Batter is dripping off a small whisk and down the legs of the kitchen table, but you've never seen your three-year-old grandchild so proud. "Ready to eat our muffins that we made?" asks your beaming grandchild. And regardless of the sticky fingers and the state of your kitchen, you can't resist. You sit down and eat together, proclaiming that they are the most special muffins you've ever tasted. And they are, too, because they were made by the excited little chef sitting next to you.
What is most interesting about cooking to a young child? High up on the list are the tactile experiences, such as kneading and rolling out pizza dough, tearing fresh spinach leaves, or breaking eggs. All the other senses are stimulated, too. It's fun to watch as soup simmers, or a milkshake spins around in a blender, or butter melts in a hot pan. Then there are all the sounds and smells of cooking and fingers to lick. And usually (but not always), children look forward to sampling the finished product. But what fascinates young children above all is performing those ordinary cooking tasks that we adults take for granted. It's a challenge for little ones to pour milk into a measuring cup, squeeze a lemon, mix a batter, or flip a pancake. Managing these jobs gives them a great sense of accomplishment.

PRETEND SOUP
Cooking Hints and Safety Tips:

• To help a young child measure the juice without fear of spilling, put the measuring cup in a pie pan or a baking pan. Put the juice in a small pitcher, and let your youngster pour it into the measuring cup. If spilling occurs, it goes into the pan, and there is no mess.
• Expect honey to be messy. Don't worry too much about exact measurements. Whatever your child can manage will be fine for this recipe.
• Use a big bowl for whisking. You can hold the bowl steady while your young cook whisks away. You can trade places if somebody gets bored or tired.
• Bananas are safe for even the youngest child to cut. Use a serrated dinner knife or a plastic picnic knife, and put a piece of tape on the handle so your child remembers which end to hold.

  Tools: Citrus juicer (if you'll be making fresh juice); large bowl; whisk; small pitcher; pie pan or baking dish; 1/2-cup measure; 1-cup measure; tablespoon; teaspoon; serrated dinner knife or plastic picnic knife; ladle; soup bowls and spoons.

  	2	 cups orange juice
  	1/2	 cup plain yogurt
  	1	 Tbs. honey
  	2 	 tsp. lemon juice
  	1	 small banana, sliced
  	1	 cup berries (any kind, fresh or frozen;
                   if they're frozen, defrost them first,
                   and use all the juice-it'll add color
                   to the soup)
  

  1) Place the orange juice in a bowl. Add yogurt, honey, and lemon juice.
  2) Whisk "until it is all one color."
  3) Place 5 banana slices and 2 tablespoons berries in each bowl.
  4) Ladle the soup over the berries and bananas. Eat!
  NOTE: You can add other kinds of fruit as well. Slices of kiwi are especially pretty.
  YIELD: About 4 servings
  

  CARROT PENNIES
  Cooking Hints and Safety Tips:
  

  • Your job is to cut the carrots into thin rounds and precook them either by steaming or boiling. If your child wants to be involved in the advance preparations, scrubbing the carrots is an appropriate task. Cutting, however, requires a sharper knife than preschoolers can safely manage.
  • When it is time to sauté, let your youngster measure all the ingredients right into the pan before you turn on the heat.
  • As in all these recipes, it is much better to use an electric skillet than a stove because you can set it at a level where your young cook can work more safely. Stay right by the pan all the time the sauce is cooking, and remind your youngster that it's too hot to touch.
  • Give your child a long-handled wooden spoon for stirring.

  Tools: Child-appropriate knife for slicing butter; salt shaker; skillet; long-handled wooden spoon; teaspoon; tablespoon; 1/4-cup measure; plates and forks.

     2	   medium-long, thin carrots, sliced into thin rounds
     1	   tsp. butter (more or less)
     3	   shakes salt
     1	   squeeze lemon juice (from a small wedge)
     1	   tsp. sesame seeds (optional)
     1	   Tbs. brown sugar (more or less)
     1/4	   cup water (more or less)
  

  1) Preliminary: Grown-up boils or steams carrots until tender but not mushy.
  2) Add all ingredients to the pan. Turn the heat to medium.
  3) Cook and stir over medium heat until the carrots are nicely coated with syrup. Add more sugar and/or water, depending on how syrupy you like it.
  4) Transfer to plates. Blow on it until it is comfortable to eat. Eat!
  YIELD: 3 or 4 snack portions

  Reprinted with permission from Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes: A Cookbook for Preschool and Up, by Mollie Katzen and Ann Henderson. Text copyright © 1994 by Mollie Katzen and Ann Henderson. Illustrations copyright © 1994 by Mollie Katzen. (Tricycle Press, $15.95). Available in local bookstores, or call 800-841-BOOK.