Conclusion

Over the past few weeks I have- 

Looked at both children’s and adult’s recipe books, found differences between children and adult cooking programmes, and have attempted to bake while following a recipe from each recipe book. 

What I found with the recipe books is that they are actually very similar. Recipes are presented clearly, in a traditional manner in both. They both have other chapters relating to baking such as ‘Techniques’ and ‘Equipment’. I feel that the main difference between the recipe books has to be the use of a more personal tone throughout The Primrose Bakery recipe book, whereas recipes seem to be thrown together in the Beautiful Baking Book. Other factors such as size and design are also effective in appealing to the desired age groups.

Of course there are very obvious differences between the children and adult cooking programmes. Language use has to the first which comes to mind, but also the speed at which the presenters are speaking to the viewers. The personalities of Ben and Small are clearly scripted whereas Jamie Oliver’s performance seems down to earth and honest. 

Finally, my baking experience has led me to believe (possibly an unpopular opinion) that although it is normally seen that children’s recipes should be easier to follow, I would argue that baking using a children’s recipe book can actually be more difficult than a professional one. More work and effort may be needed to create ‘professional’ cakes, but some of the directions in the Beautiful Baking Book were vague and hard to follow. 

As I bring this blog to an end, I’d like to remind all cooks and bakers to make sure that they are aware of the safety requirements when cooking, especially when cooking with children. Make sure all surfaces and equipment are clean, children stay away from hot appliances and sharp tools, and maybe make sure the oven is turned on when needed…? Good luck to you all and happy baking! I hope you enjoyed my blog! 

xx