Erik and Alexandra Mason are a brother and sister team who don’t depend on Mom or Dad to prepare a great meal. In fact, the family enjoys turning to this young, dynamic cooking duo to lend a helping hand.

“Kids can be a big help and give parents a break,” says 11-year-old Alexandra, who’s usually known as Alix. “That’s why I cook, to help my mom.”

Erik and Alix were encouraged from a young age by their mother, Debra, to have fun in the kitchen. “If parents just let the kids do simple things, like pizza or cookies, and let them experiment like my mom did, more kids might want to try cooking,” says 12-year-old Erik.”

So, why do these preteens enjoy cooking so much? For both, cooking has a lot in common with their other interests.

“I also enjoy art. Cooking lets me express my artistic side, and I can show my family how much I love them when I make their favorites,” says Alix. “Plus, I get to eat what I make!”

For Erik, cooking has much in common with science, which he also loves. “Cooking is really chemistry – without blowing stuff up most of the time,” he says.

Just because they are young, don’t be fooled into thinking that Erik and Alix’s favorite recipes are kids’ stuff that is easy to prepare. Erik is a “baker at heart” and enjoys making tollhouse cookies, blueberry pound cake and chocolate yogurt cake. Alix’s favorites lean toward main dishes, including Basil Lemon Chicken, spaghetti sauce and beef or pork roast in the crockpot. Their recipe ideas come from Food TV, cookbooks and their own imaginations.

Erik and Alix live in Wilton and, when they aren’t cooking, they are busy having a great summer vacation. Erik enjoys playing and watching baseball (“Go, Red Sox!”), driving his sister up the wall and singing bass in the church choir. Alix loves to swim, ride her bike, play volleyball and her violin.

Both kids feel that cooking isn’t that difficult and that everyone, no matter what age, should give it a try. Erik’s advice to his peers: “Cooking is a blast, and every kid should try it. You never know if you are the next Emeril or Julia Child, so go for it.”

Erik Mason’s Mega-moist Wild Blueberry Cake

Ingredients:

1 package generic or store-brand white cake mix with pudding

¼ cup white sugar

¼ cup water

¾ cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 package (8 ounces) room temperature cream cheese (not light or fat-free)

1 can (15 to 16.6 ounces) wild blueberries in light syrup, drained (with liquid reserved for glaze in small bowl)

1 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting

2 teaspoons cream or milk for glaze

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, spray a 10-inch Bundt cake pan and set aside. In large bowl, stir together cake mix and sugar, making a well in the center. Pour water, oil, eggs and softened cream cheese into well and mix with electric mixer until well combined and smooth, about 4 minutes at medium speed. Gently fold in the drained blueberries, and pour into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes., or until toothpick in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn onto rack to cool completely. To make a pretty glaze, use approximately 1/4 cup or less of reserved blueberry juice in small bowl. Stir in cream or milk and sugar until smooth, rich and creamy, and drizzle over cooled cake. Dust with confectioner’s sugar to finish.

Alix Mason’s Midnight Chocolate Fantasy Cake

Ingredients:

1 package devil’s food cake with pudding in mix (the generic or store brand works great!)

1/3 cup baking cocoa

1 cup water

1 cup mayonnaise (again, use generic or store brand mayonnaise)

2 good squirts of your favorite chocolate sauce (we used Hershey’s)

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and center your oven racks. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans and use parchment circles on bottoms to prevent sticking. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients in listed order. Mix with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape sides of bowl with a spatula and mix again, this time on high for 2 minutes more. Batter will be very thick and creamy. Pour into pans and bake for 28 to 32 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick stuck in the center is almost clean (a moist crumb or two is OK) or when it springs back when lightly pressed with finger. Cool for 10 minutes in pans, then run a knife around the sides and invert to racks to cool.

When cooled completely, these cakes are pretty sturdy and freeze well. To make my finished cake, cut each layer in two to make a total of 4 layers. Frost with Snow White Chocolate frosting (below), finishing with a dust of cocoa and powdered sugar.

Snow White Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:

1 (6 ounces) packages white chocolate baking bar (I used Nestlé’s)

2½ tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup light cream or half-and-half

1 cup softened butter (no substitutions)

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method:

In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine 6 ounces white chocolate, the flour and cream, stirring constantly, until mixture is very thick and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and cool completely.

In large bowl, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the cooled white chocolate mixture and whip at high speed until it looks like whipped cream. It may take a bit, but don’t give up – it is worth it!

Alix’s note:

You can substitute peppermint extract for the vanilla and use crushed mint candies to finish a “Pepsodent Fantasy” cake.