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Gingerbread Café serves up holiday goodies at The Children’s Museum

A Fairy Tale Wonderland of Sweets & Treats Joins the Renovated Food Court at

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. 

The spicy treat figures and houses have been a holiday tradition for centuries and now that tradition becomes reality as visitors step into a fairy tale wonderland at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

It’s all part of a seasonal, sweets and treats café (this time of year – it’s the Gingerbread Café) and new Food Court at the world’s largest children’s museum.

If the visions of lollipops, gingerbread, and chocolate don’t grab your attention, the sweet smell of fresh baked goodies will at the Coffee and Treats section of the new Food Court. Children and families will find everything from pastries, to muffins, and cookies. And for the next few months, gingerbread will take center stage. A self-serve frozen yogurt station with a choice of toppings will sit alongside some of Starbucks tastiest blends and specialty drinks.

Meanwhile, bright lights and healthy delights are available in the new Food Court. The Children’s Museum and Sodexo (it’s catering and food partner) listened to visitor’s requests and came up with new ways to make dining even more delightful.

New equipment provides more ways to create healthier options. In addition to traditional lunch food, there will be a focus in working with families who may have dietary restrictions. Call ahead and have the chef help you determine the best choices to meet your needs. Selections in the Grab & Go area have clearly marked labels listing ingredients and you can check with staff members at each station to determine the ingredients of what they have to offer.

The Food Court is still honored to feature the Kids Live Well and Partnership for Healthy America designation, a wonderful extension of our educational mission by helping families identify healthful menu options and further educate children about good nutritional habits.

Expanded Healthy choices for families, along with Allergy-Friendly choices. Chef Lewis creates Salad Fall Farro.

Our new café has:

Farro Salad – 4 portions

Farro Grain

1. Olive Oil 1 tsp

2. Onions 1/3 oz

3. Farro 10 TBS

4. Water 1 cup

5. Vegetable base 2 tsp

6. Parsley 1/3 tsp

7. Bay leaves 1

8. Black pepper 1 tsp

Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add granins and toast, stirring occasionally for 3-5 minutes and turns golden brown.

Add onions and saute for additional 3-5 minutes

Add water, base, parsley, bay leaves and pepper. Cover and bring to a low simmer for 45-60 minutes, until tender. All liquid may be absorved or some may need to be drained off.

Remove bay leaves prior to use

Stone Ground Cider Vinaigrette

1. Apple cider vinegar 2 TBS

2. Honey ½ tsp

3. Thyme ½ tsp

4. Shallots, Minced ½ tsp

5. Kosher salt – Dash

6. Black Pepper – Dash

7. Whole Grain Mustard ½ tsp

8. Olive Oil blend – 2 TBS

In a bowl, combine the vinegar, honey, thyme, shallots, salt, pepper and mustard. Whisk well

In a slow steady stream, whisk oil to emulsify

Butternut Squash 4 oz

Pecan Pieces 3 TBS

Red Apples- Diced 3 oz

Scallions 1 TBS

1. Prepare farro according to recipe

2. Blanch butternut squash. Steam 4-6 inutes until tender, but not mushy. Cool quickly

3. In a bowl, toss farro, squash, pecans, apples and scallions

4. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss gently

Gingerbread Cookies (yields two dozen)

Unsalted butter 12 oz

Granulated sugar 2 cups and 4 TBS

Brown Sugar 2 cups and 4 TBS

Baking Soda 1 Tsp

Salt ½ tsp

Ground Ginger 1TBS

Ground Cinnamon 1TBS

Large Eggs 6

Molasses 8 TBS

Flour 10 cups

1. Cream the butter, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon in the bowl of a mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes

2. Add eggs and mix again on medium speed for additional 2 minutes

3. Add the flow and mix on low speed until the dough is well combined and smooth

4. Roll out dough to desired thickness on a floured bench/board

5. Cut dough and place on parchment

6. Bake

a. Convection oven 325 deg 10-12 minutes

b. Standard oven 375 deg for 12-15 min

7. Rotate pans one-half turn after 6 minutes

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is a nonprofit institution committed to creating extraordinary family learning experiences that have the power to transform the lives of children and families across the arts, sciences and humanities. For more information about The Children’s Museum, visit www.childrensmuseum.org, follow us on Twitter @TCMIndy, Facebook.com/childrensmuseum and YouTube.com/IndyTCM

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