Owl cupcakes
Serves:
Makes 12
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (125g) butter, room temp
- 3/4 cup (180g) sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup (125ml) milk
- 1 1/2 cups (225g) self-raising flour
- chocolate melts
- cocoa powder
- white icing
- marshmallows
- brown M&M's Mini
- yellow Smarties
Method
Preheat oven to 160°C (180°C fan-forced). Line a 12-cup tray with patty liners.
Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla essence with electric beaters. Add eggs, beat well. Add milk and self-raising flour.
Mix with wooden spoon to combine then beat with electric beaters until ingredients are incorporated (don’t over-beat or the cupcakes will be dry and firm). Spoon mixture into patty cases. Bake for around 12-15 minutes, until golden. Cool on wire racks.
Melt chocolate according to packet directions. Spread on a piece of baking paper to form ears and head feathers. Place in freezer to chill for a few minutes.
Mix a little cocoa powder with white icing to make a mid-brown colour. Ice cupcakes. Arrange ears and head feathers. Cut marshmallows in halves horizontally to form eyes. Dab a little icing on brown M&M's Mini and place on marshmallows as pupils. Use yellow Smarties as beaks.
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Note
- If you line up all of the decorations in bowls, this can be a great decorating activity to do with the kids.
- You can use Betty Crocker Ready-made Vanilla Frosting for the white icing in this recipe of you don't have time to make your own.
- This recipe is cretaed by Alana House for Kidspot, New Zealand's best recipe finder.
Almond and yoghurt pound cake
Serves:
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 1 cup plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup caster sugar
- zest of one orange, finely grated
- 3/4 cup natural yoghurt
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup sunflower oil
- 1/2 cup marmalade
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C or 160° fan-forced. Line a loaf tin with baking paper and set aside.
Place the almond meal, flour and baking powder in a large bowl and mix to combine. In a separate bowl, mix the sugar and zest together with your fingers, working the two ingredients together until aromatic. Add the yoghurt and eggs to the sugar and whisk until well combined.
Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Fold through the sunflower oil and pour the batter into the loaf tin. Bake for 35 minutes or until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. It should be golden on top.
Remove from oven and leave to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Heat the marmalade and 1 tablespoon of water in the microwave and brush this over the top of the cake while warm.
Notes:
- I use ginger and lime marmalade to top this cake.
- Working the zest through the sugar in this recipe really enhances the flavour.
- This is a great lunch box filler. Just send it along with smear of jam.
- This recipe was created by Sophie Hansen for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.
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Healthy hoisin chicken pizza
Serves:
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 x wholemeal pita pockets (about 15cm diameter)
- oil spray
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp plum sauce
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 1 cup (100g) grated light mozzarella cheese
- 120g shaved chicken breast
- 2 spring onions, chopped
- coriander or parsley for garnish
Method
Heat oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced) and line 2 oven trays with baking paper.
Place pita bread on trays and spray lightly with oil.
Mix hoisin and plum sauces with garlic and smear onto the pita bread.
Sprinkle over half the cheese, top with chicken, spring onion and remaining mozzarella.
Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until golden and the cheese has melted.
Remove from the oven, sprinkle over herbs and serve.
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Note
- Hoisin sauce is a Chinese barbecue sauce available in most supermarkets in the Asian food aisle. If you haven’t tasted it yet, you’re in for a real treat!
- Plum sauce is both sweet and savoury and commonly used in Asian cooking. I use it alongside my hoisin sauce in just about everything I can. If you haven’t got plum sauce and don’t want to buy a bottle, you can use a little jam but I would use about 2 teaspoons mixed with a little soy sauce and a small splash of brown vinegar.
- Shaved turkey or even pork would work well for this recipe.
- This recipe was created by Jay Rogers for Kidspot, New Zealand's best recipe finder. You can follow Jay at The Moodie Foodie and on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.
Bacon and egg breakfast burrito
Serves:
Ingredients
-
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup pouring cream
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 4 bacon rashers (diced)
- 1 packet flatbread
- 1 avocado (large, sliced)
Method
In a bowl, beat together eggs and cream and season well.
Meanwhile, add 1 tsp of olive oil to a frying pan over moderate heat and then add the bacon. Once the bacon is crisp, pour over the egg mixture. Use a spatula to push it around and allow the eggs to cook and ‘scramble’.
Once cooked, remove from heat and put a fresh frying pan to heat, not too hot.
Lay a piece of flat bread out, place a piece of avocado on it and then a spoonful or two of egg mixture. Roll it quite tightly and place seam side down into the frying pan for 1 minute, or until browned. Then turn and repeat on the other side. Arrange on a plate to share with a dipping bowl of tomato salsa.
Try adding salsa to the filling before dry-cooking in the frying pan.
Finely diced red onions is a nice addition to the egg and bacon mixture.
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This recipe was created by Katie Rainbird for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.
Easy homemade yoghurt
Serves:
Ingredients
- cold tap water
- 1 1/2 cups full-cream milk powder
- 3 tbsp Easiyo Greek yoghurt real base and culture (not the whole sachet)
Method
Step 1. Gather all ingredients and boil the kettle.
Step 2. In the yoghurt making canister, fill to the hallway mark with water. Add the yoghurt starter.
Step 3. Add the milk powder.
Step 4. Place the lid on and shake vigorously until the milk power is dissolved. Remove the lid and fill to the fill line with more water. Screw the lid on tightly and shake again.
Step 5. Fill the Easiyo yoghurt maker to the fill line with boiling water.
Step 6. Place the canister inside and screw on the yoghurt maker lid. Leave for 24 hours. Remove and refrigerate. Keeps for seven days.
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Serving Suggestions
Note
- Easiyo real base and culture is intended for you to use the entire sachet for a batch of yoghurt but I have discovered that using just 2-3 tablespoons is enough to give you a great yoghurt if you add extra milk powder. This makes it a lot cheaper.
- When you open the base sachet you will need to store the remainder in an airtight container in the refrigerator for further use.
- I purchased my Easiyo yoghurt maker for around $20 but you can also buy an electric yoghurt maker from Kmart for less than $20.
- This yoghurt is unsweetened and if you would like a sweetened yoghurt, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of sugar to the canister when mixing in the milk powder and starter.
- 3 tablespoons from the previous batch of yoghurt is sufficient culture to start your next batch of yoghurt. This works well but sometimes can be inconsistent which is why I use the starter sachet.
- Some people are happy with using yoghurt that has only cultured for 12-14 hours but I make yoghurt after dinner everyday so I can leave mine the full 24 hours. It gives you a thick and creamy consistency that is full of healthy lactobacillus with no added thickeners or preservatives.
- This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.
Tomato and ricotta breakfast bread
Serves:
Ingredients
- 1 round sourdough loaf
- 300g fresh ricotta cheese
- 5 eggs, lightly whisked
- 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup milk
- a handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).
Cut the top off the loaf and pull out the bread, leaving just its shell (this is a good job for the kids). Place the loaf top and insides in a plastic bag and freeze to use later for breadcrumbs.
Whisk together the ricotta, eggs and parmesan and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Spoon the ricotta mixture into the loaf shell and top with the cherry tomatoes.
Place the filled loaf on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Cook for 45 minutes or until golden on top.
Remove the cooked loaf from the oven and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before eating, so the filling can settle and set.
Notes
- Like most kids, mine just love eating outdoors. Picnics of all persuasions are popular with us, the more out of the ordinary the better. We sometimes make this recipe on a weekend morning and take our breakfast outside for an early picnic. It’s a fun way to start the day and with this recipe being SO easy and yummy, a pretty delicious one, too!
- To make this loaf even more tasty and interesting, place a few rashers of bacon in the base before spooning over the ricotta mixture.
- Instead of the tomatoes, you could top the loaf with roasted sweet potato and caramelised onion.
- We also serve this loaf for brunch and even lunch with some salad.
- This recipe was created by Sophie Hansen
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Special Muffins
Serves:
Ingredients
3 cups self raising flour
1 cup of butter
1 cup of sugar
3 eggs
1 cup of water
vanilla essence to taste
Method
Make the muffin mix then add whatever you like to make your muffins special.
Pour into muffin cases and cook for 10 minutes in a moderate oven.
