L ifestyles /C ulture
Cookie-Making for Purim with Young Bakers
F O OD
WHO BETTER TO enlist in
Purim baking than children
between the ages of 3 and 10?
They are eager bakers and
always have time. With Purim
falling on March 20, it’s time to
start making cookies.

Warning: There will be lots
of errant flour on floors and
counters. But the fun you’ll
have is well worth it.

Here are some tips for guid-
ing tiny, impulsive fingers into
achieving sensational cookies:
eggs so the shells don’t fly
into the dough and to avoid
contact with salmonella.

• Hold the electric beater with
preschoolers, unless you
don’t mind dough landing
on the ceiling.

• Line baking sheets with
parchment paper. Let each
child write his or her name
or draw a picture on the
parchment they’ll be using.

Children love knowing
which cookies they created.

Prepare extra cookies so
young bakers can nibble right
• Bake with no more than away. With the scent of warm
three young bakers. One or cookies in the air, who wants to
wait for Purim to take a taste?
two is ideal.

• You’ll need step stools or
sturdy chairs so that each child CHOCOLATE CHIP
can see the mixing bowl and MERINGUES | PAREVE
every phase of the process.

Yield: four dozen meringues
• Because young bakers
become fidgety, before get-
If your oven can’t accommo-
ting started, measure the date four cookie sheets at once,
ingredients into paper cups, make half of this recipe at a time.

the way chefs do on TV.

Make this recipe at Passover, too.

• If there is more than one
child, divide the ingredients
Parchment paper
in halves or thirds so that
4 jumbo eggs
each baker has the opportu-
1 cup sugar
nity to add every ingredient.

1 (12-ounce) bag semi-
• An adult should crack open
sweet chocolate morsels
24
MARCH 14, 2019
Antonio_Diaz / iStock / Getty Images Plus
LINDA MOREL | JE FOOD COLUMNIST
Preheat your oven to 275
degrees. Line four cookie sheets
with parchment paper. Reserve.

Crack the eggs. Let the egg
whites fall into a large mixing
bowl. Discard the yolks or save
them for another purpose.

Gradually add the sugar,
beating well until the mixture
turns stiff and shiny. It should
increase in volume and form
stiff peaks. Do not overbeat.

Use a spoon or spatula to fold
in the chocolate morsels.

mtaylor777 / iStock / Getty Images Plus
JEWISH EXPONENT
A generous teaspoon at a
time, drop the dough on the
parchment paper. Bake for 35
minutes. With the oven door
closed, turn off the oven and
keep the cookies in the oven
for an hour or until they are
firm. Move to platters to cool.

HASHTAG PEANUT
BUTTER COOKIES |
DAIRY OR PAREVE
Yield: three dozen
Parchment paper
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted
butter at room
temperature, or ½ cup (1
stick) chilled margarine
½ cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg, well beaten by hand
½ teaspoon vanilla
1½ cups flour, plus extra for
coating a fork
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup creamy peanut butter
creamy. (Do not overmix
the margarine.) Add the egg,
vanilla, flour, salt, ginger and
baking soda. Mix until thor-
oughly combined. Add the
peanut butter and mix well.

If using margarine, cover
the bowl with plastic wrap
and refrigerate for 30 minutes
before continuing.

With a teaspoon, break off
pieces of dough. In your palm
roll into balls about ¾-inch
across. Place the balls on the
parchment paper about an
inch apart.

Dip a fork in flour. Flatten
the balls with the fork into
thick disks, making marks at
right angles, creating hashtags.

Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, until
light brown and firm.

OLD FASHIONED
OATMEAL RAISIN
COOKIES | DAIRY OR
PAREVE Yield: four dozen
If your oven can’t accom-
Preheat your oven to 400 modate 4 cookie sheets at once,
degrees. Line 3 cookie sheets make half of this recipe at
with parchment paper.

a time.

Using an electric mixer,
cream the butter or marga-
Parchment paper
rine and sugar until light and
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
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