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Le Petit Bakery Book Aims to Teach Kids How to Cook

By Janet Upadhye | January 15, 2014 9:01am
 Le Petit Bakery wrote a book with his mom Susan Tenteromano called "Child Baker to Culinary Chef."
Le Petit Bakery
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FORT GREENE — Le Petit Bakery owner Susan Tenteromano taught her son, Christopher Sanchez, to make cupcakes when he was just 2 years old.

More than two decades later, the co-owners of the Myrtle Avenue shop known for bringing the cronut to Brooklyn have published a book about a child's development into a praised pastry chef, with plenty of recipes.

"Child Baker to Culinary Chef" includes recipes simple enough for kids, like sugar cookies, chocolate-covered pretzels and walnut tarts, plus guides for more sophisticated chefs on how to make meringue clouds and coconut macaroons.

"It’s a recipe book, but more importantly it’s the story of how Christopher started baking as a child," Tenteromano said. "The book flows through his first basic recipes and ends with our current recipes showing how he grows in the baking industry."

The mother, who lives in North Port, Fla., and son, a Sheephead Bay resident, opened Le Petit Bakery at 354 Myrtle Ave. in June 2012 and now want to get kids interested in baking.

Tenteromano, who runs a private school in Florida for learning-challenged students, uses baking as a tool for teaching reading and math. A child's love for sweets is a good motivator for learning, she said.

"I ask kids what they love to eat and then ask them what they think it takes to make that treat," she said. "Then, by using some of our recipes we make the sweets together."

Using recipes helps children follow instructions and learn fractions, Tenteromano said. She hopes "Child Baker to Culinary Chef" will one day be used in schools.

The book was published by Trafford Publishing and is available for pre-order at Le Petit Bakery.