To make apple and banana, all you do is cut up about 5 apples put them in some hot boiling water with a little brown sugar
Wait about 5mins drain them and let them cool
Add to your muffin mix
Cut up some bannana and add to ingredients.
The fruit stays moist and keeps its flavour. Another one I tried was rasberries and white chocolate:
Make your mix,add your rasberries and all I did was buy a block of Cadbury Dream, smashed it into pieces and added that to the mix.
They were so delicious!! As you can see there is no end to what you can do with this muffin mix, that’s why it’s so special!
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Anzac biscuit mix in a jar
Serves:
Ingredients
- 1 x 800ml resealable jar
- 1 cup plain flour, sifted
- 1/4 tsp bicarbonate soda
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup rolled oats
Method
Step 1. Gather all ingredients.
Step 2. Layer the ingredients in the listed order into the bottom of the jar. You can use a piece of paper rolled like a funnel if you want to ease the layers into the jar. Take care to press each layer down carefully ( between layers to press down each layer) so they appear clearly on the sides of the jar.
Step 3. Make a gift tag with the following instructions: Melt 3 tbsp of golden syrup with 125g (1/2 cup) of butter. Quickly add the biscuit mix from the jar. Mix well. Roll into balls and press down with a fork. Bake at 180°C conventional (160°C fan-forced) for 15-20 minutes or until golden.
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Serving Suggestions
Note
- We used a free printable gift tag that we found at Vale design. You can download it HERE.
- You can just use a spoon to push down each layer flat, in the jar.
- This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.
Pear and custard tart
Serves:
Ingredients
- 1 sheet shortcrust pastry
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tbsp castor sugar
- 4 pears, peeled, cored and sliced
- Cinnamon for sprinkling
Method
Preheat oven to 180ºC.
Line a 20cm flan tin with the pastry and trim edges. Prick base with a fork a few times and rest for 15 minutes.
Place a sheet of baking paper over the centre and weigh down with rice or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes then removes centre weights and bake a further 5 minutes.
Remove and set aside
Reduce oven temperature to 160ºC.
Whisk cornflour into cream and add vanilla extract, eggs and sugar.
Arrange pears on the pastry base and pour custard mixture over the top. Shake cinnamon over the tart and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Notes
- This pear and custard tart recipe can be made easily from ingredients in your pantry.
- The tart looks lush but has very simple flavours and is a great afternoon tea centrepiece.
- You could use any tinned fruit you like in place of the pears.
- This pastry method is called baking blind. It is used in most tart and flan recipes to create a crisp pastry base.
- This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.
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Slow-roasted beetroot with goatsåÕ cheese and pine nuts
Serves:
Ingredients
- 2 bunches, or 700g beetroot, tops removed, peeled and quartered
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 small unpeeled cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoons goats cheese, crumbled
- 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
Method
Preheat oven to 180C.
In a large mixing bowl, toss beetroot with olive oil, salt, and garlic cloves.
Place in a heavy based, oven proof saucepan and roast, uncovered for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and flip the beetroot pieces over with a fork. Return to oven and continue to roast for another 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and crumble cheese over the beetroot and sprinkle with pine nuts, then cook another ten minutes.
Serve immediately as a main dish over instant polenta or as a side dish.
Notes
- If you don’t have a cast iron or heavy-based saucepan, you can use a roasting pan or dish as well.
- You can use feta cheese as well if you don’t like goats cheese.
- You can also use toasted walnuts instead.
This recipe was created by Kristine Duran-Thiessen for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.
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Zucchini chips
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup quinoa, uncooked
- 2 plain rice cakes
- 1 tsp onion flakes
- 3 medium zucchini, sliced
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Method
Preheat oven to 200å¡C conventional (180å¡C fan-forced). Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside.
Place quinoa, rice cakes and onion flakes into a food processor and process and pulse until they resemble breadcrumbs.
Dip zucchini slices into beaten egg, then crumb mixture and place onto the baking tray.
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden.
åÊ
Note
- If you donÛªt have a food processor you can use quinoa flakes and finely chop the rice cakes to make the crumb mixture.
- You can use the leftover crumbs to coat meat patties or use them on other vegetables for a healthy coating.
- This recipe was created by Karla Gilbert. You can read her blog atåÊIronmum Karla, catch up with her onåÊTwitter, find her onåÊFacebookåÊor peek at her pins onåÊPinterest.
Warm quince and hazelnut salad
Ingredients
- 750mlåÊapple juice
- 1 star anise
- 2 cloves
- 1 quince, peeled and quartered
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts
- 1 large handfulåÊkale, roughly torn
- 1/4 red cabbage, finely sliced
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 50g shaved parmesan or pecorino cheese
Method
Pour the apple juice into a small saucepan, add the star anise, cloves and quince and bring to the boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for about half an hour or until the quince is nice and soft. Remove the quince from the saucepan with a slotted spoon and set aside. åÊReserve the cooking liquid for the dressing.
Meanwhile place the hazelnuts in a dry frying pan and cook until just fragrant. Remove and tip into a clean tea towel. Rub so you remove most of the skins and set the nuts aside too.
Place the kale and cabbage on a serving platter and then make the dressing.
Measure out 1 cup of the apple juice mixture used for poaching the quinces. Bring this to a rolling boil, add the sugar and vinegar and cook until reduced to a syrupy consistency.
Let cool and then whisk in the olive oil. Add the quinces and hazelnuts to the platter and gently toss.
Dress the salad with cooled dressing and then sprinkle with cheese.
Note
- If you canÛªt find (or donÛªt love) quinces, swap for roasted beetroot or thinly sliced fresh pear or figs. If you are a fan of quinces though, jump over toåÊLocal is LovelyåÊfor three more quince recipes (these ones are all sweet).
- This dressing is delicious on pretty much anything and would also be great over a warm salad of roast pumpkin, grilled and thinly sliced venison or lamb or pork tenderloin with a few handfuls of rocket, some goatÛªs cheese and toasted almonds.
- This recipe was created by Sophie Hansen for Kidspot, New Zealand’s beståÊrecipe finder. You can follow Sophie onåÊåÊLocal is Lovely,åÊFacebook,åÊTwitteråÊoråÊPinterest.
Homemade rice puff slice
Serves:
Makes 16
Ingredients
- 6 cups Rice Bubbles
- 1/2 cup 100s and 1000s
- 1 pkt (250g) marshmallows
- 125g unsalted butter, melted
Method
Grease and line a 16cm x 26cm slice tray. Chop 1 cup of marshmallows and combine in a large bowl with Rice Bubbles and 100s and 1000s.
Place remaining marshmallows with butter in a saucepan and stir over low heat until melted and combined.
Add melted marshmallow mixture to Rice Bubbles and stir until combined. Tip mixture into lined tray and press down with the back of a metal spoon. Refrigerate until set.
Cut into 16 bars. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Find more Fridge Baking ideas:
Serving Suggestions
Note
- Variations include using Coco Pops for a chocolatey twist and drizzling with white or milk chocolate for an extra sugar hit.
- I prefer to keep these bars in the fridge as they are a bit crumbly at room temperature.
Halloween ghost cupcakes
Serves:
12 cupcakes
Ingredients
Method
Spread each cupcake with buttercream icing.
Pop one mini meringue kiss on top of each cupcake.
Use the black writing icing to draw a ghostly face onto each meringue.
Find more related Halloween recipes:
Serving Suggestions
Note
- Try and make these cupcakes close to serving time so the meringue kisses stay fresh and crunchy.
- You can buy meringue kisses in the bakery department of the supermarket.
Anzac brownies
Serves:
12
Ingredients
Base
- 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
- 1/2 cup flaked coconut
- 1/2 cup plain flour
- 1/4 tsp bicarbonate soda
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 20ml (1 tbsp) golden syrup
Brownie
- 60g (1/4 cup) butter
- 115g dark chocolate
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup (160g) caster sugar
- 2.5ml (1/2 tsp) pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup plain flour
Method
Step 1. Preheat oven to 180°C conventional (160°C fan-forced). Line a slice tin with baking paper and set aside. In a bowl, combine the oats, coconut, plain flour, bicarbonate soda, butter and golden syrup.
Step 2. Press mixture into the tin and bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove and leave to cool in the pan.
