When rainy days or extended school holidays strike, parental survival packages have been known to be a trifle skimpy. There’s the video machine and the Nintendo game, both eventually guaranteed to numb the spirit and provide no nourishment for the body. Then there is baking, which is messy, fun, and possibly even edible.

The 60 recipes in Just Desserts promise considerable kid appeal. What self-respecting sweet tooth wouldn’t dig into Chocomint Brownies or a gooey banana split? Although a few treats such as Pistachio Carrot Cake may call for items not necessarily on hand, most recipes make no more demands than the ordinary baking cupboard could readily supply. Chocolate Chewies, Linton’s acknowledged favourite, involve no extra trips to the store (a boon in a snowstorm), and are not cluttered with spices that most young palates don’t appreciate.

Clarity of instructions and ease of preparation are both essential to a kids’ cookbook. No problems appear evident. A section of the recipe includes the ingredients in imperial and metric amounts, and a list of utensils assists in kitchen organization. Many recipes allow for microwave adaptation.

If the recipes appear toothsome and snappy, there can be few grounds for complaint. After all, kids will have oodles of time to worry about calories and cholesterol, won’t they? Obviously a cookbook with a title that proclaims its identity so solidly cannot be expected to include the how-to of puréed spinach and broiled tofu. The fruit shakes and desserts give a nod to nutrition, and the introduction advises the cook to continue consuming mealtime veggies. Perhaps there is no need to include high-fibre muffins and prune yogurt whip in a kids’ cookbook, but can an adult be blamed for wishing for less fat and sugar? If the kids consume their fill of these treats, their parents may insist on outdoor exercise, whatever the weather.

As well, there is no big deal made about the boring rituals of food preparation – hand washing, hot stoves, and clean up. It is assumed that when kids bake there is always at least one nattering adult in the background.