In recent years we have had a lot of fun at Unit night with our older age groups by running a camp version of a Top Chef Bake Off. This activity can easily be recreated at home. If you have younger children you can adapt the steps below by making sure there is an adult in each group.
Materials Required: Flour, brown sugar, white sugar, butter, eggs, baking soda, salt, peanut butter, sprinkles, chocolate chips, cinnamon, m&ms, cocoa powder, an oven, sheet pans, and bowls
How to Play Top Chef Bake Off: The idea of a Top Chef Bake Off is that campers are given a baking challenge to make cookies, without a recipe, and with one “special” ingredient, that is different for each team. Campers have to make the dough for their cookie, determine how long they want it cooking and at what temperature, and then the judges do a taste test to determine the winners. Sounds easy enough – but the results can be varied! Here’s how we suggest you play at home:
Step 1: Put on your baker outfit! An apron and/or your interpretation of a chef’s hat is a good place to start. Wash your hands and take the opportunity to explain the importance of good hygiene, especially when cooking for others.
Step 2: Gather the basic ingredients that all groups will need: flour, sugar, butter, eggs, baking powder and baking soda. In a separate spot lay out the “special” ingredients: peanut butter, sprinkles, chocolate chips, cinnamon, m&ms, cocoa powder, etc. Also put out any utensils or bowls they may need.
Step 3: Run a challenge to determine who gets to choose their special ingredient first. Suggestions include: most creative performance of a cookie serenade, best cookie monster impression, silliest cookie dance performance, or cookie based trivia questions, etc. Winners get to choose their “special” ingredient first out of the choices you’ve laid out.
Step 4: Time to collect and combine the ingredients to build their dough! If you have older children, you can let them determine ingredient amounts, but consider setting a maximum so that you don’t end up with a ton of cookies! For example, no more than 1.5 cups of flour. If you have younger children, set aside an appropriate amount for each group to make ~8 cookies (maybe use this small batch cookie recipe as a starting point). Older children can have the challenge of not using traditional measuring spoons or cups, instead give them just a regular table spoon and ask them to eyeball the amount of flour they put into their mixing bowl. Give participants an allotted time to prep their dough. When the time is up, groups need to place their dough on the pans, and they choose the size of the spoonfuls.
Step 5: Each group determines their oven temperature and baking time (with adult decision making/overruling as necessary for safety!) and then bakes their cookies.
Step 6: After the cookies are cooled, it’s time for the judges to taste test.
*Counselor Hack: There can always be different categories for groups to win including: best baked, sweetest, best consistency and texture, most creative, best teamwork, etc. Channel your inner Paul, Mary, and Pru from the Great British Baking Show as you provide comments and feedback. Were their cookies over baked or were there any soggy bottoms? Who had the most interesting flavor combinations?
On your mark, get set, baaaake!