At a certain point in their lives, almost all teenagers hate doing things with their parents. That’s why I joke with my teen-aged daughter that we’re “making memories” regardless of what it is we’re doing—taking out the trash is one of my favorites.
No doubt cooking is one of the most logical and obvious ways to make memories. Julia Child not only cooked, but made extraordinary memories for many of us through her cooking shows on TV. At 37, she moved to Paris with her husband and fell in love with France and food. As documented in her book My Life in France, she found herself through food. I didn’t need to wait until 37 to find myself: I started cooking at 12.
My daughter doesn’t naturally love to cook, but she does like “making memories” and chocolate. Here is a simple but spicy chai pudding that’s love in a cup plus Kate’s famous brownies—it’s a great one-bowl recipe that a kid can handle making—you simply mix them up with a spoon.
Katharine Hepburn’s Brownies
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 325F. Butter and flour an 8-inch square pan.
Place butter and chocolate in a saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until chocolate melts. Remove from heat.
Stir in sugar, 2 eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Stir in flour and salt. Stir in walnuts, if using.
Bake about 40 minutes. Cool and cut into 2-inch squares. Serves 16.
— By Jill Melton, Relish Editor
This article was originally published as Easy Chocolate Recipes Kids Can Make on Relish.com.
