Monkey Muffins

Waking up to the smell of cinnamon is the best way to wake up.  One thing children can do early on is learn to make cinnamon toast.  They can put bread in the toaster, butter it, and add a mixture of cinnamon and sugar that can be prepared ahead of time and stored in tupperware.

Children can learn to make their own breakfast at a young age.  I suggest placing cereal, bowls, spoons in a cabinet within easy reach of your children.  You may even want to portion out the cereal in a plastic bag that can be reused for the next day's portion.  If your children are very young this step helps keep bowls from overflowing.

Using a small pitcher of milk that you store in the fridge will help children from spilling as they pour milk on their cereal.  My grandmother had a cow pitcher and I loved using it!

Teach your children to put away the cereal and milk right after using it.  After they finish their cereal they should bring their bowls and utensils to the sink or dishwasher.  Children can learn to load the dishwasher if they are shown how to do it.
Making a special breakfast on Sunday mornings is always a treat!  Pancakes, waffles, muffins, are all choices children love.  They can help mix batters, add ingredients, set the table and clean up!  Make it a family time.

Here is a delicious recipe that children love to help make.  It is based on Monkey Bread.  See my kitchen rules in the previous post.  Using the same ground rules each time promotes consistency which is very important when raising children.

Monkey Muffins
Wash your hands. Prepare your ingredients and tools.

Secret ingredient - !/2 capful of vanilla extract added to melted butter. You can experiment with almond or orange extract.

1 tube of biscuit dough

1/2 stick butter

1/2 C granulated sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ Teaspoon nutmeg

1/3 C brown sugar

Tools

Clean scissors (I have a pair of child sized scissors that are only used for food.)

Measuring cup

Measuring spoons

1 microwave safe bowl

1 large bowl

Muffin tins and liners

Small sauce pan

Oven mitts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease the muffin tins or line with muffin cup liners.
3. Cut the butter into small pieces and place in the microwave safe bowl. Melt the butter in the microwave, it should take less than 1 minute. Ask an adult to help you take the butter out of the microwave
4. Mix the cinnamon, sugar, and nutmeg in the other bowl.
5. Open the biscuit package.
6. Cut the dough with the scissors so that each biscuit is in 4 pieces.
7. Dip each piece into the melted butter. Be careful, it will be hot.
8. Coat the piece of buttered dough in the sugar mixture.
9. Fill each muffin cup with the pieces of dough.  About 6 pieces in each cup.  Do not pack them tightly.
10. Bake for 20 -25 minutes.
11. While this is baking take the extra sugar and butter and melt it in a pan. You can drizzle it over the cake when it is done.
12. Clean up materials and work area.
13. Using the oven mitts, remove from the oven, Ask for an adult to help you.
14. Let it cool
15. Remove the muffins by inverting the pan over a plate.
16. Enjoy.
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