Baking Kids Love

by Sur La Table, Cindy Mushet

Price: $20.00
ISBN-13: 978-0-7407-8345-6
ISBN-10: 0-7407-8345-9
Format: Hardcover
Size: 8 1/2 x 10 1/2 in.
Page Count: 128 pages

IACP 2010 Cookbook Award Finalist!

“Cindy’s 11-year-old daughter, Bella, helped her create the book and offers a running commentary. Photos of Bella and other kids, a colorful design, and full-page photos of the end results will appeal to kids. In addition to baking these recipes with your child, I recommend this book for kids who are old enough to read it themselves.” ––Baking With Carter http://www.bakingwithcarter.com/?p=2236

“The book “Baking Kids Love” designed especially for children and featuring recipes such as PB&J Muffins, Brownie S’mores bars and Gotchya Focaccia provides a fun and tasty way for families to reconnect in the kitchen.” ––Pittsburgh Tribute http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/lifestyles/family/s_659726.html

“This book is colorful and has ring-bound thick pages for easy turning and cleaning off spills. It is packed with crowd-pleasing sugar-laden desserts and fun decorating ideas. Most recipes also have little notes with cooking tips or alternate ingredients.” ––Wall Street Journal (naming Baking Kids Love one of the best cookbooks of 2009) http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2009/12/26/five-of-the-best-cookbooks-of-2009/

“Baking is a great family project. This new book by Sur La Table and cookbook author/mother Cindy Mushet features 30 kid-tested and approved recipes.” ––Star Telegram http://www.star-telegram.com/moms_news/story/1858182.html

“The first thing I liked about it is the cover - inside the hard cover is a spiral bound book, making it easy to turn and lay flat on a kitchen counter. The text in the book is clear and in a good sized font, making everything easy to read. After all, you can’t have fun when you’re squinting, can you. In the beginning of the book there is an entire section on how do do some of the prep work required to make a recipe. This is a  section that would be helpful to any baking novice, not just children. There are colorful pictures on every page. The recipes are written in easy to understand wording. Every recipe contains a detailed list of ingredients and tools required to make it. I really love the book and am looking forward to baking up some of the creations in there with my son.” ––From Val’s Kitchen http://funcraftsandrecipes.com/index.php/2009/holiday-gift-guide-baking-kids-love-by-cindy-mushet/

“Baking Kids Love from Sur La Table designed for 8 to 12-olds offers 30 family-friendly recipes, each with easy to follow instructions, scrumptious photography and baking tips for our future bakers. These recipes were created and tested by James Beard nominee and Pastry Chef Cindy Mushet and her 11-year old daughter, Bella so each one is something that kids enjoy.” ––Dining Magazine http://southflorida.dinemag.net/food/our-2009-foodie-gift-guide/

“[Pastry chef (and award-winning cookbook author) Cindy Mushet and her 11-year-old daughter Bella Robinson] teamed to create Mushet’s latest book, “Baking Kids Love“. Bella loves to bake and her youthful voice is captured in every recipe, her words creatively displayed in squiggle-sided boxes. Her comments include insights from personal experience, helpful tips and even ideas for making clean-up amusing.” ––The Orange County Register http://www.ocregister.com/articles/-221927–.html

“Award winning authors Cindy Mushet and Sur La Table have yet again delivered an innovative and creative new cooking book called, Baking Kids Love. All of the recipes are kid-inspired and have been tried and tested by kids and were only included if children loved baking and eating them!  Not only are the recipes sure to brighten up the faces and fill the tummies of your kids, but Mushet and Sur La Table have created a great way for families to reconnect and spend time together.” ––Bliss Tree http://www.blisstree.com/articles/meringue-crispies/

“The bright colors alone make you want to page through [Baking Kids Love], the layout is adorable and fun, and the easy recipes are perfect for kids.” ––Parenting By Trial and Error http://www.parentingbytrialanderror.com/2009/10/14/cookbook-giveaway-baking-kids-love/

“Are your kids ready to bake? Cindy Mushet’s Baking Kids Love is just the kind of cookbook to get if you aren’t very handy in the kitchen and kids want to try their hands at dessert. It is heavy on information and technique, so that kids are safe and confident. The recipes range from easy to challenging, with the emphasis on having fun and making something very good to eat.” ––Super Chef http://superchefblog.com/2009/10/22/baking-kids-love-cindy-mushet/

“Baking Kids Love [is a] terrific book for getting kids into the kitchen. The ring-binder format is easy to use, directions are long but are broken into easy steps, and the recipes aren’t too little-kid.” ––Charlotte Observer http://www.charlotteobserver.com/508/story/1011983.html