Step 3. Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C conventional (140° C fan-forced). In a pan, melt the butter and chocolate together over a low heat. Remove from heat to and leave to cool. In a bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla and then whisk in the chocolate mixture. Fold in flour with a spatula. Pour brownie mixture over Anzac biscuit layer. Return to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and leave to cool entirely before slicing.
Find related Anzac recipes
Serving Suggestions
Note
- Instead of using a pan, you could melt the butter in a cup in the microwave for 1 minute on high, sit the chocolate in it for a minute and then stir.
- The brownie is done when it has a shiny cracked appearance on top.
- This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand's best recipe finder.
Snowman pizza
Serves:
Makes 4
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (375ml) warm water
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 tsp (7g sachet) yeast
- 4 cups (600g) plain flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
- 1 cup tomato pasta sauce
- 250g pkt shredded pizza cheese
- 1 carrot
- 28 black olives
Method
Step 1. Combine water, honey and yeast in jug or bowl. Set aside for 3-4 minutes until foamy. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook, combine flour and salt. Add yeast mixture and olive oil and knead for 10 minutes until dough is soft and elastic. Place in a large oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel, and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled in size.
Step 2. Preheat oven to 250°C (230°C fan-forced). Knock back dough, turn out onto a floured surface and divide into four even portions. Working with one portion at a time, divide it in half, and then divide one half again into two uneven pieces, approx one-third and two-third. Roll these three balls out into three circles. Line a large tray with baking paper. Place the largest circle on the bottom half of the tray. Place the medium-sized circle just overlapping. Place the smallest circle on top to form the head.
Step 3. Spread some of the tomato sauce over the three circles of dough. Sprinkle with cheese. Cut carrot into four even wedges.
Step 4. Place two olives for eyes and five more for buttons down the body of the snowman. Place one carrot wedge for the nose. Bake for 8-10 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly, and base is cooked through. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Related Christmas recipes:
Serving Suggestions
Note
- If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can knead the dough by hand. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl, form a well in the centre, then add yeast mixture and oil and bring together to form a sticky dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes until soft and elastic, adding a little more flour as required.
- If you don’t wish to make four pizzas, roll out remaining dough and par-bake for 3-4 minutes. Allow to cool, then wrap well and freeze until needed.
- This Fruit Christmas tree is a healthy alternative to all the indulgence of Christmas. It could be a beautiful edible centrepiece for your table.
- You can make these Christmas chocolate spoons with the kids and enjoy some family time as you decorate them together.
- If you like a round shortbread disc then this Christmas shortbread can be cut into "Petticoat tails” (triangles) and wrapped.
- These Christmas snowflake biscuits are a lovely homemade gift for teachers and friends. They are decorated with pretty glitter decorations.
- These sweet Christmas gingerbread reindeer are a delicious gift to bake and give at Christmas. You can place them in cellophane bags and tie with a ribbon.
- These Cranberry and pistachio biscotti are a delicious and sophisticated homemade gift.
- These Caramel Christmas apples are a delicious take on candy apples for the festive season.
- You can make these Christmas chocolate spoons with the kids and enjoy some family time as you decorate them together.
- You can make these Christmas ginger joy biscuits and thread them on string like we have. They make a delicious Christmas garland.
- These little Meringue Christmas trees are dipped in chocolate and decorated with crunchy candy canes.
- These Christmas crackles are also a fun cooking activity for kids. You can make them in mini cupcake sizes. They look like tiny Christmas puddings.
- These sweet Christmas gingerbread reindeer are a delicious gift to bake and give.
- If you like Rocky road then these Christmas rocky road bites are a delicious. Just don't forget they contain nuts so you will need to label them.
- This recipe was created for Kidspot, New Zealand's best recipe finder by Greer Worsley, who blogs at Typically Red.
Ham and spinach egg rolls
Serves:
Makes 1 roll
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 medium brown onion, finely diced
- 80g spinach
- 2 eggs
- 20g butter
- 1/2 cup (50g) tasty cheese, grated
- 50g ham, thinly sliced
Method
Heat oil in a non-stick frypan over gentle heat. Cook onion for 4 minutes until soft, being careful not to brown. Add spinach and cook for a further minute until wilted. Transfer to a bowl.
