Encouraging your kids help prepare meals and snacks not only boosts their enthusiasm for food, it bonds the family and can help teach children critical life skills. It’s also a lot of fun! Kids thrive when they spend quality time with adults and peers in the kitchen.
When is the right age to get kids in the kitchen? All kids are different, but the sooner kids get cooking the better. Some kids are ready as early as 18 months, and there are lots of age appropriate kitchen tasks
to try. As a parent, the key is to be patient and model how to safely handle food and kitchen tools. This recipe for tiny tarts is ideal for young helpers because it teaches several essential skills.
Oregon Apple and Pear Tiny Tarts
• This recipe will use two, 12-inch circles of pie dough. Use your favorite recipe or pre-made.
• 3 apples, peeled, cored, and diced into 1/4 inch cubes
• 2 pears, apples, peeled, cored, and diced into 1/4 inch cubes
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Milk, for brushing
• Coarse or granulated sugar, for topping
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Peel, core and dice apples and pears.
3. Mix apples and pears with sugar and spices.
4. Cut 3-inch circles from pie dough using cookie or biscuit cutter and put them onto a sheet pan. If sheet pan is not non-stick, cover tray with parchment paper or coat it with butter.
5. Lightly brush milk on pie dough circle.
6. Scoop 1 tablespoon of mixture into the center of the pie dough circle.
7. Cover with another pie dough circle and crimp down the edges with a fork.
8. Using a fork, poke a set of holes on the top.
9. Brush top with milk and sprinkle with a pinch of sugar.
10. Bake for 15-20 minutes until tops are golden brown.
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