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Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
Lunch Plans Involving kids can result in meals they can’t resist BY LIA PICARD
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aking school lunches is one thing, but if you want your kids to actually eat what you’ve prepared, it’s going to take a dash of creativity, a bit of ingenuity and a pinch of collaboration. So, put down the turkey and cheese sandwich and get the little ones to help you. The process can actually be fun and encourage healthy eating. The first step is getting kids to be excited in the kitchen. Duff Goldman, host of Food Network’s Kids Baking Championship and author of the forthcoming cookbook Super Good Baking for Kids, knows a thing or two about getting youngsters interested in cooking. “One of the biggest things is
26 BACK TO SCHOOL | 2020
giving them a choice,” says Goldman. This will help empower them. Don’t make the choice open-ended; give them a few options to choose from, he advises. For example: Do you want an apple, pear or orange? Not every meal has to be Instagram-worthy, but encouraging creativity is another way to get kids excited. On Kids Baking Championship, participants love the “dessert imposters” challenge, which involves making a dessert that looks like a savory dish such as bagels or burgers. At home, Goldman says something simpler like a heartshaped sandwich or fruit cutouts in star shapes would do the trick. “I think >
Instructions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, brown sugar and salt together on medium speed until it’s light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix to incorporate. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and then mix for another 30 seconds. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour and the baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and mix everything together on medium-low speed until combined. Take the bowl off the mixer. Add the chocolate chips and, using a rubber spatula, mix together gently by hand. Scoop 1 ½-inch balls of cookie dough and place them about 3 inches apart on a sheet pan. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack. — Duff Goldman’s book, Super Good Baking for Kids, is available for preorder and will be released Sept. 29.
GETTY IMAGES; EVI ABELER
Makes 24 cookies Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature ¾ cup granulated sugar ¾ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips