Duff Goldman - Super Good Cookies for Kids

SUPER GOOD COOKIES FOR KIDS . Copyright 2022 by Duff Goldman. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

www.harpercollinschildrens.com

Cover art 2022 by Benjamin Turner

Cover design by Rick Farley

Photography by Benjamin Turner

Interior design by Laura Palese

Production management by Stonesong

Map art by Shutterstock/Visual Generation

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022933410

Digital Edition NOVEMBER 2022 ISBN: 978-0-06-325425-1

Print ISBN: 978-0-06-325423-7

22 23 24 25 26 PC/TC 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

FIRST EDITION

FOR

JOSEPHINE

You and me are

gonna bake so many

cookies together

When I was just a little Duff, one of my warmest and happiest preschool memories was having milk and cookies and then taking a nap. That actually sounds wonderful. Im going to go have milk and cookies and take a nap right now.

Okay, Im back. Much better. Where were we? Oh yeahcookies. There are a lot of aspects about cookies. I love that there are so many different kinds of cookies. Every culture around the world has some kind of cookie, and you can learn a lot about people by the different foods they eat. One of my favorite things to do when I travel is to go to grocery stores. Seeing the kinds of things people like to snack on can really help you understand who they are.

Another thing I enjoy about cookies is that you can get a recipe and bake some cookies, and the very first time you try, you can actually make something really delicious. And then... you can spend the rest of your life getting better at making them. Making a good cookie isnt hard. Making an amazing cookie... that takes practice. You have to develop a relationship with your oven so you know how long to bake your cookies. You have to figure out just how thick to slice the cookies or how much batter to drop onto the sheet pan. You learn which kinds of cookies are better when you bake them as soon as you mix them, and which are best after you put them in the freezer for a few minutes before they hit the oven. Sometimes you want a fat, chewy cookie. Sometimes you want a thin, crispy cookie. Wanna know how to make both? Read on, O child.

I could go on and on about why cookies are so awesome, but I think the thing I love the most about cookies is that they are meant to be shared. You never bake just two cookies. You always bake a whole bunch. And when you give a cookie that you baked to someone who needs a cookieand we all need a cookie now and thenit makes you glow inside when you see their face light up. Cookies are blessings. Theyre little hugs that you can give to someone. Nothing says I love you like a warm cookie.

Baking is fun. Getting hurt is not fun. Lets bake some cookies and be safe while we do it. Here are some tips on how to make awesome cookies without the pain.

Keep the kitchen clean: Clean the kitchen before you start baking so there is nothing in your way. Clean the kitchen as you go so things dont pile up. Clean the kitchen when you are done so everything goes back where it is supposed to be.

Know what is dangerous: Kitchens are full of shiny and interesting tools, and some of them can be very dangerous. Go through the kitchen with an adult and make sure you know everything you need them to help you withlike knives, the oven, and the stove.

Wash your knives by hand and never, ever leave them in the sink: Dont hide something sharp in the sink. Someone else might not know it is there. Knives also get dull in the dishwasher, and dull knives are dangerous knives. With an adults supervision, always wash them carefully by hand and dry them before putting them back where they go.

Keep chemicals and food separate: Kitchens contain chemicals, usually for cleaning, that should never be near food. Keep the cleaning chemicals like soap and bleach under the sink and never store food in the same cabinet.

Things get hot: When you are baking, sometimes there can be multiple hot pans in the kitchen. If youve taken a hot pan off the stove, place a clean towel over it so everyone can see that it is not to be touched until it cools off. Dont put hot things on wood or plastic. Set them on the stovetop or a cooling rack or a trivet.

Dont slip: Baking usually involves oil, butter, or other fatty, slippery things. If you make a mess on the floor, stop what you are doing and clean it up immediately so nobody slips on it. Also, fat is flammable, so if you spill oil or butter on the stove or in the oven, turn everything off, let it cool down, and then clean it up before continuing.

Dont try to do too much by yourself: Cooking with friends and family is fun, and sometimes you need a hand carrying something that is heavy or holding things steady when you only have two hands. No flyin solo. Use the buddy system and have an adult present.

Fires can happen in the kitchen: Make sure you know where the fire extinguisher is and how to use it. And never pour water on a kitchen firekitchen fires are usually grease related and water can make them burn hotter and faster. If a fire breaks out and you cannot find the fire extinguisher, use flour to smother it. And if there is a fire, yell for help. Make sure the adults know there is a fire so they can help you deal with it safely.

Keep the oven clean: If you bake something and it drips into the oven, make sure you wait until the oven cools off and then clean it up. Oven drippings will smoke (which will set off the fire alarm) and can catch fire.

Kitchen tools arent toys: I know they are cool to look at and fun to use, but kitchen tools are tools. They are sharp, powerful, and hot and can seriously hurt you. Respect your kitchen and its tools.

Water and electricity dont mix: Keep the radio, phones, tablets, and computers away from wet things. Electric shocks are awful. I like listening to music in the kitchen, so I keep my radio high up and away from everything Im working with.

Keep the food safe: Clean your tools and counters with soap and water and disinfect with distilled white vinegar. Use your noseif an ingredient doesnt smell right, dont use it. And remember the number one rule: if you wouldnt eat it, dont serve it to anyone else.