BY MICHAELA YIELDING
FOR THE OBSERVER
AUBURN — A former middle school teacher, Ashley Kauffman of Auburn transitioned to being a stay-at-home mom after the birth of her third child in 2021. Although she had stepped away from the classroom, her desire to educate and connect with children remained strong.
Recognizing that her passion for teaching science, her talent for baking and her need to work from home could be combined, Kauffman’s sister-in-law encouraged her to connect with Jessica Hamby, a registered dietician in Birmingham who formed Itty Bitty Bakers LLC in 2018 after seeing how much her son enjoyed the baking playdates she organized.
Itty Bitty Bakers offers hands-on culinary opportunities for children ages three to 14. Teachers for Itty Bitty Bakers — like Kauffman — host small group classes and camps out of their home kitchens. The program believes baking in childhood helps lay the foundation for confidence and independence in not only the kitchen, but also in life.
With Hamby’s help, Kauffman expanded Itty Bitty Bakers to the Auburn area in 2023.
“Jessica believes in not just creating a lifelong love of baking, but she also likes to incorporate math and science into it, which speaks my language,” said Kauffman. “I was a science teacher. So, we learn the science behind bacon, or we discuss fractions when we’re measuring things out. We discuss how to double a recipe. Things like that that give kids confidence in the kitchen.”
To be approved as a teacher, those interested must go through a background check, have a home visit and have further inspections to ensure the home is a safe, clean and acceptable place to host classes.
Classes last roughly two hours, with children prepping, baking and sampling their creations. Although it’s mostly sweet treats, children also learn how to cook different side dishes for dinners.
Kauffman also teaches at summer camps as well as offers private cooking classes and home field trips. Most of her students are under the age of 11, but those who are older can become youth helpers who assist with teaching the classes.
Kauffman said the classes are designed with the ages of those participating in mind, with simple recipes for younger children and more complex recipes for older children.
“We tend to look at what recipes we want to do, and what age group it would be best for,” she explained. “I try to vary mine. I want to give as many kids in as many age groups opportunities to take part in this.”
Only teachers and youth helpers are allowed to go near or interact with the oven. All children use kid safe knives, spatulas, mixing spoons and mixing bowls. Children also have the opportunity to use a hand mixer when Kauffman comes to their individual tables.
According to Kauffman, baking and decorating cupcakes or cookies is one of the most popular activities.
“When we made St. Patrick’s Day cookies, we had green icing on sugar cookies and green sanding sugar, and then we were making a rainbow out of either Skittles or M&Ms,” she said. “One child did one like that, and then with the other few cookies he made, he piled as many candies that would fit without falling off on there. I tell his mom every time it’s just so much fun to watch him. One time he was supposed to make spider cupcakes, and he ended up making a turtle. They really enjoy the creative freedom, and I don’t stop them, because it doesn’t matter if it’s Halloween and we’re making spider cupcakes — I think your turtle is really cool.”
Kauffman said her favorite thing to see while teaching the classes is children gaining confidence in their actions.
“Studies have shown that baking improves mental health and wellbeing,” she said. “If we do everything for the kids all the time, they aren’t as confident in themselves. They don’t believe they can do it.
“I don’t call them kids in class — I call them my bakers, and I give them the confidence to know that they can do it on their own, and if they don’t know how to do it, I’ll do it once to show them as an example, and then I’ll stand beside them and guide them through it as they do it for the first time. Then by their second class, they don’t need my help doing that. It’s really neat to see kids who have been with me for almost two years now have their confidence grow and to see them do things without thinking a second thought about it.
“I joke with some of the parents that they are raising future youth helpers, because I have some kids who absolutely love coming to class. They’ve been coming to class for a long time,” she said. “I have a young girl that lives in my neighborhood, and she started with me at the very beginning. As she’s grown up, I’ve seen her take her role from learning a lot of this stuff to a lot of times she’s helping the younger kids in class. I can see her becoming one of my helpers when she’s old enough.”
Encouraging children to explore the culinary arts also teaches children to take initiative, Kauffman said.
“I’ve had parents email me and say, ‘Hey, I’ve lost this recipe that you gave us. She’s wanting to help me make this for a family holiday. Can you send me a recipe?’ So, kids are stepping up at home,” she said. “I’ve got kids who offer to help clean up at the end, because when you have eight to 11 children in a residential house cooking, it looks like a tornado has come through at the end of class. And I have kids that are now like, ‘Oh, I’ll help you do that,’ and their parents are just blown away by that.”
Kauffman also said that when creating dishes, she encourages bakers to not feel discouraged if their dish doesn’t look like the picture provided.
“I say something in class a lot, that messy food is sometimes the best food, the most delicious food. Because sometimes kids get frustrated when they can’t make it look like how a professional baker would make it look, and I say, ‘Guys, our number one goal is to make it the most delicious cupcake ever. Messy food is sometimes better food,’” Kauffman said.
She encourages parents who are interested in cooking with their children to set aside time each week to cook at a relaxed, unhurried pace.
“The main advice that I would give is set aside a time on the weekend when you’re not as busy, or on a night where you don’t have anywhere to be and find a time where you plan it out. My mom used to do that with me,” Kauffman said. “She would give me one night a week as I got a little bit older to plan my meal and execute it by myself as I got older. She would help me when I was younger, but it was planned out. And, like I said, if there are mistakes, let’s fix that, you know, and move on.”
Between Kauffman and the other Auburn teacher, Caitlin FitzSimons, there will be six summer camp cooking sessions held this year, including a Bluey baking camp for children ages three to seven and a science baking camp geared for children ages seven to 12.
“I really feel like this is an important thing to offer in our community, because this is something that will grow with the kids,” Kauffman said. “These are skills that they can learn to enjoy now and [also] will take with them into adulthood. I have kids who want to be bakers [when they grow up] because they’ve been exposed to it, and that’s something that could change their trajectory in life.”
To learn more about Itty Bitty Bakers and Auburn classes, visit www.ittybittybakers.com/auburn.
