Create A S’more

 

Ingredients:

1 graham cracker

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1 piece of chocolate candy bar, 1 quarter piece

1 regular size marshmallow

Variations:

2 other kinds of cookie OR

2 cinnamon graham crackers or ginger snaps OR

Experiment with replacing the regular chocolate with a darker chocolate, or with chocolate covered caramels

To make:

Break cracker in half (the short way); set one aside for the top.

Spread peanut butter on one cracker, set the candy piece on that and press gently.

 

To do this in the oven, place both cookies or crackers side by side on a baking sheet, one side with PB and marshmallow, other with chocolate. Cook at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

 

Coddled Eggs

Coddled eggs are similar to poached eggs, and could also be called a peeled soft boiled egg. The tricky thing is that the whites are still a bit soft. This means it is not easy to peel a coddled egg, which creates an interesting challenge for young cooks, but one they can master.

Tools:

Saucepan

Pasta utensil or large slotted spoon to lift and lower egg into water

Bowl of ice water

To make:

Heat water to simmering in a saucepan. Poke a pin-sized hole in the larger end of the egg. Gently place the egg in simmering water. Let cook for 6-8 minutes (larger eggs should simmer longer). Remove the egg to a bowl of ice water where it can sit for 10 minutes. After sitting in ice water, peel the egg under running cold water.

You can serve in an egg dish, on a salad or in soup. Or store and reheat with care.

Adapted from Julia and Jacques: Cooking at Home by Julia Child and Jacques Pepin with David Nussbaum. Alfred A Knopf, New York, 2000

 

Hibiscus Tea and Strawberry Cooler

Ingredients:

1 c dried hibiscus flowers

1 1/2 cinnamon sticks

2 c halved strawberries plus a few quartered berries

1/4 c lemon juice

2/3 c sugar

Sparkling water

Ice

To make:

Combine hibiscus leaves, 1/3 c sugar, cinnamon sticks, and 2 c water in a medium saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let infusion sit, covered, 20 minutes. Note that children love iced hibiscus tea, so if you want to stop here, enjoy it on ice!

To create a delicious cooler:

In a blender, puree halved berries with remaining 1/3 c sugar and 2 cups cold water. Strain into a metal bowl and stir in lemon juice. Set in a bowl of ice and water until cold. Combine hibiscus infusion and berry puree in a pitcher.

Fill glasses with ice, fill with 3/4 c of the cooler, and then a splash of sparkling water. You can chill the berry + hibiscus infusion for up to 1 week, just stir before using.

Adapted from Sunset Magazine