The holidays are the perfect time to try out cooking or baking with kids if you’ve never done it before! It can be intimidating bringing young ones into the kitchen with you. But, it’s also a wonderful way to make family memories and teach important life skills.

The Unofficial Hogwarts Cookbook for Kids is full of easy recipes that kids will love to eat and prepare themselves. Check out the super easy Pepper Imp Bark recipe below, and some tips for keeping little ones safe in the kitchen. Before you know it, baking with kids might just become your new favorite hobby!

Safety Tips for Cooking or Baking with Kids

Though this isn’t potions class taught by an extremely strict professor, it’s still very important to follow the kitchen rules. After all, you want to keep your eyebrows intact and avoid explosions or melting cauldrons. Take a look at the following safety advice before heading into the kitchen to brew up a potion or bake a magical treat.

Ask an adult before beginning: Talk about what recipe you’re planning to make; they might have some advice for you. Let them look over the ingredients and tools you’ll need to make sure you’re set up for success.

When in doubt, wash your hands: Wash your hands before cooking, after handling raw meat, after cutting smelly ingredients like garlic, and after picking up something you dropped on the floor. Wash those hands!

Roll up your sleeves and pull back your hair: Sleeves can get in the way and knock things over while you’re cooking. They can also catch on fire if you’re working over the stove. Be sure to roll your sleeves up so none of that happens.

Clean up after yourself: Cooking can get messy, and that’s okay! But it’s important to clean up the mess after you’ve made it. Since you probably haven’t mastered a room-cleaning charm yet, you’re going to have to tidy up the old-fashioned way. You can even try cleaning as you cook so it isn’t as big of a task at the end.

Ask for help before using a utensil for the first time. Like I said before, you want to keep your eyebrows intact. Instead of barreling ahead, pause and make sure you’re doing things correctly. Just as it’s important to pronounce spells correctly, it’s important to use tools in the correct manner.

Pay attention to hot surfaces. Keep towels (both paper and cloth), oven mitts, and potholders away from the stove.

Do your homework! Review the recipe directions and ingredient list before you begin to cook.

Prep all ingredients. Take the time to gather and prepare your ingredients before you begin.

Practice knife safety: Think “SASS.”

• Stop—Pause and make sure no one is within arm’s reach
• Away—Cut away from your body and fingers
• Sharp—A dull knife is dangerous! A sharp, clean knife is a safe knife.
• Store—When you’re done with the knife, make sure to put it away in a sheath or knife block.

Another thing to keep in mind is to always cut on a cutting board. Your parents won’t be pleased if their countertops suddenly look like they’ve taken a beating by an enchanted and particularly violent willow tree.

Wear closed-toe shoes. If you are just learning how to handle a knife it might be a good idea to wear closed-toe shoes in case the knife accidentally falls.

Turn off the stove. If you’re in the middle of cooking and you need to leave the kitchen for some reason, turn off the stove. You can turn it on again when you get back.

Tools We Love for Cooking and Baking with Kids

Easy Recipe for Baking with Kids

Pepper Imp Bark

A delicious take on the classic wizarding treat, this peppermint bark recipe won’t have you breathing fire or blowing smoke out of your nose, but it still packs a minty punch!

Yield: 12 servings

Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 (12-ounce) bag white chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 12 crushed peppermint candies

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place the semisweet chocolate chips in a medium microwave-safe bowl.

3. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring the chocolate between each until chocolate is completely melted.

4. Stir the peppermint extract into the melted chocolate

5. Pour the melted chocolate onto the sheet pan, smoothing it into an even, thin layer using an offset spatula or butter knife.

6. Place the chocolate in the fridge to set for 20 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, in another microwave-safe bowl, place the white chocolate chips. As with the semisweet chips, melt the chocolate down in 30-second increments in the microwave, stirring between each.

8. Remove the set semisweet chocolate from the fridge and pour the white chocolate over it, smoothing it evenly over the top with an offset spatula or butter knife.

9. Sprinkle the crushed peppermint candies evenly over the top and return the bark to the fridge to set for another 20 minutes.

10. Once set, peel the bark off the parchment paper and either cut into bite-size pieces or break apart into pieces with your hands.

11. Store the bark in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.