W's Cookies and the Science Behind Them

Many times I tell people that W is a scientist but really he's more of an inventor. What I mean is that he's not really interested in the scientific process, he really just wants to make/design/invent things.

I first became aware of this when W was 3 years old and made me a fan (a very functional fan) out of index cards, a stick and some duct tape. He asked for and needed no instruction to accomplish what he'd set out to do. As a matter of fact I had no idea what he was doing until he presented to me the finished product. He was sitting on the floor and I was on the couch with my nose in a book. I knew what he was working with just not what he was trying to do.

Later that same year he had Hubby make me a fly swatter for my birthday. According to Hubby the design was completely W's alone. He just didn't have the motor skills to make it so he asked for help.

Since then he has made or attempted to make countless things, some have been tremendously successful and others have flopped. So in an effort to help him figure out how to succeed more often I bought the book, Science Projects for Dummies. Not for him to read, for me to read. It taught me a few things about how to talk to him about science and how to encourage him to take an educated approach to his projects.

For instance, recently W announced his intention to make up a cookie recipe. I knew that he had never made cookies on his own and asked what his ingredients would be. He said, "Chocolate chips, maple syrup, coconut, peanut butter, sugar and honey."

Taking my cue from the book I just read, I suggested a little research. So today he figured out what ingredients most cookies have in common. His list included the following,

• flour
• baking powder or soda
• salt
• butter
• sugar
• vanilla
• egg
• milk

We talked about what each ingredient contributed to the cookie and what it would be like if we left them out. He then decided that in his cookies he'd like to add,

• cinnamon
• chocolate chips
• shredded coconut

We used a basic butter drop cookie recipe and then added all his ideas and they turned out great! In addition to science, W learned about fractions and how to measure properly. All in all I'd say it was a great learning adventure with sweet results.
Not bad for a Saturday afternoon.