THE ELECTRIC KITCHEN
Baking with children is more than just fun
THE ELECTRIC KITCHEN
Hawaiian Electric Co.
THESE DAYS many of us are too busy to make holiday goodies from scratch. But there's something very satisfying about slowing down just long enough to bake up a batch of favorite cookies. It can be especially fun and productive when you let the kids help.
The Home Baking Association (www.homebaking.org) says children and adults learn a lot together in the kitchen:
» Children show imagination and express independence as they decorate desserts.
» Food experiences develop the senses. Colors, textures, shapes, smells, tastes and sounds are all part of the pleasure of food.
» Measuring, pouring and stirring improve eye-hand coordination, making harder tasks easier to learn later.
» Cooking gives a child a chance to feel grown up and successful, a boost for the ego of a child who has had difficulty in other areas.
» Creating a meal together can be a good way for parents on hectic schedules to spend more time with the family.
Check out the Web site for safety tips and learning opportunities that can lead to big-time fun with big-time benefits.
Gingerbread Cookies
1 cup butter or margarine
1-1/2 cups dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup dark molasses
5 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and molasses; beat well.
Sift remaining ingredients and add to creamed mixture; mix well. Chill until easy to roll.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking sheets.
On a lightly floured board, roll dough 1/4 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. Place on baking sheets and bake 10 to 12 minutes; cool. Decorate cookies as desired. Makes about 7 dozen 3-inch cookies.
Approximate nutritional analysis, per cookie: 70 calories, 2.5 g total fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 50 mg sodium, 11 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 5 g sugar, 1 g protein.
Chinese Almond Cookies
3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups shortening
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon almond extract
Red food coloring
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift flour with sugar, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Mix in shortening and knead 8 to 10 minutes.
Combine egg and almond extract; stir into flour mixture, mixing well.
Shape into balls using 1 tablespoon dough each. Place on ungreased baking sheets and make a depression in tops with your thumb. Dip blunt end of a chopstick in red food coloring and press into top of each cookie. Or, press a blanched almond into center. Bake 15 to 18 minutes. Makes 6 dozen.
Approximate nutritional analysis, per cookie: 70 calories, 4 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 30 mg sodium, 7 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 3 g sugar, 1 g protein.
Crisp Coconut Cookies
1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1-1/3 cups shredded coconut
Preheat electric oven to 300 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla; beat thoroughly. Mix in flour. Add coconut; mix well. Shape into walnut-size balls. Place on ungreased baking sheets and flatten with bottom of a glass dipped in flour. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Makes 4 dozen.
Approximate nutritional analysis, per cookie: 80 calories, 4.5 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 35 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 5 g sugar, 1 g protein.
Hawaiian Electric Co. presents this weekly collection of recipes as a community service. Many are drawn from HECO's database of recipes, accessible online at
www.heco.com.