Taste Buds Kitchen: The Perfect Mom-Kid Date

This post is sponsored by Taste Buds Kitchen, however opinions belong to the writer.

My six-year-old daughter and I recently had a chance to check out Taste Buds Kitchen, a new culinary entertainment experience in Leawood. They offer kids cooking classes during the day and adults-only BYOB events in the evening. Olive and I were there to learn how to make red-velvet heart cupcakes. Yum!

The kitchen was beautiful. Gleaming white subway tile, spotless stainless-steel tables, and colorful jars of sprinkles immediately caught my eye. When we arrived, the kid-height tables were ready with mixing bowls, pre-measured ingredients, and a child-size whisk. My daughter was excited to put on her apron and get started!

I wish my kitchen was this organized (and had this many sprinkles).

After everyone arrived and all hands were washed, it was time to get started. Jenny, the owner and our instructor for the day, led the kids through each step. Combining flour and cocoa powder in one bowl; mixing the wet ingredients in another—you know the drill. We even got a mini science lesson. The kids combined a small amount of baking soda and vinegar to make a tiny fizzing substance that got mixed into the batter, a trick I might have to incorporate into my own baking.

So focused.

I was impressed with how easily the kids all followed along. Olive was one of the older kids in the group, but even the youngest were able to keep up and do a great job mixing up their batter. Parents were there to help with things like scraping down the sides of the bowl and cracking the egg, but the kids did basically everything. (Scooping the batter into the cupcake tins got a little messy, but thankfully, they gave us each a damp washcloth to wipe our hands as needed. It’s the little things, right?)

I see why it’s called “fondant” and not “fun-dant.”

As the cupcakes went into the oven, the kids rolled out fondant and used tiny cookie cutters to cut out hearts. This process was a little frustrating—the fondant kept sticking to the table despite very heavy flouring. Olive had never done anything like this, so the rolling pin was more of a mashing pin. But in the end, we got our hearts cut and ready.

While the cupcakes baked and the fondant dried, Jenny read a story to the kids. Such a great way to keep them occupied and not running around the kitchen. I noticed that while we had storytime, our tables were being cleaned and supplies put away by another Taste Buds employee (my apologies for not remembering her name!). Soon it was back to the tables, where two baked and cooled cupcakes and a bowl of frosting sat in front of us. Olive spread the frosting, adorned her treats with the fondant hearts, and got to eat one of her creations. She was nice enough to give me a few bites, and it was quite tasty. There were plastic to-go containers to take home our second cupcake.

We had a wonderful experience at Taste Buds Kitchen. I really appreciated how they seemed to think of everything. Two rows of hooks (one at kid-height) for coats, child-size chairs and supplies, and pre-made cupcakes for us to decorate (since it would take too long for ours to cool), and a stack of to-go containers. I was a little disappointed that we didn’t get a copy of the red-velvet cupcakes recipe. We did get a recipe card for a different dessert, but I think it would have been fun to get to try these cupcakes out again at home.

My kids love cooking and baking with me, so I definitely plan to attend another parent-and-child workshop. (Attending Taste Buds Kitchen makes for a great mom-and-kid date, too, BTW.) I might even drag invite my husband to an adults-only BYOB cooking class. He’ll love it, right?  

She’s so proud of her final cupcake creations!

 

Megan Langford
Megan lives in Lenexa with her husband, Andrew, and their two amazing kids, Milo (9) and Olive (7). After nearly a decade working full-time as an editor and writer, Megan decided to leave the corporate world to stay home with her kids. Four years in, and she’s still getting used to driving a minivan and being perpetually late. Megan is a big-time coffee drinker, ice cream lover, and book reader. She loves solving crossword puzzles, camping with her family, and enjoying KC’s local beers with her husband on perfect-patio-weather date nights. Together with her family, Megan can be found exploring the fantastic local parks and trails (they’ll be the ones in sun hats, constantly applying sunscreen), hitting up the zoo or Union Station, or attending one of the many kid-friendly festivals in the area.

1 COMMENT

  1. Thank you so much for coming to our Mommy & Me class. After receiving feedback we are now sending home recipes at the end of the class. Please let me know if you would like a copy of the heart cupcakes recipe. Thanks again!

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