Beat eggs. Return frypan to medium heat and melt butter. Pour in eggs and swirl pan to evenly coat. Sprinkle with cheese. Cook for 2-3 minutes until eggs have just set and cheese is beginning to melt. Carefully slide omelette out onto a board or plate.
Lay ham in a single layer over omelette. Top with spinach mixture. Starting with the side nearest to you, gently roll up into a parcel, tucking in the sides. Slice in half to serve.
Find related breakfast recipes
Serving Suggestions
Note
- Mix up the fillings to suit your taste. You could try feta instead of tasty cheese, or grated carrot and zucchini with the spinach.
- Prepare the omelettes and fillings ahead of time and keep them in the fridge. Then you just need to roll them and pop them into a lunch box.
- This recipe was created for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder by Greer Worsley, who blogs at Typically Red.
Tandoori chicken wraps
Serves:
Ingredients
- ¼ cup tandoori paste
- 1 cup (250mL) natural yoghurt
- 500g chicken breast fillets
- 4 wraps (round flat breads)
- 2 Lebanese cucumbers, sliced
- 4 handfuls lettuce
Method
Slice chicken fillets into 2cm widths about 10cm long. Marinate chicken in combined tandoori paste and ½ cup of the yoghurt for an hour. Preheat oven to 180°C. Place chicken pieces on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 15 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
On each pieces of bread, place 1-2 pieces of chicken, top with some of the remaining yoghurt, cucumber and lettuce. Roll up as tightly as possible and slice in half to serve.
Notes:
- If you are making these for a party, cook the chicken in advance and keep in the refrigerator until needed. Just before serving, prepare wraps and slice into 5cm lengths.
- For my children, I marinate the chicken in yoghurt only and shave the cucumber (so it is barely recognisable as a vegetable).
Serving Suggestions
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Slow cooker chocolate fudge
Serves:
Ingredients
- 2 x blocks (375g) cooking milk chocolate, broken into pieces
- 1 tin (395g) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 pkt (160g) M&M's Mini
Method
Step 1. Gather all ingredients together.
Step 2. Place chocolate, condensed milk and butter into slow cooker on high with the lid off. Stir with a metal or silicon spoon every 15 minutes until melted and turn setting down to low and continue to stir every 15 mins for the remaining time (up to 2 hours).
Step 3. Pour into a lined 20cm x 20 cm square cake tin and smooth over the top.
Step 4. Sprinkle with M&M's Mini and place into the fridge to cool for 1 hour. Cut into squares and serve.
Find related fudge recipes
Serving Suggestions
Note
- This fudge is quite firm and would be softer if you use about a quarter less chocolate.
- Moisture is the enemy of chocolate and will cause it to seize and become lumpy. Make sure you DO NOT use a wooden spoon and DO NOT put the lid on the slow cooker for this recipe.
- You could make this into white chocolate fudge by replacing the milk chocolate with white chocolate.
- If you don't have a slow cooker you could always try Fudge in a bag with the kids for a fun activity.
- Caramel fudge is a deliciously creamy alternative to chocolate fudge.
- Easy chocolate fudge can be wrapped up into tiny bite-sized pieces and given as a gift.
- 2 ingredient chocolate fudge is our most popular fudge and so easy the kids can make it.
- This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand's best recipe finder.
Berry fools
Serves:
Ingredients
- 6 strawberries, chopped
- 1 cup vanilla or berry yoghurt
- 8 petite meringues or 1 meringue nest, crushed
- Marshmallows, grated chocolate and extra meringue to decorate
Method
Combine strawberries, yoghurt and crushed meringue in a bowl. Spoon into serving dishes or glasses, top with marshmallows, extra meringue and grated chocolate.
Notes:
- These are so quick to prepare and are a great serve of dairy for after school. Also a fun dessert for the kids to make – the meringues add a lovely crunch.
- It is also a sneaky way to use up abandoned Disney Princess pink yoghurt in the fridge that your macho sons would otherwise not touch!
- Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.
