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The Rural Voice, 1991-03, Page 38RURAL LIVING START THEM COOKIN' YOUNG! By Rhea Hamilton -Seeger Our kids are one year older and their reading has improved greatly over the winter. While Peter is the one to ask the questions, it's Sarah who will quietly read away, finding her own answers. Lately they have taken a more active interest in cooking, and a couple of weeks ago there was a great to-do about baking some cookies. It could have been brought on by the fact that I hadn't made anything since Christmas and they were getting rather tired of crackers and nutritious fruit. Peter always seems to need that little bit of spark to get him really moving on a topic. It would appear that cooking may be the push needed for clearer reading. I got out the cookie books and, like the rest of us, he was sold on those mouth- watering colour photos of the end results. They enticed him to want to create something truly spectacular. I managed to convince him that Chinese fortune cookies may not be the recipe to tackle first time out and steered him to the section on drop cookies. Not to be swayed, he paused over deep fried lace cookies or rosettes and chocolate covered pretzel shapes. The one recipe that he was really keen to try was checkerboard cookies. Now I know what you're thinking, let him have a go at it. But you can't imagine how discouraged he can get when his plans fall awry. Plus, I neglected to mention that it was Friday evening and he wouldn't take Saturday for an answer to his cookie project. Well, I'm really proud of the way he handled himself, reading carefully and listening to the explanations I gave him. We covered fractions, power of leaven- ing, the differences between creaming, beating, and folding, and, of course, my favourite lesson: why we keep the electric beater straight up in the bowl and why we don't try any fancy mixing styles. Peter read the recipe through and we checked the cupboard and fridge for the ingredients. He learned he had to read carefully so as not to get baking powder and baking soda confused. Peter made Chocolate Crinkles, which have to be carefully rolled into one inch balls and then dusted with icing sugar. When cooked, the icing sugar takes on a cracked appearance. We made two trays of cookies before supper. After supper, I left for a meeting and Peter's father took over the supervision of the baking. When I got home, the house was filled with the delicious aroma of fresh baking and my two guys were quietly munching cookies together while they watched some well- earned 'tube'. There didn't appear to be many cookies cooling on the counter and I remarked that they must have been hidden somewhere. Two startled faces met mine and they denied having stashed any cookies. No, that was all the recipe made. On closer inspection I noticed the cookies were the size of golf balls. It would seem that the boring part of baking was the tedious job of rolling all the cookie dough into balls. Dad had the ultimate solution. Just make the cookies bigger and that would use up the dough quicker. Now instead of six dozen cookies, they had four, and the way the cookies were being taste -tested, they barely lasted through the weekend to grace a lunch box on Monday. Sarah came home from a birthday party that evening and pointed out that she could read just as well as Peter. On Saturday she proved it, and we made O'Henry bars. I believe with all the rushing around, we do too much for our kids. We can't be bothered to take the time to teach them how to do the tasks for themselves. Cooking and eating are major parts of our lives, and now that the kids can read and understand what they are reading, it will be easier to teach them the art of cooking. March is kids' month here at Rural Voice, and I have Peter and Sarah's first recipes here. This may be the start of a beautiful relationship. Peter and Sarah baking together. Now I just have to teach them how important it is to clean up the kitchen afterwards. 32 THE RURAL VOICE Chocolate Crinkle Cookies 1/4 cup butter or margarine (60 ml) 2 cups sugar (500 ml) 3 eggs 2 tsp. vanilla (10 ml) 4 x 1 oz. squares of unsweetened chocolate, melted (4 x 28 g) 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (625 ml) 2 tsp. baking powder (10 ml) 1 cup icing sugar (250 ml) Cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in vanilla and chocolate. Stir flour and baking powder together and then add to creamed mixture. Mix well and shape into 1 inch (2.5 cm) balls. Roll balls in icing sugar, coat well. Arrange on greased baking sheet. Bake in 350°F. (180°C) oven for 8 to 12 minutes. The cookies will be soft. Some people can get six dozen cookies from this recipe. O'Henry Bars This is a very easy recipe, but it requires a microwave. You could try using the oven for the base, broiling until bubbly, and melting the choco- late and peanut butter in a double boiler. 1/2 cup butter (125 ml) 1/4 cup brown sugar (60 ml) 2 cups rolled oats (500 ml) 1/4 cup honey (60 ml) 1/2 cup chocolate chips (125 ml) 1/2 cup peanut butter (125 ml) 1/4 cup peanuts, optional (60 ml) Lightly butter an 8 -inch square glass baking dish. Cream butter and brown sugar together. Stir in oats, then honey until well mixed. Spread evenly in dish and microwave, uncovered, at HIGH for 4 to 6 minutes, or until mixture is bubbly. Cool completely. Combine chocolate chips and peanut butter in a one -cup glass measure or small microwaveable bowl. Microwave at HIGH for 1 to 2 minutes; stir halfway through cooking. Stu well and spread evenly over oatmeal base. Sprinkle with peanuts, if desired. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm, then cut into squares.°