Sunny Sprouts by Miss Jane

Who else is craving a delicious piece of chewy, chocolatey, decadent brownies? I know I am! Let’s make some together!

Baking and cooking are great ways to introduce math, language, and literacy aspects to your child. They also provide perfect opportunities for children to practice their coordination and fine motor skills. This simple, one-bowl brownie recipe is the perfect snacktivity!

Hang up the ingredient and instruction posters included in this post to refer to as you prepare the brownies. This will help your child associate meaning with print, and get them ready for literacy. You can also count together with your child as you measure out your ingredients, and introduce new vocabulary words.

Keep reading for the recipe, templates, and vocab words!

This brownie recipe is adapted from Maria’s recipe over at Two Peas and Their Pod. Our version is altered for a brownie that is a little less sweet. For the original recipe, click here!

Happy baking!

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter that’s been melted and cooled
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup chopped chocolate

Instructions

Instructions on the downloadable poster are simplified. For more detailed instructions, refer to this post and the instructions written below.

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F or 176°C.
2. Prep your baking pan by spraying non-stick spray or using parchment paper. Maria suggests leaving an overhang with the parchment paper to make lifting the brownies easier once they’re baked and cooled.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together your melted and cooled butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla extract until the batter consistency is smooth.
4. Once combined, sift in and mix your flour and cocoa powder. Be sure not to overmix your batter.
5. Fold in your chopped chocolate with a spatula.
6. Pour your completed batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. They may seem a little bit undercooked once the time is up, but they will continue cooking and setting as they cool.
7. Once cooled, cut into squares and enjoy!

Download the recipe posters, here!

Baking Vocabulary Words

This activity corresponds with the following DRDP measures:

COG 1: Spatial Relationships

Child increasingly shows understanding of how objects move in space or fit in different spaces

COG 3: Number Sense of Quantity

Child shows developing understanding of number and quantity

COG 4: Number Sense of Math Operations

Child shows increasing ability to add and subtract small quantities of objects

COG 5: Measurement

Child shows an increasing understanding of measurable properties such as size, length, weight, and capacity (volume), and how to quantify those properties

LLD 7: Concepts About Print

Child shows an increasing understanding of the conventions and physical organization of print material and that print carries meaning

PD-HLTH 4: Fine Motor Manipulative Skills

Child demonstrates increasing precision, strength, coordination, and efficiency when using muscles of the hand for play and functional tasks

References

Lichty, Maria, et al. “One Bowl Brownies {BEST Brownie Recipe!}.” Two Peas & Their Pod, 16 July 2021, http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/one-bowl-brownie-recipe/.

Mullen, Author Ashley. “Cooking Terms for Kids.” Forgetful Momma, 25 Jan. 2022, http://www.forgetfulmomma.com/kids-kitchen-measuring-cooking-terms/.