Apple Pancake Pie

I was exploring more of the William Sonoma kids recipes, while I don't think a kid could make these on their own, some of the recipes would be really fun to make with a kid. As soon as I found out my sister in law Carolyn was pregnant I was hoping that she would have a girl so we could have slumber parties. This recipe would be fun to make with Lily the morning after those slumber parties, when she is old enough, she is only 8 months old now!

Ingredients:
1 small apple
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk, at room temperature
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
Directions:
Before you start:

Be sure an adult is nearby to help.

Preheat an oven to 400°F. Grease a 9-inch glass pie dish with butter.

Prepare the apple:

Peel the apple, then cut it into quarters and core. Using a small knife, cut the apple quarters into small chunks.

Make the apple filling:

In a small bowl, using a fork, stir together 2 tablespoons of the sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon. Add the apple chunks and toss with the fork until the pieces are evenly coated with the cinnamon-sugar. Pour the apple chunks into the prepared dish, spreading them out evenly with the fork. Set aside.

Make the batter:

In a blender, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, the eggs, milk, flour and vanilla. Put the blender lid on securely and, holding the lid down tightly, blend on medium speed until all the ingredients are well mixed and frothy, about 1 minute.

Bake the apples:

Put the dish in the oven and bake the apple chunks for 5 minutes. Using an oven mitt, carefully pull out the oven rack until the dish is visible. Do not remove the dish. Pour the batter evenly over the apples. Slide the rack back into the oven and close the oven door.

Bake the pancake:

Bake the pancake until puffed and brown, about 25 minutes. Using oven mitts, carefully remove the dish from the oven and set it on a wire cooling rack. Dust the pancake with confectioners sugar using a fine-mesh sieve. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

Baby Back Ribs

Williams Sonoma has added a new section to their recipe page that is about cooking with kids. I thought this was a brilliant addition to their already informative site, I know I loved to help cook when I was a kid. The recipes are written like a kid would cook on their own but I think the kids job would mainly be stirring... I am normally not a huge fan of ribs, but I know my friend Dani's daughter Malia loves them, plus with all the sauce this would be a fun one to make with a kid & great pictures after of their messy faces.

When you serve these delicious ribs, be sure to pass around plenty of paper napkins!
Ingredients:
1 large lemon
1 cup tomato ketchup
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1 large garlic clove
2 pounds (2 racks) baby back ribs
Directions:
Before you start:

Be sure an adult is nearby to help. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large roasting pan with aluminum foil.

Begin the glaze:

Put the lemon on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut the lemon in half crosswise. Twist the lemon halves over the cone of a citrus juicer to juice it. Pick out the seeds, measure out 3 tablespoons juice, and then pour it into a small saucepan. Add the ketchup, honey, Worcestershire sauce, butter, ginger and coriander to the saucepan.

Chop the garlic:

Put the garlic clove on the cutting board. Place the flat part of a metal spatula over the garlic clove and press down hard with the heel of your palm to break and loosen the papery skin. Don't worry if you smash the garlic a little. Peel off the skin and throw it away. Using the knife, chop the garlic into tiny pieces. Add the garlic pieces to the saucepan.

Boil the glaze:

Set the saucepan over medium heat and bring the ketchup mixture to a boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Turn off the heat.

Coat and cook the ribs:

Put the ribs in the foil-lined roasting pan. Pour the glaze over the ribs, turning the ribs to coat both sides with the glaze. Arrange the ribs meaty side up. Cover the roasting pan tightly with another layer of aluminum foil, put it in the oven and bake for 1 hour.

Remove the ribs:

Ask an adult to help you open the oven and carefully slide out the oven rack. Wearing oven mitts, carefully lift the roasting pan from the oven and place it on a heatproof counter or other surface. Brown the ribs: Using the tongs, carefully pull back the aluminum foil from the roasting pan.

Be careful: The foil and steam will be very hot! Throw away the foil. Ask an adult to help you put the roasting pan with the ribs back in the oven. Bake the ribs until they are browned and the meat is very tender, about 1 hour more. Ask an adult to help you remove the roasting pan from the oven.

Separate the ribs:

To serve, let the ribs cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Using the tongs, transfer the rib racks to a cutting board. Ask an adult to help you now. Holding the ribs steady with a meat fork, use a knife to slice between the bones and separate the individual ribs. Pile the ribs onto a serving platter and serve immediately.