by Kayla M.: a student at SHS
Do you want to do some great bonding with your young children? Cooking is an experience that teaches valuable lessons as well as allowing for lots of fun and creativity. While some children may not like to learn, everyone likes to have fun. They won’t even realize what
valuable knowledge they are taking in because their focus will be elsewhere. “It is a great learning experience and it can make for wonderful and interactive quality time”, says Kim Simonovitch of coking with children. As a parent or relative of children, you may not be too familiar with the kitchen yourself. However, everything you will need to know is in this article and then it is up to you to set aside some time and get busy!
First things first! Safety is always more important than fun and it is always vital to make sure that children are acutely aware of any and all dangers in the kitchen. These include sharp objects, hot pans, stoves, ovens, and even microwaves. Any electrical appliance, things that could splash, or potentially hot item either on or away from the heat source can still be dangerous and hurtful. There is no worse way to end what is supposed to be a fun event than with an injury.
Before, after, and during the process young children especially must be constantly reminded to wash their hands. Licking fingers and tasting dough is yummy, as long as there is no double-dipping and hands are cleaned afterwards. This is simply not something that children tend to think about, leaving it up to us to remind them.
After you set aside plenty of time, the next step is putting your mind to the test and coming up with some unique ideas that your child will love. They can even help with their own ideas, although they might need to be tweaked a little. You can use the ideas and examples from this article, or you can apply these instructions to your own recipe. It is important that you make sure that you have all the ingredients and necessary utensils before you begin. A list of ingredients begins every recipe, so be sure to check the refrigerator and cabinets. If you are unfamiliar with cooking or baking, it may not be the best idea to substitute ingredients just yet. Also, don’t forget the aprons! Making a mess is important, but getting it all over good clothes has a not-so-fun aftereffect. Wearing old clothes is an option, but aprons just add that special look!
It doesn’t have to be Christmas to make gingerbread cookies! Although, gingerbread boys (and girls) are usually associated with the holiday season, they can be made at any time and they still taste just as good. This recipe is one from the well known Paula Deen. It is advised to read all the instructions beforehand in order to make sure you have all the necessary supplies that aren’t ingredients, such as parchment paper, cookie cutters, a mixer, or a rolling pin.
The ingredients for the dough:
3 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
½ cup butter (1 stick), softened
2 eggs
¼ cup molasses
Most of these ingredients are spices and should already be in your cupboards, others such as the molasses, you may have to buy. Molasses is not a common ingredient; however, they are crucial in gingerbread cookies and can be found in the common grocery store. The recipe calls for dark brown sugar, but if light brown is what you have, there is no significant difference between the two, apart from the color. Softening the butter can best be done by leaving it out of the refrigerator for a few hours beforehand, but if you forget, putting it in the microwave is fine. Just be sure that it is only for a few seconds at a time so that it won’t melt.
Ingredients for the icing:
3 cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons milk
Food colorings of your choice
The best part about these cookies is using the cookie cutters and then decorating them in any way you’d like. You don’t even have to make them the traditional boys and girls if you don’t want, they can be any shape that your heart desires.
The first step is making the dough. Usually, you combine the dry ingredients separately. So, measure out the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt into a bowl. In another bowl, use a mixer to beat together the brown sugar and the butter until it is well-blended. The butter must be soft for this to happen easily. Scrape the sides of the bowl while mixing it in order to make sure nothing is left out. Then, add the eggs and the molasses to the butter mixture and mix together until it is combined. Finally, add the dry ingredients a little bit at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Separate the dough into thirds, wrapping each section separately in plastic wrap. If you flatten each section into more of a disk than a ball, it will be easier to work with later. Put the dough into the refrigerator for about an hour, making it firmer in order to be rolled out. This is a great opportunity to clean up your working space and wash some dishes so the mess will not be overwhelming later.
