Kids Cooking Camp Recipes-Noshing in New York City

Looking for a great idea to keep kids busy and having lots of fun over spring break? Head to the kitchen and to the Big Apple with these 3 kid-friendly recipes from New York City. In our kids spring break cooking camps, this has always been one of our most popular classes and with good reason. These recipes are signs of traditional new York “noshing” and can be found at every street vendor or bakery across the city.

BLACK AND WHITE COOKIES

Makes 24 cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 3/4 cups white sugar

4 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon lemon extract

2 1/2 cups cake flour

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

 4 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup very hot tap water

¼ cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips

 LET’S GET BAKING!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Foil line 2 sheet pans and spray with cooking spray.  

 1. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in the milk, vanilla, and lemon extract.

2. Combine cake flour and all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually blend into the creamed mixture. Drop tablespoonfuls of the dough 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

3. Bake until edges begin to brown, about 20 minutes. Cool about 5 minutes and remove from pan.

4. While cookies are baking, place powdered sugar in large bowl. Mix in hot water one tablespoon at a time until mixture is thick and spread able. (Add more than the indicated amount if needed). Transfer half of the frosting to another bowl.

5. Melt chocolate chips in microwave for 15 seconds, stir and zap again 10-15 seconds until melted. Add melted chips to 1 bowl of vanilla frosting and mix until chocolate is blended.  

6. With a pastry brush or very small spatula, coat half the cookie with chocolate frosting and the other half with the white frosting. Set on waxed paper until frosting hardens.

Now that’s a real New York cookie!

NYC STREET VENDOR PRETZELS

Makes 12 pretzels

 Ingredients:

1 package yeast

1/2 c. warm water

1 Tablespoon honey

1 1/3 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1 egg white beaten with fork

Kosher salt to taste for topping

Optional Topping

Cinnamon’ sugar mixture- ½ cup sugar mixed with ½ teaspoon cinnamon

 Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit

1. Put the yeast in a small bowl with the water and honey. Stir a little and then let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.

2. Mix the flour and salt together in a medium-size bowl. After the 5 minutes is up, check on the yeast mixture. It should be bigger than before and a little bubbly. Add this mixture to the flour and salt mixture.

3. Stir everything together. Use a spoon to start but finish with your hands. The dough is ready when it’s still a little crumbly and flaky.

4. Put the dough on the cutting board and knead it like you are playing with clay. Knead it into one big ball. Dust with a little flour if the dough is sticky.

5. Break off a piece of dough that’s about the size of a big gum ball or super ball. Use your hands to roll it into a skinny snake. Twist the snake into a medium-size pretzel shape, and put it on the cookie sheet. Do this with all the dough, making 12 pretzels.

6. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with each pretzel Kosher salt or cinnamon/ sugar mixture.

 Bake your pretzels for 10 minutes. Let them cool and take a bite!

Central Park Shish-k-bobs

Makes 12 k-bobs

Ingredients

1/2 pound boneless lean beef, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 pound fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon grill seasoning

 Let’s get Going!

Preheat oven to broil

 1. Soak 12 wooden 6 inch skewers in a dish of hot water for about 30 minutes before threading meats onto skewers.

2. Place beef and chicken in the same large bowl. Add olive oil, salt and pepper and stir to coat each piece. Thread on to skewers.

3. Place on a broiling or foil- lined sheet pan and broil, 3 to 4-inches from heat, for 3 to 5 minutes, turning periodically to broil each side.