he 1998 Home Baking Association National Baking Educator Award, Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Educator Jennilee Lemmon Catoosa County Ringgold, Georgia Program: Chocolate Chip Cookie FUNShop Young adults, ages 9 to 19, were invited to enroll in eight summer FUNShops offering a variety of learning activities provided by the Catoosa County Extension program at the Catoosa County Courthouse Annex, Ringgold. Registration was $2.00 Four 10- to 14-year-olds attended the Chocolate Chip Cookie FUNShop FUNShop Goals: Time-challenged consumers may select the convenience of pre-packaged cookies, mixes or refrigerated dough to save time. The FUNShop is an opportunity to explore several consumer choices for chocolate chip cookies where the skill of baking from scratch is learned. Participants would use blind taste testing to compare commercially baked, cookie mix, refrigerated dough and scratch-prepared chocolate chip cookies. Comparisons of taste, nutrition and costs would be made. FUNShop Objectives: Demonstrate and learn proper scratch baking techniques - measuring, creaming, adding eggs, proper portioning and baking. Compare several types of baking sheets and resulting product variations. Prepare chocolate chip cookies from scratch, box mix and refrigerated dough. Purchase a similar quantity and type of commercially sold chocolate chip cookies. Conduct a blind taste test with participants for consumer preferences between the four types of chocolate chip cookies. Calculate and discuss comparative costs, taste and nutritional values. Summary: Participants learned that consumers "pay extra" for convenience and that by learning a skill like scratch baking, they can conveniently prepare a product they like that costs less and that nutrition factors may be varied or improved. The blind taste test was a valuable consumer test of product preference. More information: Read more about the Educator Award or apply for the 1999 award. Recipe used for Catoosa County Extension FUNShop: Chocolate Chip Drop Cookies (adapted from Joy of Cooking Chocolate Chip Drop Cookies) Yield: About 45 2-inch cookies Preheat oven to 375° F. Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed 1/2 cup white sugar 1 large egg 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons sifted all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips Preparation: Cream butter. Gradually add brown and white sugar and beat until creamy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Sift and stir into creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop the batter from a teaspoon, spacing well apart, on a greased baking sheet. Bake about 10 minutes. Remove cookies from the pan to a rack to cool. Click here for a version of the following chart that has been formatted especially for printing. Chocolate Chip Cookies Nutrient Value and Cost for Single Serving (Two 2" cookies) PACKAGED (About 30 cookies/pkg.) REFRIGERATED DOUGH (About 64 cookies total/pkg.) BOX MIX with butter (48 cookies/mix) SCRATCH with butter (46 cookies/batch) Calories 160 130 140 110 Total Fat 7 grams 6 grams 8 grams 5 grams Saturated Fat 2 grams 2 grams 3 grams 2.6 grams Sodium 120 mg. 85 mg. 100 mg. 120 mg. Sugar 10 grams 12 grams 14 grams 6.7 grams Cost Per Serving (Two 2" cookies) .186 .112 .1039 .090 Your Flavor Ranking         Total FUNShop Flavor Ranking         View lesson plans from the 1998 Home Baking Association Family & Consumer Sciences Teacher Award Winner.