You are 100% correct. I completely forgot about that.
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Unfortunately it isn’t a class. It is an after-school baking club. They asked me to take it over because I am always cooking/baking and I usually leave all of the baked goods in the faculty room. I do it because I’m bored and am always trying to improve my skills but I don’t have a particularly sweet tooth. Things are always well-received though.
They got rid of the home ec, wood shop, auto shop, etc. classes 20+ years ago. when there was a big (stupid) push for every student to go to college. A couple of years ago they started a kind of combo shop class. A history teacher does it. I was like “hey! If a history teacher can teach shop then a science teacher should be able to teach cooking.” I asked him about it and he said he had to go through classes and get some special certification for it. So I am stuck doing DNA and genetics during the day and will do the baking club after school.
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Lulu took a special class that was divided into 4 groups. They each picked a country, researched it, and put together a menu of typical dishes, and then shopped and cooked it as their final exam. But this sounds more like a fun thing than that (but it did teach them about their countries, habits, budgeting - both $ and time, so I think it was well worth it).
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You could come up with a short list of easy bakes, both sweet and savory, and send a google survey for them to rank what would be fun, as well as add their own ideas, then plan from there.
I’d focus on things that don’t require much specialty equipment or specialty ingredients, so that they can be easily replicated by them at home if they want.
A few things I’ve baked with kids and teens, or have on my “easy” list:
Sweet:
— Wacky / amazon / depression cake (or cupcakes) with chocolate ganache – here is one
— Hot milk sponge cake (a recent favorite, and super easy) – as a cake, as cupcakes, or as a swiss roll
— Orange or lemon pound cake or olive oil cake
— Variations on brownies, blondies, other bars – lots of things from Yossi Arefi’s’s books are very easy and crowd-pleasing (see BCOTM here) and Jessie Sheehan’s books are based on the same idea (eg here)
— Upside down cakes with various fruits
— Easy tarts with assorted fillings and press-in flour or cookie crumb crusts – chocolate, lemon, etc
Savory:
— Easy high-yeast, no-knead loaves from Alexandra’s kitchen (ditto focaccia) – lots of variations on the site
— Cheesy quick breads from Dorie or Chetna Makan or the BCOTM Gateaux – several mentioned here
— Gougeres and Pao de Queijo
— Quiches or mini quiches (can use ready storebought crusts or an easy press-in crust)
— Quick biscuits (these cold milk and melted butter ones are lovely and fast)
— Pan pizza with a quick crust
There are several things that cross over between sweet and savory – choux pastry (gougeres vs profiteroles), bread and egg bakes (french toast casserole, savory bread pudding, regular bread pudding), quick breads (cheese bread, banana bread, pumpkin loaf), and so on – could be fun to divide the group and make a sweet and savory version at the same time, or do one in one week and one the following week.
Might help to assess what baking equipment will be needed across the items you are thinking about, and then streamline the choices to reuse the same equipment instead of needing to buy lots of different pans.
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That sounds very cool. I would LOVE to do something like that if it was an actual class.
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Yeah we will have to make do with what I and the students can bring from home because the school sure as hell isn’t going to pay for baking equipment. I will see what (if anything) the life skills classroom has when I get back to work. I think the stipend is just $500 so I’m not going to go nuts buying supplies for it.
I do plan to do a survey with the students to see what they are interested in learning about or making. Like I said up top as far as I can tell it has mostly just been a cupcake decorating contest thing in the past but the assistant principal said I could make it anything I want. I could probably turn it into a “cooking and baking club”.
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i really like the suggestions that hit on basic skills. i once did a demo for a local community college. my approach was to bring in: pancake mix, brownie mix, bouillon cubes, gravy mix and Italian dressing. i proceeded to sweep them into the conspicuous garbage can next to my counter as i launched into my spiel about how all these things are unnecessary (and a waste of money) when you know how to do it yourself.
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For now it is the “baking club” but I will see if there is interest in learning about cooking too.
What about a Ham Pasta Bake??
The ham was pre-cooked, so they could cut that up into small pieces. The cheese can be shredded on a box grater or use pre-shredded cheese. The pasta would need to be boiled for a little bit prior baking. Open a jar of Alfredo Sauce, mixed it in, throw it all into a baking dish and into the oven.
Given that most such RC treats are now in a package , kids eat those instead of our beloved homemade ones of yore. Kids will love the butter flavor. You get none of that in the packaged ones.
We had the same , push for college, crap in my district. Never got rid of our shop classes, though. Home ec., though, was chopped.
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I haven’t read all 50 replies, so this might be redundant, and if so, sorry. I would use this opportunity to teach them a few American everyday classics – things they are likely to make for friends and family. Recipes they can pull out and use to quickly make a gift or dessert to bring to a new neighbor, partner or birthday person. Or something they can make for themselves when they are broke young adults.
My list, working with your time and $$ constraints:
Key lime pie!
Banana, pumpkin, applesauce, or zucchini bread - in mini loaves
Molasses cookies
Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
Yellow birthday cupcakes with frosting
[No-egg chocolate] (https://cakesbymk.com/recipe/moist-chocolate-cake-eggless/) cupcakes (uses Greek yogurt; tastes best on day 2 or 3)
Dutch baby - teach a sweet and a savory
Chocolate lava/molten chocolate cakes
Strawberry shortcake
Chex mix
Quiche egg bites
Mini meatloaves
Baked tortilla egg cups
Bran cereal muffins
Berry spoon cake
Stromboli or calzone – not sure this can be done in time
Pineapple upside-down cake / Ina Garten’s plum cake tatin (can sub various fruits – berries are a bit too watery though; peaches or cherries are good) – also a lot to finish in 1 hour
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Having just made a Dutch baby for the first time, I gotta recommend it. So easy, so fast. A blender, a scale and a cast iron pan - that was it.
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That’ll be part of the unleavened breads unit. Cheddar Bay biscuits is next. Then, the yeast…bring on the yeast! Zymurgy unit after that.
I think really good Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe would be Number 1. A really good scratch recipe. I now much prefer the ones with chocolate that you chop, not chips. No nuts of course.
Banana Bread is inexpensive and smells delicious.
I’ve come to realize that cooking from recipes teaches you to really pay attention and follow directions.
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Maybe a vegan one – cheap! @Saregama don’t you have a favorite?
Not @Saregama but I’ve been making these Ovenly chocolate chip cookies for over a decade and they are fantastic- I add about 1 teaspoon of vanilla
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Is there an ideal cookie texture debate thread? “soft and chewy” is exactly opposite of what all cookies should be. My ideal is CC cookie is crisp, flaky with only the chocolate slightly chewy. And a sugar cookie should crunch as you bite it.
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I am definitely team CRISP
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That’s the one. Remarkably flexible.
However might not be the best for this as it really benefits from a rest before baking (ideally overnight, but even a few hours).
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