As the holiday season arrives, so do my childhood memories of baking in my family’s kitchen. Spending those moments together was always so exciting.
I especially remember how important I felt when I got to help — following directions, measuring ingredients, testing new recipes and eating the results! As an adult, I love spending this time with my 8-year-old niece as she blossoms into quite the baker.
These special experiences can happen in the kitchen or somewhere else, and we hope the library will be a place you find inspiration and instruction. We love helping families discover new interests and become experts in their latest hobby.
If you plan on making some memories in the kitchen this season, here are some children’s cookbooks to guide you and the kiddos in your life.
• “My Very First Cookbook: Joyful Recipes to Make Together!” by Danielle Kartes
This book includes simple kid-friendly recipes, conversation starters and silly jokes to make your time in the kitchen memorable.
• “The No-Cook Cookbook” by Rebecca Woollard
Budding young chefs will be inspired by the easy-to-follow instructions for these no-cook recipes. The book also includes kitchen safety tips and instructions on how kids can grow their own herb and vegetable gardens.
• “Baking Class: 50 Fun Recipes Kids Will Love to Bake!” by Deanna F. Cook
If your child is interested in sweet and savory recipes, this book is perfect for learning baking vocabulary, cooking tips and how to make some delicious recipes such as Toaster Oven Tarts and Garlic Bread Sticks. Helpful step-by-step photos are included with each recipe.
• “Cooking Class: Global Feast” by Deanna Cook
Take your taste buds around the world with this cookbook, which celebrates various cultures. This one includes some familiar favorites like Beef Empanadas from Peru, while introducing some maybe not so well-known recipes such as Apfelpfannkuchen (apple pancakes) from Germany. Definitely a feast for the senses!
• “The Complete DIY Cookbook for Young Chefs: 100+ Simple Recipes for Making Absolutely Everything from Scratch” by America’s Test Kitchen
This kid-tested and approved cookbook teaches budding chefs how to make many favorite store-bought recipes from scratch. Easy recipes from homemade ketchup to sugar cookie mixes will encourage them to be creative and experiment in the kitchen.
• “The Unofficial TikTok Cookbook” by Valentina Mussi
Take your favorite TikTok recipe videos into the kitchen and learn how to make some of the trendiest snacks, drinks and meals out there. Mussi, TikTok famous for her Whipped Strawberry Milk recipe video (26 million views!), shares some key social media tips so teens can learn how to “go viral,” too!
• “The Delish Kids (Super-Awesome, Crazy-Fun, Best-Ever) Cookbook” by Joanna Saltz
Each of the 100+ recipes in this book show the equipment young chefs will need and the difficulty level for each. Kids will find recipes for every occasion, including party eats (perfect for upcoming holiday get-togethers), restaurant copycat recipes and snacks inspired by famous pop culture characters. The cookbook also includes authentic family recipes sent in by actual grandmas from across the country, which makes this cookbook even more special.
— Jennifer Susina is a youth and young adult services librarian at the Hinsdale Public Library.
