How to Make Worm Cookies Step-By-Step
From: The Kid's Future Whole Earth Catalog (1982), Future Foods section. Presented by the makers of the Whole Earth Catalog
Are you an adventurous eater? Make up a batch of Worm Cookies and share them with your family and friends. But check with your parents first. Although you might think worm cookies sound terrific, they might not agree. If your parents say it's OK to go ahead, follow the recipe below carefully. Be sure you wash, cook, and rinse the worms as directed. Like most other kinds of meat, worms must be thoroughly cooked to destroy any bacteria that may be present. If you don't often use the stove or sharp knives, ask an adult or teenager to help you cook and chop the worms - you can find someone who's daring enough if you really try. When you're ready to begin:
1. Collect the main ingredient: the worms. You'll need a shovel to dig them up and a bucket to put them in. The best place to dig for worms is in your garden or in a shady spot under a bush or a pile of dead leaves. Don't dig near a road, as the rain may have washed gasoline and other chemicals into the soil there. (You wouldn't want to eat polluted worms.) Also, don't pick out the biggest worms you can find - small or medium sized ones are more tender. Fifteen to twenty should be enough for one batch of cookies.
2. Fill a saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. While the water is heating, rinse the worms in cold water and drain them in a colander. Watch them closely - they'll probably try to crawl through the holes.
3. When the water boils, dump the worms into the pan. Cook them for about five minutes. They'll turn white and remind you a little of spaghetti.
4. Drain the worms and dump them out onto a chopping board. Cut them in small pieces. Since the worms are full of soil (that's what they eat), the board will look rather muddy. Never mind - just keep chopping.
5. Put another pan of water on to boil. Rinse the worm pieces in the colander under running water. Squeeze the pieces with a spoon to get all the soil out.
6. When the water dripping out of the colander is no longer muddy, dump the worms into the boiling water. Cook for about 10 minutes or until tender (if you care to taste them). If the cooking water looks muddy, you might want to repeat this step.
7. Drain the worms, and prepare your favorite cookie recipe. Add the worm bits to the dough. Bake as usual.
Enjoy!
Not included in writeup: Pictures of wholesome late '70s, early '80s era children making, eating and enjoying worm cookies.
Also not included: Graph representing relative protein-to-weight percentages of various 'foods'. Dried Grasshoppers, Cooked Worms, and Roasted Spiders have a ratio greater than 60%. Roast chicken? 21%. Your favorite hamburger? 20%.