Cooking - Cookie Faces

You will need:

• Large and small mixing bowls
• 1 paint or pastry brush
• 1 cookie sheet, greased
• 1 container with cover
• 1 mixing spoon
• 1 round object for cutting out faces
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 2 sticks butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 bag of chocolate chips or raisins

What to do:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (adults only!). Put the children into groups of 4-5, and let them take turns performing the following steps:
  • Cut butter into large bowl and mash until soft.
  • Add sugar to softened butter and mix well.
  • Separate eggs and whites in large bowl, and yolks in small bowl.
  • Add water to small bowl.
  • Mix flour and baking powder into large bowl.
  • Remove dough from large bowl and press flat onto table.
  • Press round object into dough to make cookie faces.
  • Move cookies onto greased cookie sheet and brush with egg yolk/water mixture.
  • Let each child decorate the cookies with candies or raisins.
  • Put the cookie sheet into the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Open-ended Questions:

• What does your nose tell you about the cookie dough?
• What do you think the gingerbread man's face looked like when he was running away? When he was tricked? In what other ways do our faces show emotions?

Variations/Extensions:

• An interesting side note: most Chinese families in Asia don't have ovens and don't bake. Cookies are usually steamed.
• Make one large gingerbread cookie. Put it in the oven. When you go to get the cookie out, it is gone! Children have to go on a hunt to find it. Look for clues until the missing cookie is found.

Related Resources:

• A Visit with Grandma by Sharon Hart Addy
• My Five Senses by Akibi

Suggested Benchmarks:

• Science - Use sense to explore and observe materials.
• Math - Use tools to measure.
• Language Arts - Predict what will happen next.