FF_081519

frankfortstation.com life & arts
the frankfort station | August 15, 2019 | 17
Frankfort Park District class
introduces children to baking
Mary Compton
Freelance Reporter
Matthew Nicoletti (left), of Frankfort, watches Frankfort
Park District instructor Sharon Koczor remove eggshell
fragments while preparing a batter to make chewy chip
bars during an Aug. 7 cooking class at the Founders
Community Center. Mary Compton/22nd Century Media
Briella Price came to
the Founders Community
Center ready to cook
— and donned a princess
apron just for the occasion.
The 5-year-old Frankfort
resident was one of
several children to attend
the Frankfort Park District’s
Aug. 7 Chocolate
Chip Explosion class,
which instructed young
chefs in baking basics.
Instructor Sharon Koczor,
of Frankfort, has been
teaching children to cook
at the Founders Community
Center for three years
and leads a cooking class
once a month.
“Tonight, we’re making
chewy chip bars,” Koczor
explained. “Each recipe
that I do each month is
a different recipe. … I
started this class because
kids like to help out in the
kitchen. This gives them
an opportunity to mix and
pour and learn the steps of
baking along with reading
a recipe.”
It was the first cooking
class for 3-year-old Monroe
Nicoletti, who attended
the event with his two
older brothers.
“I like to cook a lot,”
said older brother Michael
Nicoletti, who has attended
the Frankfort Park
District’s cooking classes
since he was 3 years old.
“I liked making the snowballs.”
Before the baking began,
Koczor went over
the importance of cleanliness
with her students.
Stepping up to the sink,
the children washed their
hands and prepared to mix
ingredients.
“Every recipe I bring
here, the kids love,” Koczor
said. “I try and bring
something different that
they don’t make at home.
The most popular cooking
class I do is ‘Cookies
for Santa.’ I have about 15
kids making cookies. Each
of them makes about 12
cookies each with sprinkles
and more.
“Some of the kids get
flour all over them; their
hands get all sticky from
the frosting,” she added,
laughing. “It’s a mess.
They have a lot of fun.”
Koczor has been leading
the ‘Cookies For
Santa’ class for six years,
and it is one of her most
popular cooking classes
for children. In September,
she will be trying a
new type of class called
“Come Bake With Me,”
which will allow adults to
cook with their children or
grandchildren.
“I got the idea for this
class from a grandmother
who always like to bake
with her grandchild,” Koczor
explained. “I’m looking
forward to this new
class.”
In October, Koczor will
teach students to bake Halloween
cookies, and in
November she will hold a
class called “Thanks For
Dessert,” which will focus
on learning a recipe for the
holiday season.
Parents can register
children 3-9 years old for
a class online by visiting
www.frankfortparks.org.
The fall brochure will be
available in a few weeks,
and participants must register
for each cooking class
separately.
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