T O H Fudgy Buttons Kid Cook Safe Recipes

FRUIT SKEWERS FOR CHILDREN (AND ADULTS TOO!) - CHILD SAFE

Steps:

• Peel and chop fruit.
• Thread onto the ice-cream sticks. First the strawberries, then pineapple and lastly the kiwifruits.
• Use a small paring knife to cut a hole into the centre of the fruits if they do not thread easily onto the ice-cream sticks.
• Refrigerate until needed.
• Suggestion-Serve with a yogurt as a dipping sauce.
• Variation- can use any fruits of your choice. They just need to be approx 3 times wider than the ice-cream stick.
• For older children you can use small wooden skewers.

FUDGY BUTTONS

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, melt the butter; remove from the heat. Add cocoa and mix well. Stir in sugar. Add milk and stir until smooth. Add peanut butter and mix well. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper; flatten tops and shape into 1-in. patties. Refrigerate until serving.

SUPER CHOCOLATEY BUTTONS

Steps:

• Position racks in the lower and upper third of the oven. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. (If you don't have 3 pans, simply cool the pan between batches.)
• Put the butter, unsweetened chocolate and 4 ounces semisweet chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat at 75 percent power in the microwave until soft, about 2 minutes. Stir and heat again until melted, up to 2 minutes more. (Alternatively, put the chocolates and butter in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching the water, and stir occasionally until melted and smooth.)
• Stir the granulated and light brown sugars and vanilla into the chocolate mixture with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs and buttermilk and beat vigorously until thick and glossy.
• Whisk together the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa and the salt in another bowl. Add them to the egg mixture and stir until just mixed. Stir in the remaining chip-size semisweet chocolate. Cover and refrigerate the dough until firm enough to scoop, about 1 hour.
• Roll the dough into scant 1 tablespoon (about 3/4 inch) balls and place 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Put the remaining 1/2 cup cocoa powder and the confectioners' sugar in two separate bowls for rolling. Roll the dough balls in the confectioners' sugar, then in the cocoa powder and place on the baking sheets. Bake until the cookies set but are soft and fudgy on the inside, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

BLUE PLATE MEATLOAF

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute onion, celery and garlic in oil until tender; cool.
• In a large bowl, combine eggs, ketchup, crumbs, parsley, salt, pepper, nutmeg and onion mixture. Crumble beef over mixture; mix well.
• Shape into a loaf. Place in a greased 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until no pink remains and a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees.
• Meanwhile, combine sauce ingredients; pour into an ungreased 8-in. square baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until thickened, stirring occasionally.
• Let meat loaf stand for 10 minutes before slicing; serve with sauce.

BUTTONS FOR EYES COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream together the butter and sugar. Then add the eggs and vanilla, and mix until thoroughly combined.
• Gradually add in the dry ingredients, putting in the flour a bit at a time, until the dough is all mixed.
• Divide dough in half, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least an hour.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Roll out dough to 1/4″ thick, and cut into rounds.
• Using a straw or the tip of an icing bag, punch holes where the buttonholes would be.
• Bake for around 10 minutes, or until the edges are just turning golden.
• Remove the cookies from the baking sheet, and allow to cool completely, else the icing will run off.
• Mix the icing by beating into the powdered sugar the egg white, and just enough water to make a runny, pourable consistency - you may need to experiment a bit with this to get a great, workable batch.
• Tint to desired colors with food coloring.
• To ice the cookies, place one or two cookies at a time on a long, flat knife.
• Hold the cookies over the bowl of icing, and spoon icing over, making sure to get the sides covered.
• Allow the excess icing to drip off, then transfer the cookies to a rack over paper to catch the drips.
• Repeat until all the cookies are covered.
• Let cookies dry for several hours (if you can wait!).