“Baking instructor Cindy Mushet and her daughter Bella team up with cookware authority Sur La Table to carefully guide kids through the experience of creating awesome masterpieces in the kitchen. Step-by-step instructions for key steps (along with Bella’s personal comments about the recipes), inventive variations, and colorful photography complete the book.” ––Parenting By Trial and Error http://www.parentingbytrialanderror.com/2009/10/14/cookbook-giveaway-baking-kids-love/

“Each recipe in Baking Kids Love has 11-year-old Bella Mushet’s approval. The daughter of author Cindy Mushet made each of the 30 recipes, among them cookies, pies, tarts and fruit desserts, quick breads, cakes and yeast breads. Her suggestions on what kids love to bake — monkey bread, pizza, chocolate cake and cookies — are incorporated into the book, along with her tips. Lots of color pictures of kids baking, decorating cakes and cookies and working with dough add to the book’s kid-friendly appeal. ––Modesto Bee http://www.modbee.com/life/taste/story/874380.html

Baking instructor Cindy Mushet and her daughter Bella team up with cookware authority Sur La Table to carefully guide kids through the experience of creating awesome masterpieces in the kitchen. Step-by-step instructions for key steps (along with Bella’s personal comments about the recipes), inventive variations, and colorful photography complete the book. Popovers magically rising into puffy, golden pillows, and gooey, warm cheese melting over the sides of a crispy pizza crust—these are just a few of the surprises waiting to be enjoyed in this book. So roll up your sleeves, get a little flour on your hands, and warm your stomach with a treat while sharing a smile. Baking Kids Love is baking that both kids and adults will love.

About Cindy Mushet
Cindy Mushet is the author of The Art and Soul of Baking, which has received glowing reviews and was chosen by Gourmet magazine as a book club selection. She has been a professional pastry chef and baking instructor for over twenty years. Her recipes have appeared in numerous publications, including Bon Appétit, Fine Cooking, Country Home, the National Culinary Review, the New York Times, and The 150 Best American Recipes (2006). Her first book, Desserts: Mediterranean Flavors, California Style, was published in 2000. Inspired by her daughter Bella, Cindy has taught baking to many children, both in school classrooms and in summer baking camps. A fun and engaging teacher, Cindy has also taught thousands of adults nationwide. She makes her home in the Los Angeles area.

Makes 1 big, yummy cake!

Ingredients
For the cake
1 cup water
¾ cup buttermilk
¾ cup canola or corn oil
3 large eggs
2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 ¾ cups sugar
¾ cup unsweetened, natural cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt

For the frosting
3 cups unsifted powdered sugar
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Tools
Two 9-inch cake pans, lightly buttered or sprayed, and lined with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit the bottom of the pan
Two medium bowls
Whisk
Fine sieve or strainer
Two large bowls
Silicone spatula
A 9-inch cake cardboard, or the bottom of a 9-inch tart pan or flat, round plate
Hand mixer
Small offset spatula

1. Before you begin
• Line each pan with a round of parchment paper (see page 10).
• Position two oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Bake the cake
• Place the water, buttermilk, oil, and eggs in the medium bowl. Whisk until the eggs have completely blended into the mixture.
• Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into the larger bowl (see page 11).
• Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk gently at first, and then, as the mixture blends, whisk faster, until it is a smooth batter and you don’t see any more dry patches.

3. Bake the cake
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pans, dividing it as evenly as you can. Put one pan in the center of each oven rack. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Transfer the pans to a cooling rack. If the cakes are rounded on top, place a clean, dry towel on top of each warm cake and press down firmly with the palm of your hand to level the surface. Cool completely.

4. Make the frosting
• Sift the powdered sugar into the medium bowl (see page 11).
• Place the room temperature cream cheese and butter in a large bowl and beat until they are blended and smooth. Add half of the powdered sugar and beat it in thoroughly. Scrape down the bowl with a silicone spatula. Add the remaining sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is blended and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract.

5. Unmold the cakes
• Slide a small spatula around the edges of the cake to separate it from the pan. Set the serving plate upside-down on top of the cake pan. Hold the plate and cake (in the pan) together like a sandwich, then flip them over. The cake will fall out of the pan onto the plate. Peel off the parchment paper.

6. Frost and decorate the cake
• Use a small offset spatula to spread half of the frosting over the cake, stopping about ¼ inch from the edge. When you put the second layer on top, it will squish the frosting out to the edge.
• Unmold the second cake by setting a cake cardboard or tart pan bottom on top of the pan, flipping the two over as described above, then gently pushing the cake off the
• Spread the remaining frosting over the top layer. Decorate the top with sprinkles, confetti candy, sparkling sugar, or whatever you Like. You can leave this at room temperature for a few hours. Otherwise, refrigerate the cake until serving time.

