The Complete Baking Book for Young Chefs

226 Pages·2019·38.94 MB·english

by  America's Test Kitchen Kids

CMYK
KID TESTED, KID APPROVED
“Perfect crust.”
—Helen, 12
“The dough T
H
was tricky but E

really yummy.” C
—Claire, 10 O
“They tasted delicious. I even licked M
the extra frosting.” —Sonia, 9
P
L
“The sprinkles made it look
E
“I was really fantastic and good for “The T
excited to valentines.” —Tanner, 101/2 buttery E

make dough flavor was B
from scratch.” awesome.” A
—Sophia, 8 —Layla, 10 K
I
N
G

BAKING ISN’T JUST FOR CUPCAKES B
o
O
Want to make your own soft pretzels? Or wow your friends with homemade k
empanadas? What about creating a showstopping pie? Maybe some chewy
F
brownies after school? From breakfast to breads, from cookies to cakes O
R

(yes, even cupcakes!), learn to bake it all here. You can do this, and it’s fun!
Y
O
AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN has been teaching home cooks to be successful in the kitchen
U
for twenty-five years. Millions watch our shows on public television, read our magazines and
N
books, or rely on our websites. Young chefs, it’s your turn! To learn more about America’s Test
Kitchen Kids, visit www.americastestkitchen.com/kids. G

