Kitchen inspiration ideas: Add a twist to tried-and-tested!

I have recipes I’ve developed over the years that I love with all my heart but even I find recipes a bit constrictive sometimes. I am a firm believer that the fun of cooking begins once you have a handle on the basics.

Once your children are familiar with the basics of cooking, they are ready to dive in and try out their own ideas and versions of recipes. As hard as it might be, we need to take a step back and just let their creativity flow :)

Creativity is so important for every child, and encouraging them to experiment with recipes and add personal touches to their dishes is a trait of every great chef. 

Let’s take a look at some creative kitchen inspiration ideas that your kids can use to give their culinary adventures an extra kick!

Showcase something new
Let your kids go crazy with their cupcake decorations! Motivate them to try new styles and flavors, going beyond the requirements of the recipe. 

The freedom to experiment with a new flavor combo or showcase a new ingredient in their cooking could very possibly lead to an unexpected yet delicious surprise! 

Experiment with color
Now, vanilla cupcakes can look a little boring (they taste great, though!), so why not let your kids have some fun by giving them a splash of color?

It’s super easy—all you need to do is split the cupcake batter into two or three bowls and add different colors to each to make some colorful batter.

Create layers of batter when filling the cupcake liners and you'll have multi-colored cupcakes!

Plan a baking day with friends
The more the merrier, I always say (especially when cooking is involved)!

Arrange a fun baking day for your kids and their friends, where they can get together and try some recipes they’ve learned.

When the baking and cleaning up is all done, they can all enjoy their goodies accompanied by some music and games.

Assemble your own ice cream sandwich 
Who doesn’t love ice cream? I admit I have a weakness for it, especially ice cream sandwiches! 

Now, your kids don’t have to run after the ice cream truck for some refreshing ice cream sandwiches—they can make some right at home :)

Take two chocolate chip cookies and add a scoop of your favorite ice cream onto one. Top it with some soft caramel candies and sandwich it with another cookie. 

That’s all you need for your very own delicious ice cream sandwich!

Make some holiday bread
Baking is a process that will teach your children patience, and sweet bread rolls are great for holidays. Your kids can make them into any shape they want, from a bunny for Easter to evergreen trees for Christmas. 

Let them experiment with different holiday shapes and see what cool ideas they come up with.

Add some spice to your buttercream
Buttercream is delicious enough on its own but sometimes, I like to add a twist to shake things up :) 

Throw some spices like cinnamon, cardamon, and maybe a little nutmeg in the mix. There’s a lot more you can add to buttercream, so let your kids explore with jams, tree nuts, and mints too!

Lovely valentine toaster pies
Here's a great kitchen inspiration idea to add some flair to toaster pies.

Cut them into heart shapes or any other shape they’d like, and fill them up with some yummy cherry jam. 

Your kids will love making these and gifting them to someone they love, like their friends, or perhaps you :) 

Make infused butter
Try giving regular butter a little twist by infusing it with other ingredients. 

Melt some butter in a pot and add popped popcorn or earl grey tea; let it simmer for about five minutes, and then strain the ingredients. Now pour the butter into a heatproof container and let it cool and harden in the fridge.

Your kids will love this unusual butter in their buttercream recipes!

Add a surprise to your cupcakes 
You know how popular cupcakes are; now imagine how popular a surprise cupcake would be! 

It’s easy to do; simply scoop out a bit of the center of a baked cupcake and let your kids decide what they’d like to fill it with: chocolate, hazelnuts, fruit preserves—anything goes. 

Don’t forget to frost the cupcake so the surprise stays hidden!

Have some fun with new kitchen inspiration ideas 
Giving your kids some space and letting them use their imagination in the kitchen is a great way to inspire confidence and show them that you believe in them. 

Have them try some of these kitchen inspiration ideas on their next cooking or baking project, and enjoy the amazing dishes they create :)