Saturday, October 13, 2012

Teaching Kids to Roll Out Dough with Pumpkin Sugar Cookie Dough

My kids love to use a rolling pin because I let them use it to smash nuts, cookies and gram crackers. Just the other day, I realized my 6 year old didn't know how to use a rolling pin to roll out dough. Gasp! I immediately set out to rectify the situation with a batch of Pumpkin Sugar Cookies. (The recipe is below.)

The first thing I did was get him a chair. This way he was tall enough to apply pressure as he rolled and it didn't feel awkward for him.You could also work at the kitchen table.

Then I showed him how to sprinkle flour on the counter and coat his rolling pin by rolling it over the sprinkled flour.

I pulled the dough out of the fridge and plopped it in the middle of his work space. (His eyes just lit up and he said, "It smells good." Uhhhh, yeah it did!)

He was just about to smack the pin on the edge of the dough and go to town when I gently put my hands over his. I told him to, "Start in the middle and go right. Then go back to the middle and go left. Then start in the middle and go up. Then start in the middle and go down." All the while I guided him as we made the first pass in each direction. He didn't get upset at me for showing him, but I have a kid who would. With that child, I warn him that I'm going to show him and then he'll get a chance to try it on his own. Rub had to do the route twice before we got the 1/4 inch thickness we were looking for.

After we cut out the cookies and got the first batch in the oven, I let him flour the counter top and rolling pin, plopped the second half of the dough in front of him and let him show me how it's done.

He started in the middle and went right. Then from the middle to the left.


Then from the middle to the top and the middle to the bottom.
He's a natural!


Your kid can learn this simple baking task in a matter of minutes. Why not whip up some Pumpkin Sugar Cookie dough together and get it chillin'? Don't forget to leave a comment and let me know how your lesson  with a rolling pin went. Thanks for stopping by!



Click here for a printable version of this recipe.





Pumpkin Sugar Cookies 
Makes 24-30 cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pumpkin
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon all spice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup sour cream
5 cups flour

Directions:

1.  Cream together the butter and sugar.
2. Add the eggs and the vanilla, beat well.
3. Add the baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin, cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg and sour cream. Beat until smooth.
4. Add the flour one cup at a time until the dough is thick and smooth. It will be sticky but it should not be runny.
5. Divide the dough into two equal portions. Wrap them in saran wrap and chill in the fridge overnight. This is an important step as it allows the flavors to mature and the dough to firm up for rolling.
6. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
7. Lightly dust the counter with flour and coat your rolling pin. Leave one half the dough in the fridge while you work with the other half. Roll the dough to a 1/4 inch thick rectangle. Cut out with cookie cutters. Place cookie dough cut outs on cookie sheets.
8. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cookies are cooked through. If you rolled your dough out thicker, it will take longer for the cookies to cook.
9. remove cookies form cookie sheet to wire racks to cool.
10. Once cool, frost with cream cheese/cinnamon frosting and decorate.

2 comments:

  1. I had to chuckle about not knowing how to roll dough with a rolling pin but knowing how to smash nuts!!!

    Your home must smell so yummy all the time. Sure do miss you sweet friend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I miss you too! Do you love your new place?
      My house doesn't smell that great right now, my strawberry jam boiled over - YUCK!

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