Serving Suggestions
Note
Popcorn Chicken Wraps
Serves:
Makes 4 Wraps
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, chopped into 2cm chunks
- flour
- 1 egg, lightly whisked
- 1 cup panko crumbs, in a shallow dish with
- 2 teaspoons taco seasoning
- 4 TipTop Supersoft or Oatilicious wraps
- large handful of shredded lettuce
- 1/2 avocado, sliced into strips
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Method
Dust the chicken pieces with flour and then dip into the egg and then roll in the combined panko crumbs and taco seasoning.
Heat a film of oil in a frying pan over a moderate heat and cook the chicken until golden and crunchy and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.
Spread each wrap with mayonnaise.
Arrange lettuce, chicken and avocado close to one edge of each wrap. Fold in the ends and wrap tightly.
Cut in half to serve.
Find more Tip Top Wrap recipe ideas:
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Melted snowmen cookies
Serves:
Makes about 20 cookies
Ingredients
Basic cookie dough:
- 1/3 cup (80g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (115g) caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cup (200g) plain flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
To decorate:
- 1 cup (150g) pure icing sugar
- licorice strips
- red cachous
- icing pens
- small coloured sweets
Method
Step 1. To make the dough; Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced) and line two trays with baking paper. Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well. Fold in the vanilla, flour, baking powder and salt. Mix into a dough, shape this into a disc, then wrap in plastic and let rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Roll out and cut into circles (using a cookie cutter or the base of a glass tumbler). Transfer these to a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes or until golden.
Step 2. Let cool completely. Slice up a few licorice strips into thin strips for arms, legs, scarves, etc. Tiny dots for eyes or triangles for bow ties.
Step 3. Make up a basic white icing (just add a tiny bit of boiling water to pure icing sugar and stir, then add more water until you reach the desired consistency – should be fairly thick). Decorate the marshmallows with eyes, noses, mouths, etc. You can use an icing pen here, or just use the white icing as glue for the cachous.
Step 4. Decorate the cookies; spoon on a little white icing and spread over the surface of your cookie, then press the marshmallow down in the middle and decorate at will!
Find related sweet Christmas recipes
Serving Suggestions
Note
- Add a few tablespoons of cocoa powder to the cookie dough mixture for chocolate bases for your snowmen.
- This Fruit Christmas tree is a healthy alternative to all the indulgence of Christmas. It could be a beautiful edible centrepiece for your table.
- You can make these Christmas tree brownies in one giant round and just slice and ice. They are easy and perfect for chocolate lovers.
- You can make these Christmas chocolate spoons with the kids and enjoy some family time as you decorate them together.
- If you like a round shortbread disc then this Christmas shortbread can be cut into “Petticoat tails” (triangles) and wrapped.
- You can make these Snowman doughnut sticks with store-bought doughnuts and they are so much fun.
- If you like jelly beans then this Jelly bean Easter bark could be shaped into Christmas baubles and given as gifts.
- These Tiny Teddy Santa sleigh lollies are a fun cooking activity to make at Christmas with your family.
- These cute Reindeer cupcakes use pretzel and Jaffas for Rudolph’s nose.
- You can make these Christmas ginger joy biscuits and thread them on string to create a Christmas decoration.
- These Gingerbread families are made with a traditional gingerbread recipe and decorated with Royal icing.
- This recipe was created by Sophie Hansen for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder: You can follow Sophie on Local is Lovely, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.
Snickers rocky road
Serves:
Ingredients
- 4 x 60g snickers bars, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup rice bubbles
- 150g chopped marshmallows [or use the small ones whole]
- 1 cup roasted peanuts
- 2tsp oil
- 400g cooking chocolate
Method
Melt chocolate with the oil
Mix other ingredients into melted chocolate
Pour into lamington tray and set in fridge
Cut into fingers and enjoy.
Serving Suggestions
Note
Blackberry shortcake
Serves:
Serves 8-12
Ingredients
- 2 cups (300g) plain flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup (60g) caster sugar
- 1/2 cup (125g) unsalted butter, chilled and diced
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup (80ml) milk
- 1 small carton (300ml) cream
- 2 tsp icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1-2 punnets blackberries
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease and line a 20-22cm cake tin.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and sugar. Rub in butter using fingertips until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, milk and 1/3 cup (85g) of the cream. Pour over flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.
