…from the California KitchenHow you doin’? One of the things we’ve heard over the last year is that for the first time in nearly 3 generations moms and dads are taking the time to teach their children to cook. So, occasionally, we like to combine a cooking with a craft project that creates a tasty teachable moment. This is one of those recipes. I remember when Pop Tarts first appeared on the grocer’s shelf in 1964… I couldn’t wait to try them—what a disappointment! I expected a morning pastry that tasted as good as the picture on the box. We think you will find this is not only a great tasting treat, but a fun project for mom, dad and kiddos (of any age). The fun part is everyone can make their tarts, their way, with different fillings and toppings with a single recipe of dough. You can buy special fillings and toppings or you can use the ingredients in your own pantry. What a wonderful way to clean out the fridge with those almost empty jars of nut butters, jams and jellies. So, pull together all your sweet odds and ends for this project… anything goes! This Kids-Made Pop-Tart recipe includes all the flavors of the original that were promised but never delivered. The other bonus is that you can actually understand the label—none of those questionable ingredients you can’t pronounce or better living through chemistry. These are oven-tarts, not toaster pastries. They are not tarts to put in your pantry, but they store well in your freezer. Prep time: 20 minutes Bake time: 25 minutes Chill time: 1 hour Yield: Approximately 10-12 pastries Ingredients For the pastry 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/4 cup cold water For the original cinnamon-flavored filling 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon For icing or glaze 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 2 tablespoons milk 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla or almond extract Few drops food coloring as desired Directions
ChefSecret: When adding the water to pastry dough, be sure to go slow and add it just one tablespoon at a time. If it holds together before you use it all, stop. You don’t want the dough to be too wet. Quip of the Day: “I believe my soul mate is out there, in some corner of the earth... unfortunately, the earth is round.” ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Do you want to send a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. We added a new search feature to make it easier to navigate through our blogs. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading. #Baking #Snack #Dessert #PopTarts #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021
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… from the Arts & Crafts Side of the California KitchenHow you doin’? My first memorable encounter with “art” was in Mrs. Wilson’s kindergarten class. Yes, I can really remember that far back…can you? Mrs. Wilson sent home a recipe to all the mothers of the class on how to make colorful finger paints out of cornstarch. That was at a time when mothers were required to take part in their children’s educations. A little sarcasm here. I remember, with pride, the excitement I felt when I arrived at school with my three jars of pastel-ish finger paints. Mrs. Wilson provided the unfinished porous finger paint paper. She also provided a large roll out of paper so that we could all contribute to making a shared diorama-style painting. And then, of course, each and every one of us kids were our own semi-washable canvases! As I recall, it was more fun that a barrel of monkeys. Those were wonderful carefree days. If you are still confined to your own home school rooms and are looking for a little diversion, whip up some finger paints and create a cleanable area to allow your kid to let out their inner artist. I provide this recipe so that my nieces and nephews in London can share in a little washable fun. And to their mums and dads, these are great picture moments—get the iPhone ready. So, go at it, Mabel Rita, George, Monty and Teddy. To their parents… just a little light soap takes it off the walls and out of the clothes. Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Clean-up time: Anyone’s guess Yield: 36-ounces Ingredients 4 cups water 1 cup cornstarch 6 tablespoons granulated white sugar 1 teaspoon salt 3 packages icing color gels 3 paint stackable containers (found in discount dollar or craft stores—a 3 jars for $2) 1 package finger paint paper Directions
ChefSecret: The finger paints are great for an Easter crafts session. Don’t worry… these finger paints are completely digestible, so if you see a little “blue poo” in a couple of days it’s nothing to get excited about. Kid’s COVID-19 Quip of the Day: “A little girls asks her mother what she’s doing. Her mother says, I’m making a sign for the front door. The little asks, What does the sign say. Mom replies, Welcome! The little girl replies, “No, no mommy, it should say, Stay Away—We shoot Porch Pirates!” The Many Uses of Use Cornstarch Cornstarch is a great ingredient that everyone should have in the house. I use it most often for thickening the sauce of an Asian stir-fry. I also use it to thicken other sauces, soups, stews, custards and more. There are 1001 uses for this pantry staple in the kitchen and beyond. A lot of people don’t really know what cornstarch is. Not to be confused with corn flour (which is made from whole kernels), cornstarch is made from the endosperm found at the center of the corn kernel. The starches inside the endosperm are removed, rinsed, dried, and milled into a fine powder. This leaves us with cornstarch—a white, chalky powder. It's made up of a long chain of starch molecules that will unravel and swell when heated in the presence of moisture. This swelling, or gelatinization, is what causes thickening. If you run out of cornstarch, what else can you use and still thicken your sauce and such? You can substitute cornstarch with:
I hate to have an ingredient on hand that I can only use in one or two recipes. What else can I do with cornstarch, you ask? Cornstarch goes well beyond the kitchen and dining room table:
Do you have a question or comment? Do you want to send a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. We added a new search feature to make it easier to navigate through our blogs. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading. #Other #Kids #FingerPaints #CornStarch #Wilton #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021 |
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