C
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The #1
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New York Times JAugveesn 8il ea Nndo nufpiction $19.99 U.S. F
Bestseller! ISBN-13: 978-1-4926-7769-7 S
51999
N
A
E
9 781492 677697
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Copyright © 2019 by America’s Test Kitchen
Cover and interior design © 2019 by Sourcebooks
Cover design by Sourcebooks
Cover image by Daniel J. van Ackere
Back cover images by America’s Test Kitchen
Interior photography © America’s Test Kitchen
Interior design by Danielle McNaughton
Interior illustrations by Maryn Arreguín and Jordan Kost AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN
Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks Editor in Chief: Molly Birnbaum
of Sourcebooks, Inc. Executive Food Editor: Suzannah McFerran
Senior Editors: Katie Leaird, Sarah Wilson
All rights reserved.
Associate Editors: Afton Cyrus, Sasha Marx
All brand names and product names used in this book Test Cook: Katie Callahan
are trademarks, registered trademarks, or trade names of Deputy Editor, Education: Kristin Sargianis
their respective holders. Sourcebooks is not associated Photography Director: Julie Bozzo Cote
with any product or vendor in this book. Art Director: Emma Kurman- Faber
Senior Staff Photographer: Daniel J. van Ackere
Staff Photographers: Steve Klise, Kevin White
Food Styling: Elle Simone, Ashley Moore, Kendra Smith,
Sally Staub
Published by Sourcebooks eXplore, an imprint of
Photography Producer: Meredith Mulcahy
Sourcebooks Kids
Photoshoot Kitchen Team:
P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567- 4410
Manager: Tim McQuinn
(630) 961- 3900
Lead Test Cook: Jessica Rudolph
sourcebookskids.com
Assistant Test Cooks: Eric Haessler, Sarah Ewald,
This product conforms to all applicable CPSC and CPSIA Jacqueline Gochenouer, Hannah Fenton
standards. Imaging Manager: Lauren Robbins
Production and Imaging Specialists: Dennis Noble,
Source of Production: Worzalla, Stevens Point,
Jessica Voas, Amanda Yong
Wisconsin, USA
Senior Manager, Publishing Operations: Taylor Argenzio
Date of Production: July 2019
Senior Copy Editor: Jillian Campbell
Run Number: 5015377
Chief Creative Officer: Jack Bishop
Printed and bound in the United States of America. Executive Editorial Directors: Julia Collin Davison,
WOZ 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Bridget Lancaster
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Contents
5 139
Ready, Set, Bake! Chapter 5
Cakes & Cupcakes
23
187
Chapter 1
Muffins, Quick Breads Chapter 6
& Other Breakfast Treats Fruit Desserts, Pies & Tarts
55 218
Chapter 2 Conversions & Equivalents
Yeast Breads
220
81
Recipe Stats
Chapter 3
223
Pizza, Flatbread
& Other Savory Baked Goods
Index
103
Chapter 4
Cookies & Bars
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Treats Taste Better
When You Make
Them Yourself
One of the best things about baked goods is that it’s almost impossible not to share them
with family and friends. And when these treats are shared, they make people feel happy.
So by baking, you’re essentially just making the people you love feel good. Plus, baked
goods taste better when you make them yourself!
Like our first cookbook for kids, The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs, this book is
kid- tested and kid- approved. That means there are thousands of other kids just like you
out there, making these recipes and sharing them with their friends and family, loving the
process and the results. When making this book, we had more than 4,000 kids testing
each and every recipe, sending us feedback (and even coming into our office to cook in
the test kitchen), and letting us know what worked well and what could use improvement.
You’ll see a handful of these recipe testers in the pages of this book. Thank you to every-
one who helped make this book as delicious as possible!
Baking is a science as well as an art, so as you begin baking on your own, don’t be
surprised if you have questions (never hesitate to ask an adult) and you make some
mistakes (we’ve all been there). Mistakes are an important part of the baking and cooking
process. Luckily, they’re often still pretty delicious.
And most important? Have fun with this book. Use it to be creative. And take pride in all
that you’re about to accomplish.
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RReeaaddyy,, SSeett,, BBaakkee!!
Ready, Set, Bake!
Understanding the How to Use the
Symbols in This Book Recipes in This Book
To help you find the right recipe for you, Baking (or cooking) from a recipe is actually
this book relies on a system of symbols a three-s tep process, and the recipes in this
to designate skill level as well as type of book are written to reflect that, with three
cooking required. distinct sections. The key to successful (and
easy) baking is, in our humble opinion, all
about organization. If you prepare all your
ingredients (do the measuring or melting)
and gather all your equipment before you
start baking, then you won’t have to run
around the kitchen looking for that last pan
or realize that you’re out of flour.
1 hat: 2 hats: 3 hats:
Prepare Ingredients:
beginner intermediate advanced Start with the
recipe recipe recipe list of ingredients and prepare them
as directed. Measure ingredients, melt
butter, and chop as needed. Wash fruits
and vegetables. You can use small prep
= requires use of knife bowls to keep ingredients organized.
Gather Baking Equipment:
= requires use of microwave Once all
your ingredients are ready, put all the
= requires use of stovetop tools you will need to follow the recipe
instructions on the counter.
= requires use of oven
Start Baking!:
It’s finally time to mix
= no knives or heat required ingredients together and bake them in
the oven. Any ingredients that need to
be prepped at the last minute will have
instruction within the recipe itself.
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4 SECRETS TO SUCCESS
IN BAKING
Secret #1: Read Carefully Secret #2: Stay Focused
If you’re learning to bake, you’re probably Baking requires a lot of attention— every
reading a recipe. It will take some time to single ingredient is important to the
understand the language used in baking success of the recipe.
recipes (see Decoding Bakingspeak,
page 8). • Measure VERY carefully (see page 10
for more tips). Even more than in cooking,
• Start with the key stats. How much food the amount of each ingredient in a baking
does the recipe make? How long will it recipe can make a difference. Too much
take? (Some bread recipes can take time (or not enough) yeast or baking powder
over the course of two whole days.) When or baking soda can ruin a recipe.
you’re hungry for breakfast or an after-
noon snack, choose a recipe that takes • Recipes are written with both visual
less than an hour. (“bake until golden brown”) and time
cues (“bake for 22 minutes”). Bakers use
• Make sure you have the right ingredi- all their senses— sight, hearing, touch,
ents and equipment. Make sure you have smell, and taste— in the kitchen.
the right cake pan before you start mixing
your cake batter. Make sure you have • Many recipes contain time ranges, such
yeast before you start making your bread as “bake until golden brown, 22 to 26
dough. minutes.” These ranges account for differ-
ences in various ovens. Set your timer for
• It’s important to follow the recipe the lowest number. If the food isn’t done
for most things in this book. (Baking is yet (see page 15 for tips on testing for
precise, and the ratios of ingredients doneness), you can keep on baking it.
are important!) But, as in our first book,
we have “Make It Your Way” sidebars
throughout the book to help inspire you
to get creative wherever you can, custom-
izing recipes to your taste.
6 A The Complete Baking Book for Young Chefs
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Secret #3: Practice Safety
Ovens can be dangerous (they’re hot!).
Always ask an adult for help if you’re in
doubt.
• Use the knife that’s right for you. This
will depend on the size of your hands and
your skill level.
• Hot stovetops and ovens can cause
painful burns. Assume that anything on
the stovetop (including the pan’s handle
and lid) is hot. Everything inside the oven
is definitely hot. Always use oven mitts.
Secret #4: Mistakes
• Wash your hands before cooking.
Are More Than OK
• Wash your hands after touching raw eggs.
• Never let foods you eat raw (such as Mistakes are a big part of baking and one
sliced berries) touch foods you will cook of the best ways to learn. Don’t sweat it.
(such as raw eggs). Try to figure out what you would do differ-
ently next time. Maybe you should have
• Don’t ever leave something on the stove set a timer so you would remember to
unattended. Always turn off the stove and check the cookies in the oven. Maybe you
oven when you’re done. should have measured more carefully.
• If your food isn’t perfect, don’t worry. A
misshapen cookie is still delicious. If you
enjoy your “mistakes,” everyone else will
enjoy them too. Remember: You baked!
That’s so cool.
Ready, Set, Bake! B 7
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DECODING BAKINGSPEAK
Whisk:
To combine ingredients with a
whisk until uniform or evenly incorpo-
rated. For example, you whisk together
dry ingredients such as flour, sugar, baking
powder, and baking soda.
Stir:
To combine ingredients in a bowl
or cooking vessel, often with a rubber
spatula or wooden spoon.
Whip:
To combine vigorously with a whisk
Knead:
or electric mixer, with the goal of adding To mix and move dough with
air to increase the volume of the ingre- your hands (or a stand mixer) in order to
dients (such as whipping cream or egg develop the gluten structure of the dough.
whites).
Rise:
When dough rises, yeast creates gas
Beat:
To combine vigorously with a whisk, bubbles that cause the dough to expand
fork, or electric mixer, often with the goal and develop flavor.
of adding air to increase the volume of the
Peel:
ingredients (such as beating butter and To remove the outer skin, rind, or
sugar together to make cookie dough). layer from food, usually a piece of fruit or
a vegetable. Often done with a vegetable
Scrape:
To push ingredients on the peeler.
sides of a bowl, pan, blender jar, or food
Zest:
processor back into the center—or out of To remove the flavorful colored
a bowl into a pan. A rubber spatula is the outer peel from a lemon, lime, or orange
best tool for this job. (the colored skin is called the zest). Does
not include the bitter white layer (called
pith) under the zest.
Chop:
To cut food with a knife into small
pieces.
• Cho(cid:171)(cid:171)ed (cid:118)ine = (cid:166)(cid:265) - to ¼- inch pieces
8
• Chopped = ¼- to ½- inch pieces
• Chopped coarse = ½- to ¾- inch pieces
Use a ruler to understand the different
sizes.
Mince:
To cut food with a knife into
(cid:166)(cid:265) - inch pieces or smaller.
8
8 A The Complete Baking Book for Young Chefs
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