Handstand Kids Chinese Cookbook : Recipe for Chocolate Noodle Clusters

We have blogged about the Handstand Kids Cookbooks before and chatted with Yvette Garfield (author and founder) about why she started Handstand Kids.

Yvette Garfield is our guest blogger and loves food and travel. She shares the passion for culture each of the Handstand Cookbooks spreads to young minds in this post. With the weekend coming up, the recipe is a perfect way to unwind with your kids and allow them to make some tasty treats for themselves.

The recently launched Chinese cookbook allows children to take a journey, with the Handstand kids, through China’s culture, language and food. Read below for a recipe for The Handstand Kids’ “Emperor's Favorite Treat Chocolate Noodle Clusters.”

Ingredients
2 cups (12 ounce bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups (5 ounces) Chinese chow mein noodles, broken into 1-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) salted peanuts

Tools
Measuring cups
Medium microwaveable bowl
Large mixing bowl
Rubber spatula
Nonstick baking sheet
2 soup spoons

Instructions
1. Line a baking sheet with wax paper, parchment paper, or aluminum foil.
2. Melt the chocolate chips and butter together in a microwave-safe bowl in a microwave oven, stirring every 30 seconds. Heat just until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
3. In a large mixing bowl, toss the noodles and peanuts together. Pour the melted chocolate mixture over them and stir. Use a rubber spatula to coat the noodles and nuts with chocolate quickly before the chocolate hardens.
4. Use 2 soup spoons to scoop up spoonfuls of the mixture and place on the prepared baking sheet. Set the baking sheet in a cool place or refrigerate for 15 minutes until the chocolate hardens.
5. The clusters can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

Alternative: Try using different types of nuts. You can also leave out the nuts and just use the chow mein noodles!

The Handstand Kids Chinese Cookbook comes packaged in a large takeout box with adorable kid-friendly plastic chopsticks. Recipes are rated in difficulty from 1 to 4 chopsticks. A four-chopstick recipe requires more parental help, but an older child should be able to make a 1 or 2 chopstick recipe with minimal assistance from mom. Ingredients and utensils are listed in Mandarin as well as English.

Each cookbook in the series encourages kids to get involved in their communities. The Chinese Cookbook suggests hosting a food drive and donating the proceeds to a charity of choice. I am doing my own charity work through the Chinese Cookbook by donating a portion of all sales from www.handstandkids.com to Nothing But Nets when customers use the promotional code NETS. Nothing But Nets is a grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa.

Visit www.handstandkids.com to learn more! Happy cooking everyone.

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