Playing around
This cake batter makes great cupcakes.

It will make 24, so you’ll need 2 standard-size cupcake pans with paper liners. Divide the batter evenly among the cups, filling them no more than ²⁄3 full. Bake on two racks as described in step 1, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely before frosting the cupcakes. If you like chocolate frosting, try the one on page 20. board and into place on the frosting. Peel off the parchment paper.

Makes 1 delicious 9” x 5” loaf

Ingredients

for the bread dough
1 tablespoon active dry yeast (or 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast)
1 ¼ cups warm milk (no hotter than 115ºF)
2 teaspoons sugar
3 ¼ cups unbleached allpurpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

To finish
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon water
Tools
Small bowl
Whisk
Large bowl
Wooden spoon
Bench scraper
9 by 5-inch loaf pan, lightly buttered or sprayed with pan spray
Pastry brush

1. Proof the yeast
• Wake up the yeast by whisking it into ¼ cup warm (not hot) milk in a small bowl. Stir in the sugar and set the bowl aside for 8 to 10 minutes, until it looks foamy (see page 9).
• If the yeast isn’t foamy after 15 minutes (it didn’t wake up), start over with a new package.

2. Mix the dough
• Put the flour and salt in the large bowl and whisk to blend. Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture. Pour in the remaining 1 cup of warm milk and the melted butter. Stir well with the wooden spoon until you get big, shaggy clumps of dough and it all starts to stick together.

3. Knead the dough
• Sprinkle a little flour on your work surface (don’t put too much, because you can always add more later). Dip your hands in flour and start kneading the dough (see page 12). It will take about 10 minutes of kneading until you get a smooth, springy dough.
• Sprinkle a little more flour on the table and on top if the dough feels very sticky. It should feel tacky, like tape, but not sticky and gooey. A metal bench scraper is handy to scrape up any bits of dough that are stuck to the table, and to help you move the dough around.

4. Let the dough rise
• Wash out the large bowl and rub the inside with a thin layer of vegetable oil (or use pan spray). Shape the dough into a ball and put it in the bowl. Lightly rub or spray the top of the dough with a little oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Set it aside and let the dough rise until it is twice as big, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

5. Punch down and shape the dough
• Gently turn the dough out onto a lightly floured table. Press down firmly to flatten the dough and pop the air bubbles in the dough. Don’t knead or it will get too springy to shape.
• To shape the dough into a loaf, gently pull the flattened dough into a 7 by 10-inch rectangle.

Ingredients
3 large egg whites (not even a speck of yolks, please)
¾ cup sugar
Tools
Hand mixer and a medium bowl, both very clean
Silicone spatula
One 14-inch pastry bag fitted with a ³⁄8-inch plain round tip
2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper

1. Before you begin
• Position two oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 225ºF.

2. Make the meringue
• Put the egg whites in the clean bowl and whip on medium speed until they are foamy and form soft peaks.
• To check, turn off the mixer, lift the beaters straight out of the eggs, then turn them upside down. The slope leading to the tip of the egg whites should be soft and barely holding its shape.
• With the mixer running on medium, gently shake the sugar over the eggs, letting it blend in slowly. Once all the sugar has been added, turn the mixer to high and continue to beat until the eggs are very fluffy and shiny, and form firm peaks, another 1 to 2 minutes.
• Turn off the mixer and check as above — at this point the slope should be nearly vertical.

3. Pipe the cookies
• Put the tip into the pastry bag. Spoon the meringue into the bag until it is half full. Grasp the bag just above the mound of meringue and twist it 3 times (this prevents the mixture from coming out the wrong end of the bag).
• Squeeze from the twisted part of the bag, while guiding the bag with a couple of fingers near the tip. Pipe the meringue into any shape you like, such as letters of the alphabet, rounds, or even zigzags. Keep the tip of the bag about an inch from the surface of the pan and let the meringue fall out of the bag onto the pan in a thick rope.
• Refill the bag with the remaining meringue. Retwist and continue piping until you have used all the batter.

Playing Around
Rattling meringue bones and fingers

For bones: Pipe the meringue into a stretched version of dog bone treats.

For fingers: Pipe a straight line with a knobby center for the knuckle and a tapered end for the fingernail. Just before baking, set a colored candy almond or a sliced almond into the meringue at the tapered end. Once the “fingers” have dried, finish them by dipping one of the ends in melted red coating chocolate for blood. Pipe a ring with melted colored coating chocolate, and embellish with  colored sugars, dragées, or candy pearls.