first assignment was pumpkin bar. i’ve never had a pumpkin bar before so not only did i have to modify the recipe, i also had to figure out what it should taste like! luckily k is a new eater, so i don’t have to create something to taste like what others know it would be. i just had to find a way to make it look somewhat like what her classmates are having and fit within her taste range that she can experience her cooking class fully.
i knew about this project a week before the daycare cooking class so i had time to research pumpkin bar recipes and find a way to modify it so k can eat it. some factors in the ingredients include eggs (due to her allergy), flour, cinnamon, sugar, baking power and baking soda (which she hasn’t had yet) and sugar (which i wasn’t ready to introduce her to yet since she’s just 1).
i found a simple no bake recipe online but paired it down to just a few ingredients. i had to introduce k to some food ingredients. first, pumpkin. luckily that went well. next, i introduced her to cinnamon, a common spice with pumpkin. she had no problems with that either. since the recipe at school also is putting cream cheese spread on top, i looked for a similar looking topping and found a milk spread. it was perfect!
no bake pumpkin bar
ingredients
- ½ cup organic pumpkin puree
- ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 Tsp flaxseed meal
- 2 Tbsp milk spread
preparation
- mix all ingredients.
- spread a ½ inch layer on parchment paper.
- allow to cool in refrigerator.
- serve with milk spread on top
i forgot to take pictures but the teacher at k’s daycare said she ate it all. i am relieved k got to take part in her first cooking class! i tried it and it wasn’t very flavorful. she hasn’t eaten a lot of sugar and rich flavored foods yet i know i had a little pass this time. i’ll look to see if i can find a way to spruce it up in the future!
notes
1. resource The Kitchn: No Bake Recipe – Chai Spiced Pumpkin Bars
2. see other daycare cooking assignments