Heather Alexander - Easy Desserts From Around the World

Cook yummy desserts from around the worldits easy!

Have you ever tried baklava? How about coconut sticky rice with mango? If you enjoy trying new foods and learning about the countries they come from, this book is for you!

Not only will young readers enjoy reading the books in this series, but they will also want to make some of the recipes that fill the pages.

Cooking for me isnt just a career, its my passion. Every day I learn something newits about having fun and being creative.

About the Author

Heather Alexander is an award-winning author of over twenty books for children. She loves her role as official taste tester when her two daughters take to the kitchen to cook, bake, and create.

Warning: The recipes in this book contain ingredients to which people may be allergic, such as peanuts and milk.

Have you ever met someone from another country? Maybe youve seen photos or movies of kids from around the world. They probably seem very different from you. They may speak a different language, wear different clothes, or live in a different kind of house. But theres one thing that all kids share, no matter what part of the world they live in. All kids love dessert!

Food brings the world together. It tells a story about each country. Food can tell you about the climate, the lifestyle, the history, and the crops that are grown in each country. Cookingand eatingare fun and yummy ways to learn about other cultures.

Each recipe in the book has a section on WHAT YOU NEEDthe equipment and ingredients for the recipeand a section called LETS COOK! that tells you what to do. Each recipe also has information labeled WHATS THIS?, COOKING CLUE, and DID YOU KNOW? These explain new terms and teach you new techniques to make cooking easier.

So tie on an apron and get ready to cook easy desserts from all over the world!

Whenever you are in the kitchen, there are important safety rules to follow.

1. Always ask a responsible adult for permission to cook. Always have an adult by your side when you use the oven, the stove, knives, or any appliance.

2. If you have long hair, tie it back. Remove dangling jewelry and tuck in any loose clothing.

3. Always use pot holders or oven mitts when handling anything on the stove or in the oven.

4. Never rush while cutting ingredients. You dont want the knife to slip.

5. Always use a timer if something is cooking in the ovenand stay where you can hear it go off.

6. Never leave the kitchen while the stove is on.

7. ALLERGY ALERT ! If you are cooking for someone else, let him or her know what ingredients you are using. Some people have life-threatening allergies to such foods as peanuts and shellfish.

Whenever you are in the kitchen, there are rules to follow. Even the most experienced chefs follow these rules.

• Wash your hands before you start. Make sure to also wash your hands after touching raw poultry, meat, or seafood and after cracking eggs. These ingredients may have harmful germs that can make you very sick.
• Wash knives and cutting boards well with soap and water after theyve touched these ingredients.
• Rinse all fruits and vegetables under cool water before you use them.
• Make sure your work space is clean before you start.
• Clean up as you cook.

• Read the recipe from beginning to end before you start cooking. Be sure you have all the ingredients and tools you will need before you start.
• If you dont understand something in a recipe, ask an adult for help.

• Measuring dry ingredients: To measure dry ingredients, such as flour and sugar, dip the correct size measuring cup into the ingredient until it is full. Then level off the top of the cup with the flat side of a butter knife. Brown sugar is the only dry ingredient that should be tightly packed into a measuring cup.
• Measuring liquid ingredients: Use a clear glass or plastic measuring cup. Make sure the measuring cup is on a flat surface. Pour the liquid into the cup until it reaches the correct level. Check the measurement at eye level.
• Measuring spoons: Different spoons are different sizes. Be sure you are using a teaspoon if the recipe asks for it and not a tablespoon .

• Beat: Mix ingredients together fast with a wooden spoon, whisk, or an electric mixer.
• Mix: Blend ingredients together with a wooden spoon, an electric mixer, or a whisk.
• Stir: Combine ingredients together with a wooden or metal spoon.

• Cracking an egg: Hold the egg in one hand. Crack the eggshell against the side of a bowl. Using both hands, pull the shell apart over the bowl so the yolk and the white drop into the bowl.
• Greasing a pan: Spread butter, margarine, shortening, or oil over a baking pan or cookie sheet using a small piece of waxed paper. Or use a spray-on oil. It is often easier (and less messy) to cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper instead. You can find parchment paper in the baking aisle of your market.
• Greasing and flouring a pan: Grease a pan as described above. Then pour 1 or 2 tablespoons of flour onto the pan and shake it around so the entire surface is covered. Then hold the pan upside down over the sink or garbage can and tap the back gently so that the extra flour falls out. Tap extra flour out into the sink.
• Preheat: Turn the oven on at least 15 minutes before you need to use it.
• Cool: After the dessert is baked in the oven, place it on a wire cooling rack until it is no longer hot.
• Melting butter: First remove the wrapper. Then put the butter in a microwaveable bowl and microwave on high for 3045 seconds. You can also melt the butter in a saucepan on the stove using low heat.

Cooking has its own vocabulary. Here are some terms you should be familiar with.

chop (verb) To cut into bite-sized pieces.

cream (verb) To mix together until creamy.

dice (verb) To cut into small pieces (smaller than chopped; about inch).

drizzle (verb) To pour a small amount of liquid in a stream over a dish.