After the hour is up, spread a little bit of flour onto a clean countertop or table. Also, spread some flour onto a rolling pin, so nothing will stick to the dough. Roll out the dough to about ⅛ of an inch thick. Cookie cutters should be about 4 or 5 inches and floured also. Cut out as many cookies as you can from one disk, and then press together the scraps and re-refrigerate. Repeat with the other two disks of dough. Once you cut the cookies place them on a cookie sheet that is covered with parchment paper, which will stop them from sticking to the sheet and makes clean up even easier. Don’t forget to cut cookies out of the scraps too.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake each batch of cookies on a middle rack in the oven for 10-13 minutes. Don’t rely just on a timer. Ovens all bake slightly differently, and it may take a few minutes more or less. Don’t stress if the first batch comes out a little too well-done. Some people like their cookies that way and at least you’ll know to adjust the time for the next batch. Also, as you bake more and more cookies, you have to remember that the oven is getting hotter and hotter. After a few batches, the cookies will probably take less time to bake because of the increasing temperature of the oven. The cookies are ready to come out when they start browning at the edges. After cookies come out, leave them for about to minutes before you transfer them to wire cooling racks with a metal spatula. Then, let them completely cool for at least 15 more minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the icing to get ready for decorating. A mixer is not used for this; all you need is a fork. Stir together the powdered sugar and the milk until it is at a good consistency. The extra tablespoon of milk may or may not be needed. If desired, separate the icing into separate bowls and dye them different colors with food dye. Red, green, and white are good colors for Christmas, but any colors are fine. A regular Ziploc bag is fine to use for the decorating and can be disposed when you are finished. Put the separate colors into separate bags, all gathered toward a corner. Cut a small hole in the corner to allow the icing to come through. Be careful not to make it too big, but if you do just put the icing into another bag and try again. Designs, faces, clothes, etc. can be drawn on the cookies. Set the cookies aside to let the icing dry.
When you’re finished, the cookies can be served for a party or eaten yourselves! Store in a sealed container and if you have to layer cookies, be sure to put wax paper in between.
Don’t forget to include children as much as possible, but not let them handle anything too dangerous for their age or maturity level. Having fun is key to the entire experience. If disagreements emerge, just remember that it really isn’t important what color the icing is or what shape the cookies are. Clean up as you go, but don’t complain, that just ruins he mood. Kids can be included in cleaning too, just make it less of a chore and more a game. Making the mess is half (at least!) the fun and even though you’ll have to clean it up, it’s definitely worth it!
Silva, Mary. “Cooking with Kids” Dr. Spock. Needlman, Robert. 17 December 2009. <http://www.drspock.com/article/0,1510,8456,00.html>
Simonovitch, Kim. “Safety Tips for Kids in the Kitchen” 17 December 2009.
Deen, Paula. ”Paula Deen’s Gingerbread Boys & Girls Recipe”. Good Housekeeping. Recipe. 7 January 2010.
Do you want to do some great bonding with your young children? Cooking is an experience that teaches valuable lessons as well as allowing for lots of fun and creativity. While some children may not like to learn, everyone likes to have fun. They won’t even realize what
valuable knowledge they are taking in because their focus will be elsewhere. “It is a great learning experience and it can make for wonderful and interactive quality time”, says Kim Simonovitch of coking with children. As a parent or relative of children, you may not be too familiar with the kitchen yourself. However, everything you will need to know is in this article and then it is up to you to set aside some time and get busy!First things first! Safety is always more important than fun and it is always vital to make sure that children are acutely aware of any and all dangers in the kitchen. These include sharp objects, hot pans, stoves, ovens, and even microwaves. Any electrical appliance, things that could splash, or potentially hot item either on or away from the heat source can still be dangerous and hurtful. There is no worse way to end what is supposed to be a fun event than with an injury.
Before, after, and during the process young children especially must be constantly reminded to wash their hands. Licking fingers and tasting dough is yummy, as long as there is no double-dipping and hands are cleaned afterwards. This is simply not something that children tend to think about, leaving it up to us to remind them.
After you set aside plenty of time, the next step is putting your mind to the test and coming up with some unique ideas that your child will love. They can even help with their own ideas, although they might need to be tweaked a little. You can use the ideas and examples from this article, or you can apply these instructions to your own recipe. It is important that you make sure that you have all the ingredients and necessary utensils before you begin. A list of ingredients begins every recipe, so be sure to check the refrigerator and cabinets. If you are unfamiliar with cooking or baking, it may not be the best idea to substitute ingredients just yet. Also, don’t forget the aprons! Making a mess is important, but getting it all over good clothes has a not-so-fun aftereffect. Wearing old clothes is an option, but aprons just add that special look!
It doesn’t have to be Christmas to make gingerbread cookies! Although, gingerbread boys (and girls) are usually associated with the holiday season, they can be made at any time and they still taste just as good. This recipe is one from the well known Paula Deen. It is advised to read all the instructions beforehand in order to make sure you have all the necessary supplies that aren’t ingredients, such as parchment paper, cookie cutters, a mixer, or a rolling pin.
