12-14-02: Stirring up a sweet batch of cookies kindergarten style

12-14-02: Stirring up a sweet batch of cookies kindergarten style

By JANIE SOUTHARD
The Daily Standard

    Finding new recipes for old Christmas cookie favorites may be tiresome for some families. But for six Celina kindergarten students, it's a piece of cake -er, cookie.
    The chatty group of three girls and two boys recently spoke individually with The Daily Standard at Celina East Elementary School on how to make their favorite cookies, and what Christmas presents they would give their families if they could choose anything in the world.
    Eddie Eichler's parents deserve a head's up concerning revelations about their culinary skills. It's seems they can both cook, but not very well, he says.
    Both Eddie's parents make his favorite chocolate chip cookies. "But my Aunt Carrie makes the really, really good ones," Eddie said, leaning back in the big, red office chair and gripping his knees to get more comfortable.
    "My mom and dad can make cookies. They open a box, add some stuff and it turns into cookies," Eddie, 6, said matter of factly.
    But he's decided to pattern his own recipe after Aunt Carrie's, although he said some things may be missing.
    Eddie Eichler's Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes, as told by the chef
    "This will make 18 or so cookies. You need a spoon of flour, a quarter pound of butter and 14 chocolate chips. Mix it up. Turn the oven to 25 degrees and cook it for 25 minutes."
    While that's cooking, Eddie may be checking out a spot for his Spiderman web Blaster, which he's hoping Santa Claus will drop off at the Eichler home. Or he may wrap some gifts for his parents, two brothers, and baby sister.
    Again Eddie said it best:
    "My sister Carly is a baby, but she's an old baby. Maybe 10 or 19 months old. But she has two front teeth and can stand up on the furniture. I'd get her something to chew.
    "Isaiah is 4-and-a-half. I'd get him a baseball because he can already hit a ball with a metal bat.
    "Lincoln is 2-and-a-half and likes to play with Carly's toys. I'd get him some little army guys and a cookie."
    Megan Imwalle was pretty in pink last week when she talked to The Daily Standard at her school. Although a bit leery of the interruption in her day's routine, she volunteered some info about her parents beginning with their names.
    "My mom's name is Diane, I can spell it except for the N's. There could be one or two, but I don't think three. My dad's name is Jay. that's J-A-Y, not just a J," she said in a soft, serious tone, eager to get things correct.
    Megan's sister Jenna is 13 and wears make-up, which is what Megan would get her for Christmas. Sister Kate, 10, doesn't wear make-up and she could look forward to a Polly doll if Megan had a choice.
    Her mom Diane/Dianne would get a "little Precious Moment statue" and her dad would get "another" Bulldog sign.
    "He's a coach of basketball and football, which means he always has to check on how the team is doing," Megan said, wrinkling her nose at the suggestion that she may grow up to be a coach too.
    Megan Imwalle's chocolate chip cookies
    "Take two eggs, a half-cup of sugar and brown sugar, a teaspoon of oil, a half-cup of water and 100 chocolate chips. Stir it really hard. Bake this at 10 degrees for 30 minutes to make 20 cookies."
    Alex Thaxton also loves chocolate chip cookies "with some teeny-weeny cinnamon," she told the newspaper in a teeny, weeny voice to illustrate her point.
    In response to the question of what to begin with to make cookies, Alex fixed the reporter with big, round eyes and said simply, "a spoon."
    Alex, 5, is really into spelling and is not shy about demonstrating her skill.
    "My mom is Jessica, that's J-E-S-S-C-A. Yes, I'm sure. And my dad is K-E-V-I-N. My grandma is L-I-N-D-A and maybe you can spell grandma by yourself," she said pulling her chair in verrrry close to the reporter's notebook for a better look - an editor in the making.
    Alex's gift list includes two glass bears for Mommy, "Tony Stirrit" (yes, she's sure of that spelling) pants for Daddy and a camera for Grandma Linda, so she can "take a picture of me by myself in front of the Christmas tree." Sister Harley, 3, will get a Barbie doll.
    "My grandpa is very, very sick. I'm going to get him a teddy bear. Not a glass one though. I'll get him a soft one he can cuddle," she said.
    Paying for all these goodies is not going to be a problem, according to young Alex.
    "Well, I am soooo rich. I have soooo many pennies in my bank . There must be at least 100," she said beaming a sunny smile.
    Alex Thaxton's Chocolate Chip Cookies
    Start with the spoon, of course. Add 100 or 20 chocolate chips. Five spoons of sugar, and seven spoons of cinnamon. Put it all on a cookie pan. Bake at 40 degrees for 100 minutes.
    Tyller Burd, 6, also owns a brilliant smile flanked by deep dimples, but she's not a chocolate chip fan. She'd rather have sugar cookies.
    Tyller Burd's Sugar Cookies
    Her recipe for these sweet treats is quite simple: a pan, a half-glass of water and three spoons of sugar. Stir it. Bake it at 11 degrees for 20 minutes and get ready to ice the 1,000 cookies this recipe will make.
    Tyller's mother Amy will be getting a glass doll although she "already has a bunch of them." Dad Dan, a hunter, will get a shotgun. Sister Olivia, 2, will get a Barbie and baby brother, Jacob, will get "some kind of baby toy."
    Tyller, a petite youngster with long, pale hair, hopes Santa will bring her a Kids Bop II. "I hope he remembers I already have a Kids Bop Christmas," she said pinching her mouth in concern.
    If Stephen "Don't Call Me Stevie" Fleck had his way, his parents would be in for a big surprise.
    "I'd get them a little pet for Christmas. Not a fish because our fish that we win at the fair always die; and definitely not a cat because my mom really doesn't like cats. I'd get them a puppy named Rudolph.
    "And, I'd get my sister (Hannah, 9) a rabbit that she'd have to name herself," said Stephen, another chocolate chipper.
    Stephen Fleck's Chocolate Chip Cookies
    His cookie recipe, which he promises will yield seven cookies, calls for six eggs, a pound of sugar, 60 chocolate chips and four scoops of flour. Stir it, pop it in the oven and bake for 30 minutes at 30 degrees.
    Stephen's parents, Julie and Scott, should probably give Santa some counseling on where to find the present Stephen wants and, more importantly, what it's called.
    Although Stephen doesn't know the name of the toy he wants, he provided a comprehensive description.
    "It's a thing that shoots sticky things at the ceiling and then they fall off. I hope I get the one that's bigger than it used to be," said Stephen looking hopeful.

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