Kidz Kook ​“Ice Cream” At The Library

Twenty pairs of eyes widened in awe as Kidz Kook founder Tennille Murphy revealed that the Mitchell Library’s very own mini-chefs would be making ice cream — with a nutritious twist.

The Mitchell Library, a branch of the New Haven Free Public Library located in Westville at 37 Harrison St., has been hosting a series of summer activities to keep kids busy. Last week it was a LEGO building tutorial. Next week, it’s a stop-motion animation class.

During this week’s get together on Wednesday, health educator and Kidz Kook founder Tennille Murphy sought to bridge the gap between nutrition and literacy for 20 eager kids by putting a spin on a beloved dessert.

Before diving into the cooking, the kids joined Murphy on the carpet to read The Ice Cream Vanishes by Julia Sarcone-Roach, a picture book following a squirrel and a bear who mistake melting ice cream for magic and decide to take their new trick on the road.

“You’re gonna help me up, right?” asked Murphy as she kneeled down to the carpet.

“I guess,” one kid replied, long and slow and leaving the whole room laughing.

To keep the kids engaged, Murphy asked for their help in turning sticky pages by blowing air towards the book. Not one page got stuck.

The kids then raced to wash their hands and find a seat at a long folding table, where Murphy asked, ​“What does it mean to eat healthy?”

“To grow strong,” suggested one kid.

“Strawberries and bananas!” shouted another.

Murphy was a fan of both responses, and offered further insight into the importance of a nutritious diet: ​“It helps us grow strong, it helps us grow smart so we can stay alert and get those straight‑A’s in school, it helps us stay up late— that one might be a bit of a problem for the parents, though,” she laughed.

Then, Murphy made the reveal: instead of making real ice cream, the kids would be arranging waffles and fruit to resemble a scoop of ice cream atop a literal waffle cone. Even more special was that the waffles would be made from scratch — an experience that was unheard of by many.

“But we don’t know how,” worried one kid.

“Well, anyone can cook! Here, let me make you all mini-chefs: 1, 2, 3, abracadabra, mini-chefs are in the room!” Murphy said.

To start, the group checked to make sure they had secured all of the ingredients for the waffle batter, which included water, eggs, vegetable oil, and pancake/waffle mix. ​“First, we need to pour in the dry ingredients before incorporating the wet ingredients,” Murphy instructed. ​“Does anyone know which of these ingredients are wet?”

One kid confidently chimed in with the answer: ​“Wet ingredients are eggs, milk…”

“I like chocolate milk!” noted another kid. ​“Yeah, so do I!” chimed in the rest.

Once the group was back on track and had checked off every ingredient on the list, they began to mix in each ingredient. Despite having only four ingredients and 40 eager helping hands, Murphy ensured that every mini-chef had the opportunity to contribute their talents.

First, two kids each scooped in two cups of pancake/waffle mix.

Then, a bottle of water and a cup of vegetable oil were passed down the line as a few kids each took their turn pouring in the first wet ingredient.

One kid, a seasoned egg-cracking expert, was assigned the task of cracking one into the bowl.

To top it off, Murphy asked a few kids to help her add her secret ingredient: vanilla.

“Next time you’re making these for your parents, add a little bit of vanilla. Your parents will ask, ​‘What did you put in here?’ and you’ll say, ​‘Oh, you know, a lil’ something-something,” Murphy said with a shimmy. The kids followed her lead, now equipped with the confidence of true waffle connoisseurs.

Murphy delegated a few parents to pour the batter into a waffle maker and begin doling out banana-halves and strawberries, which would later form the scoop of ice cream. The kids hacked away at their fruits with their parent’s assistance, but hunger took hold before the waffles were finished and many kids’ fruit was gone in minutes.

Thankfully, Murphy had planned ahead and had plenty of fruit to tide them over.

When the waffles were ready, the kids quickly sliced them into triangles before meticulously positioning their fruit atop their cones, proudly admiring their masterpieces. But before they could dig in, Murphy had one more surprise up her sleeve, the cherry on top — rather, the blueberry on top.

“It was so good,” said Lucas, who had cracked the egg earlier. ​“I didn’t know there was healthy ice cream!”

Murphy looked on as the kids savored their ​“ice cream,” thinking back to the snacks she made as a child. ​“My grandmother taught me how to cook, so I would come home from school and whip up a healthy snack. I want to teach these kids not only how to cook, but how to make that decision of choosing an apple over a bag of chips, because that will influence their nutrition in the future. And because healthy food can taste incredible!”