The ingredients for the dough:
3 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
½ cup butter (1 stick), softened
2 eggs
¼ cup molasses
Most of these ingredients are spices and should already be in your cupboards, others such as the molasses, you may have to buy. Molasses is not a common ingredient; however, they are crucial in gingerbread cookies and can be found in the common grocery store. The recipe calls for dark brown sugar, but if light brown is what you have, there is no significant difference between the two, apart from the color. Softening the butter can best be done by leaving it out of the refrigerator for a few hours beforehand, but if you forget, putting it in the microwave is fine. Just be sure that it is only for a few seconds at a time so that it won’t melt.
Ingredients for the icing:
3 cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons milk
Food colorings of your choice
The best part about these cookies is using the cookie cutters and then decorating them in any way you’d like. You don’t even have to make them the traditional boys and girls if you don’t want, they can be any shape that your heart desires.
The first step is making the dough. Usually, you combine the dry ingredients separately. So, measure out the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt into a bowl. In another bowl, use a mixer to beat together the brown sugar and the butter until it is well-blended. The butter must be soft for this to happen easily. Scrape the sides of the bowl while mixing it in order to make sure nothing is left out. Then, add the eggs and the molasses to the butter mixture and mix together until it is combined. Finally, add the dry ingredients a little bit at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Separate the dough into thirds, wrapping each section separately in plastic wrap. If you flatten each section into more of a disk than a ball, it will be easier to work with later. Put the dough into the refrigerator for about an hour, making it firmer in order to be rolled out. This is a great opportunity to clean up your working space and wash some dishes so the mess will not be overwhelming later.
After the hour is up, spread a little bit of flour onto a clean countertop or table. Also, spread some flour onto a rolling pin, so nothing will stick to the dough. Roll out the dough to about ⅛ of an inch thick. Cookie cutters should be about 4 or 5 inches and floured also. Cut out as many cookies as you can from one disk, and then press together the scraps and re-refrigerate. Repeat with the other two disks of dough. Once you cut the cookies place them on a cookie sheet that is covered with parchment paper, which will stop them from sticking to the sheet and makes clean up even easier. Don’t forget to cut cookies out of the scraps too.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake each batch of cookies on a middle rack in the oven for 10-13 minutes. Don’t rely just on a timer. Ovens all bake slightly differently, and it may take a few minutes more or less. Don’t stress if the first batch comes out a little too well-done. Some people like their cookies that way and at least you’ll know to adjust the time for the next batch. Also, as you bake more and more cookies, you have to remember that the oven is getting hotter and hotter. After a few batches, the cookies will probably take less time to bake because of the increasing temperature of the oven. The cookies are ready to come out when they start browning at the edges. After cookies come out, leave them for about to minutes before you transfer them to wire cooling racks with a metal spatula. Then, let them completely cool for at least 15 more minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the icing to get ready for decorating. A mixer is not used for this; all you need is a fork. Stir together the powdered sugar and the milk until it is at a good consistency. The extra tablespoon of milk may or may not be needed. If desired, separate the icing into separate bowls and dye them different colors with food dye. Red, green, and white are good colors for Christmas, but any colors are fine. A regular Ziploc bag is fine to use for the decorating and can be disposed when you are finished. Put the separate colors into separate bags, all gathered toward a corner. Cut a small hole in the corner to allow the icing to come through. Be careful not to make it too big, but if you do just put the icing into another bag and try again. Designs, faces, clothes, etc. can be drawn on the cookies. Set the cookies aside to let the icing dry.
When you’re finished, the cookies can be served for a party or eaten yourselves! Store in a sealed container and if you have to layer cookies, be sure to put wax paper in between.
Don’t forget to include children as much as possible, but not let them handle anything too dangerous for their age or maturity level. Having fun is key to the entire experience. If disagreements emerge, just remember that it really isn’t important what color the icing is or what shape the cookies are. Clean up as you go, but don’t complain, that just ruins he mood. Kids can be included in cleaning too, just make it less of a chore and more a game. Making the mess is half (at least!) the fun and even though you’ll have to clean it up, it’s definitely worth it!
Silva, Mary. “Cooking with Kids” Dr. Spock. Needlman, Robert. 17 December 2009. <http://www.drspock.com/article/0,1510,8456,00.html>
Simonovitch, Kim. “Safety Tips for Kids in the Kitchen” 17 December 2009.
Deen, Paula. ”Paula Deen’s Gingerbread Boys & Girls Recipe”. Good Housekeeping. Recipe. 7 January 2010.
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