Math: Fractions & Decimals

Fraction Action With a Cheese Sticks Recipe

 

Today's Snack: This recipe takes over an hour to make, but will be worth the wait. Pair cheese sticks with a glass of ice-cold milk.

 

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Supplies:

3 T. (40 ml) butter or margarine, softened

1½ C. (375 ml) all-purpose flour

½ tsp. (2 ml) baking powder

½ tsp. (2 ml) salt

1 egg

¼ C. (50 ml) milk

Parmesan or Romano cheese

Paprika

 

Also:

Large mixing bowl, wooden spoon, measuring spoons and cups (great if they show milliliters as well as teaspoons, tablespoons and fractions of cups), greased cookie sheet, a little extra flour, rolling pin, knife (with adult supervision), basting brush, milk or water, wire rack

 

            While you're waiting for the dough to rise after the first few cooking steps, do a little math work based on this recipe. You will be converting fractions into metrics - milliliters, in this case. Use either paper or a whiteboard:

 

If there are 40 milliliters (ml)  in 3 tablespoons, how many milliliters in 1 tablespoon? (40 ÷ 3)

 

If there are 375 milliliters in 1½ cups, how many milliliters in one cup? (375 ÷ 3 and multiply that times 2 - you are figuring how many milliliters in ½ cup, since there are three ½ cups in ½ cups, and doubling it to find out how many in 1 cup)

 

If there are 2 milliliters in ½ teaspoon, and 3 teaspoons in 1 tablespoon, how many milliliters in 1 tablespoon? (2 + 2 = 4 milliliters in 1 teaspoon and 4 x 3 to find out how many milliliters in 1 tablespoon, since there are 3 teaspoons in 1 tablespoon)

 

If there are 50 milliliters in ¼ cup, how many milliliters are there in 1 cup?

 

If 375 degrees Fahrenheit is the same as 190 degrees Celsius, is the measurement of Fahrenheit about twice as big as Celsius, three times as big, or four times as big? (take 190 x 2, 190 x 3 and 190 x 4, and see which is closer to 375)

 

If ½ inch equals 1 centimeter (cm), how many inches equal 10 centimeters?

 

Can you think up any more math questions on your own, based on these ingredients?

 

OK, now let's cook! This recipe makes about 20 cheese sticks:

 

In the large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter or margarine and the flour, baking powder and salt. Use the wooden spoon. Keep mixing 'til it crumbles.

 

Add the egg and milk. Mix until it forms a soft dough. Let the dough rest in the bowl for 30 minutes. You can cover it with a damp towel if you wish.

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet.

 

(During this half-hour wait, you can do those math problems listed above!)

 

Sprinkle flour lightly on a clean countertop. Put the dough on it. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to ½ inch (1 cm) thick. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour with your hands (washed!) and try again.

 

Cut the dough into sticks or rectangles, ½ inch wide and 2 inches long.

 

Brush the dough sticks with milk or water, using the basting brush. Sprinkle lightly with Parmesan cheese and paprika.

 

Bake for 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Then eat!