Place mixture into prepared tin and smooth down evenly. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly in the tin, then remove to a rack and cool completely. Meanwhile, whip remaining cream (215g) with icing sugar and vanilla.
Using a serrated knife, carefully cut the cake in half horizontally. Spread the bottom half with the whipped cream mixture. Distribute blackberries evenly over the cream. Gently place the top half of the cake onto the top and serve.
Find more delicious cake recipes:
Serving Suggestions
Note
- This cake is best eaten the day it is baked.
- Alternate with any type of berry that is available – raspberries would be heavenly!
- This recipe was created for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder by Greer Worsley, who blogs at Typically Red.
Flourless chocolate mousse cake
Serves:
Serves 12
Ingredients
- 400g butter
- 400g dark chocolate
- 400g caster sugar
- 12 egg yolks
- 10 egg whites
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease a round 23cm springform cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper.
Place butter and chocolate in a bowl and set it on top of a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until melted. Set aside to cool.
Whisk sugar and egg yolks until pale and creamy. In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites to form stiff peaks. Mix melted chocolate mixture into egg yolk mixture, then carefully fold in egg whites.
Pour half the mixture into prepared cake tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool.
Pour remaining cake mixture on top and refrigerate overnight.
Find more delicious cake recipes:
Serving Suggestions
Note
- Use a large metal spoon to fold egg whites into mixture, ensuring you maintain all of that airy fluffiness.
- Choose the best quality chocolate you can afford, preferably couverture.
- Recipe by Greer Worsley, who blogs at Typically Red.
Osso Bucco
Serves:
Ingredients
- 3-4 veal shins (osso bucco cut, approx 1.8 kg)
- half a cup plain flour
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 400g can whole tomatoes, drained and diced
- half a cup white wine
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 8 semi-dried tomatoes, halved
- 2 cups chicken or beef stock, this amount could vary depending on size of your slow cooker
- 2 sprigs rosemary (optional)
Method
Season meat with salt and pepper then cover with flour, shaking off excess.
In a large frying pan, melt butter and oil together and sear meat one piece at a time.
Place veal shins in a slow cooker add diced tomatoes and turn on to HIGH.
Meanwhile, remove excess oil and butter from pan and add wine, garlic, semi-dried tomatoes, stock and rosemary sprigs.
Bring to a boil then pour over meat in slow cooker; making sure meat is just covered with liquid.
Place lid on, turn down to LOW and cook for 9 hours.
Turn off cooker and remover meat. For a thicker sauce pour liquid into a saucepan and bring to a simmer for 15 minutes.
Notes
- If you have a large slow cooker you my not need as much stock; just make sure the meat is only just covered.
- If you dont want to boil the sauce afterward for so long then simply thicken with cornflour or arrowroot.
- You can garnish this meal with a sprinkle of the classic Italian gremolata (finely chopped parsley and lemon rind).
- When cooking meat like this, I like to get as much flavour from it as possible so taking the extra 20 minutes in the beginning to sear the meat will give you a wonderful flavour in the end.
- Traditionally Osso Bucco is served with saffron rice. Mashed spuds and couscous also work beautifully, especially when served with steamed broccoli and beans.
- Recipe created by Camilla Baker for Kidspot, New Zealands best recipe finder.
Serving Suggestions
Note
Anzac muffin
Serves:
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 100g butter
- 4 tbsp golden syrup
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup dessicated coconut
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (topping)
- 1/2 cup rolled oats (topping)
Method
In a medium saucepan, heat the milk with the butter and golden syrup. Bring to the boil and whisk in the baking soda. Set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper and set aside.
In a bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, brown sugar and coconut.
Whisk the egg into the milk and butter mixture.
Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, folding until just moist. Divide the mixture evenly between the muffin cups.
In a bowl, combine the brown sugar and rolled oats for the topping. Spoon topping evenly over each muffin cup. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Cool in the tin for 5 mins and then let cool on a wire rack.
Notes
- Make sure your milk and butter mixture is cooled well before you add the egg, otherwise you will just get scrambled eggs.
- Do not overmix the ingredients as overmixing creates a “tough” muffin.
Find more muffin recipes:
This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.
Serving Suggestions
Note
