Dear Reader,
This Blog is designed for the parents, grandparents and caregivers of young children. Each post will highlight a great book that all children should hear, with tips to enrich beginning reading skills. You will also find fun recipes that go along with each story. Enjoy reading and cooking with the children in your life.
*Read to the children in your life every day. You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!
Sugar Cookies: Sweet Little Lessons on Love By: Amy Krouse Rosenthal Illustrated by: Jane Dyer and Brooke Dyer
Like its prequel, Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons, this beautiful book helps young children understand vocabulary expressing “love” through the task of making cookies. Children will explore words such as compassionate, adore, admire, etc. through the process of making delicious sugar cookies. The recipe is included in the back of the book. Enjoy reading this lovely expression of love to the children in your life.
Tips for Reading:
- Begin by reading the entire book just for enjoyment.
- As you make the recipe in the back of the book, discuss with the child some of the vocabulary highlighted in the story.
Additional Books by the Same Author:
- Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons
- One Smart Cookie: Bite-Size Lessons for the School Years and Beyond
- Christmas Cookies: Bite-Size Holiday Lessons
Cooking Time:
Our recipes for this book are all things “sugar cookies” with lemonade! Lots of “sprinkles” will be needed for these recipes. Enjoy!
Strawberry Lemonade
Children will love making and drinking this twist on traditional lemonade. Children can help by cleaning and chopping the strawberries, squeezing the lemons and limes and adding the ingredients.
Simple Syrup:
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups cold water
- In a medium saucepan, combine the water and sugar.
- Bring to a boil and continue stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 to 7 minutes. Allow to cool.
Lemonade:
2 cups chopped strawberries
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Place the strawberries in a blender and puree.
- Pour the strawberries into a large pitcher. Add the lemon and lime juice.
- Add the cooled simple syrup to taste.
- Stir until everything comes together. Add cold water if needed to get the preferred taste.
- Chill and serve with ice.
- Garnish with a strawberry and lemon slice.
Makes about 4 servings.
Sugar Cookies (recipe from the back of the book)
This traditional recipe for Sugar Cookies is a special one because it is included in the book. It is easy to make and is best with frosting and sugar toppings. Children can help by adding the ingredients, cracking the eggs, rolling the dough and applying the sugars to the frosting.
1/2 stick butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 can vanilla frosting
Colored sugars
- Using a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined completely.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda.
- Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture and combine completely.
- Cover and chill for 1 hour
- While the dough is chilling, preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a teaspoon or scoop, dip a tablespoon size piece of dough and roll into small balls.
- Place the balls onto the prepared cookie sheet, placing them 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the pan and return them to the rack to cool completely.
- After the cookies have cooled, put icing on them and then sprinkle with colored sugars.
Makes 1 1/2 to 2 dozen cookies.
Sugar Cookie Bars
If you don’t have time to make sugar cookies, just make them in a bar form. The sprinkles make these very festive and fun. Children can help by adding the ingredients, cracking the egg and adding the sprinkles.
Cookie Bars:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 by 9 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit in the pan leaving 3 inches on the sides to help pull the bars from the pan.
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup sprinkles
- Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together for about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla and combine completely.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.
- Gradually add the dry mixture to the butter mixture and beat until combined.
- Stir the sprinkles in by hand.
- Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove the pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
- While cooling, prepare the frosting.
Frosting:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 stick butter, softened
3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk
Sprinkles for the top
- Using a mixer, combine the powdered sugar, butter and cream cheese.
- Add the vanilla and milk and beat until the frosting is smooth.
- Spread the frosting onto the cooled bars.
- Put sprinkles on the top of the bars.
Makes 9 servings:
Sprinkle Pudding Cookies
Children love cookies with sprinkles and they will enjoy making these fun cookies. Children can help by adding the ingredients, cracking the eggs and kitchen cleanup.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package (3.5 ounces) instant vanilla pudding
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sprinkles
- Using a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the egg, vanilla, baking soda and salt. Mix until combined.
- Add the pudding mix and mix for 30 seconds.
- Slowly add the flour and mix until just combined.
- Add the sprinkles and mix until incorporated.
- Using a scoop or teaspoon, drop dough onto the prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies are almost set. Do not over bake.
- Remove the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the baking sheets and return to the rack to continue the cooling process.
Makes 2 dozen cookies.
Gooey Butter Cookies
These wonderful cookies are so easy because you begin with a cake mix. They are soft and do have that gooey butter texture. Children can help by adding the ingredients, cracking the egg and kitchen cleanup.
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 box Funfetti cake mix (15.25 ounces)
1/4 cup sprinkles
1/2 cup powdered sugar
- Using a mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Add the egg and combine completely.
- Add the cake mix and beat until combined.
- Add the extra sprinkles and mix.
- Chill dough for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Form the chilled dough into 1 inch balls and roll the balls in the powdered sugar.
- Place the dough balls onto the baking sheet 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the baking sheet back to the wire rack to continue cooling.
Makes 30 cookies.
