Assignment #6

Try making cookies for your family- (with your parent's permission)~ We would love for everyone to enter a cooking item this year at the Fair- cookies are a great way to begin.

They need to be uniform in shape, tasty, and with good color. This Assignment would be a great way to practice your favorite cookie recipe OR make Snickerdoodles, you were shown how on July 20th!

Cookies

Chocolate No-Bakes

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ cup nonfat dry milk

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup light corn syrup

½ cup skim milk

½ cup peanut butter

1 tablespoon vanilla

3 ½ cups oats (quick-cooking or old-fashioned)

Mix cocoa powder, dry milk, sugar, corn syrup, skim milk, and peanut butter in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and continue to boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Measure oats into a medium bowl. Pour hot mixture over oats and mix well.

Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper and allow them to cool. Makes 36 cookies.

Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.

Snickerdoodles

Equipment

Measuring cups and spoons
Large mixing bowl
Wooden spoon
Small mixing bowl
Spoon
Cookie sheets
Ruler
Hot pads
Pancake turner
Cooling rack

Ingredients

¾ cup sugar
½ cup butter or margarine
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Shortening

In large mixing bowl cream the ¾ cup sugar and the butter with a wooden spoon. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
In small bowl stir together flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Stir into butter mixture with wooden spoon till well mixed.
In the same small bowl combine the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon.
Turn oven to 375. Grease 1 or 2 cookie sheets with some shortening.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls, roll each in the sugar-cinnamon mixture. Put balls 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet. Put pan in the oven. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven with hot pads. Use pancake turner to put cookies on rack. Turn off oven.
Makes about 36 cookies.

Week 5 (already)

Cheesy Garlic Bread

Equipment
Measuring spoons
Small saucepan
Pastry brush
Table knife
Heavy foil
Ruler
Ingredients:
¼ cup margarine or butter
1 10-inch loaf sliced French bread
5 1-ounce slices American or process Swiss cheese


Turn the oven to 400. Put butter in the saucepan. Put pan on burner. Turn burner to low. Heat till the butter is melted. Remove from burner. With the pastry brush, brush each side of the bread slices with butter. Sprinkle lightly with garlic powder. Cut cheese slices in half diagonally. Tear off a 20-inch-long piece of foil. Put the loaf back together on the foil. Place cheese slices between the bread slices. Wrap the foil around the loaf.
Put the loaf in oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Serves 10.

Saucepan Spaghetti

Equipment

Measuring cups and spoons

3-quart saucepan with lid

Wooden spoon

Colander

Medium mixing bowl

Large spoon

Can opener

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

2 ½ cups water

1 15-ounce can tomato sauce

1 tablespoon dried minced onion

1 tablespoon dried oregano crushed

½ teaspoon dried basil, crushed

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon pepper

6 ounces spaghetti

Grated Parmesan cheese (if you like)

Use your hands to break up the meat as you put it into the saucepan. Put the pan on the burner. Turn the burner to medium-high. Cook the meat, stirring with the wooden spoon, till no pink color is left. Turn off the burner.

Place the colander over the mixing bowl. Spoon the ground meat into the colander with the large spoon. Let the fat drain into the bowl. Spoon the ground meat back into the saucepan. Put the fat in a container and throw away.

Stir water, tomato sauce, onion, oregano, basil, salt, garlic powder, and pepper into the pan with the meat. Put the pan on the burner. Turn the burner to high.

Cook till the mixture is bubbly. Break the spaghetti in half. Add the spaghetti to the saucepan. Turn the burner to low. Put the lid on the pan. Simmer about 30 minutes or till the spaghetti is tender when you bite it. Stir the spaghetti often with the wooden spoon.

When the spaghetti is done, turn off the burner. Remove the pan from the burner. Serve the spaghetti with Parmesan cheese, if you like. Serves 4.

Assignment #4

Make a Grilled Cheese Sandwich with your family OR make up this Veggie dip and serve it with the veggies you have prepared.

Dip-it Sauce with Vegetables

Ingredients

1 cup cream-style cottage cheese

½ of an 8-ounce container soft-style cream cheese with onion and chives

1 teaspoon dried dill weed

Celery, carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli

Equipment

Measuring cups and spoons

Strainer

Medium mixing bowl

Wooden spoon

Clear plastic wrap

Cutting board

Sharp knife

Large mixing bowl

Small serving bowl

Serving platter

Place the strainer over the medium mixing bowl. Put the cottage cheese in the strainer. Let the liquid run into the bowl. Lift the strainer from the bowl. Throw away the liquid.

Put the drained cottage cheese in the mixing bowl. Add the cream cheese and dill weed. Stir with the wooden spoon till well mixed. Cover with plastic wrap. Put in the refrigerator till serving time.

Wash the celery, carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli. On the cutting board, cut celery and carrots into 2- or 3-inch lengths with the sharp knife. Cut any thick pieces of carrot in half lengthwise. For cauliflower and broccoli, break off small bite-size buds. Put the vegetables in the large mixing bowl. Add enough cold water to cover the vegetables. (This keeps them crisp till serving time.) Put the vegetables in the refrigerator. To serve, drain the vegetables in the strainer. Put the cheese mixture in the serving bowl. Arrange the vegetables on the serving platter. To eat, dip the vegetables into the cheese mixture. Makes 4 servings. 

Grilled Cheese and More

Ingredients

1 tablespoon margarine or margarine

2 slices white or whole wheat bread

2 slices American, Swiss, cheddar, or Colby cheese

1 thin slice fully cooked ham, chicken, or turkey

Equipment

Table knife

Skillet

Pancake turner

Use the table knife to spread margarine or butter on one side or each bread slice. Put one slice, butter side down, in the skillet. Put a slice of cheese; a slice of ham, chicken, or turkey; and another slice of bread with the butter side up, on top of the cheese.

Put the skillet on a burner. Turn the burner to medium. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or till the bottom slice is toasted and golden. To check the bottom, lift the sandwich with the pancake turner and peek underneath.

With the pancake turner, turn the sandwich over. Cook the other side about 2 minutes or till it is toasted and golden. Turn off the burner. Remove the skillet. Lift the sandwich from the skillet with the pancake turner. Cut the sandwich in half. Makes 1.

 

Cooking Assigment #3

You need to make a breakfast food for your family (no, cold cereal doesn't count).