I'll be able to master this very simple concoction.
A couple years ago, my mother-in-law gave the Wunderkind this cookbook:
It is really cute and it even came with kid-sized utensils. Recently, Vivi pulled it off the shelf and marched into the kitchen, announcing that she wanted to make apple pies. PIES! Instantly, pie crust failure flashbacks flooded my brain. The fear was setting in. As my heart rate increased, I took a couple deep breaths and thought "Hey, relax. It's a cookbook for kids. Maybe this will finally teach me to conquer the crust?" I shook it off, deciding not to transfer my pie crust cross-to-bear onto my child and said a simple "sure, babe."
I let her run the show. She measured out her ingredients, followed the directions carefully and used me as her sous-chef. And, the kid made pie crust. A flaky, buttery, perfect pie crust.
Not only was it fantastic for her to have such a great result, but just watching her watch the oven, checking the timer, and getting excited about her baking adventure was the best thing ever. Once they were ready, we let them cool (slightly) before diving in to taste. Success! My sweet baby created 4 personal size apple pies and they were awesome. She was so incredibly proud of herself and I could practially see the confidence radiating from her. We had to drive one over to my parents' house so she could share the lovin' from the oven!
If you haven't had the chance yet to teach a child to cook, find an opportunity. Yes, it can be immensely frustrating because they don't always listen well, they are messy and sometimes they lose interest, but if you keep trying, the next thing you know they are baking pies. And making pie crust better than you!
A couple years ago, my mother-in-law gave the Wunderkind this cookbook:
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| Eager Pie Baker |
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| Lookin' good! |
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| Finished product, complete with pastry "V" |
If you haven't had the chance yet to teach a child to cook, find an opportunity. Yes, it can be immensely frustrating because they don't always listen well, they are messy and sometimes they lose interest, but if you keep trying, the next thing you know they are baking pies. And making pie crust better than you!
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