Allergen: Contains Eggs

Volcano birthday cake

Volcano birthday cake

Ingredients

Chocolate mud cake

  • 200g unsalted butter, softened
  • 200g good quality dark chocolate, broken into pieces
  • 160mL espresso coffee (or 6 teaspoons instant dissolved in 160mL water), optional
  • 125g (nearly 1 cup) self raising flour
  • 125g (nearly 1 cup) plain flour
  • 50g cocoa powder
  • half a teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
  • 480g (2 and a half cups) caster sugar
  • 60mL (quarter a cup) vegetable oil
  • 4 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 110mL buttermilk

Chocolate ganache

  • 200mL thin cream
  • 200g good quality dark chocolate, broken into pieces

Decoration

  • 2 sheets red cellophane
  • 1 sheet yellow cellophane
  • 1 cup red jelly (pre-made)
  • 1 cup orange jelly (pre-made)
  • 1 cup red, yellow and white jubes

You will need a Baba cake tin (a deep ring tin; mine has 21cm top diameter x 10.5cm height) and 30cm round cake stand or plate for this recipe. And a plastic table cloth to catch the lava flow!

Method

Preheat oven to 160C. Generously grease the tin and then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of flour. Jiggle the tin around to coat evenly, then discard any remaining flour.

Place the butter, chocolate and coffee (with water if using instant) in a saucepan and stir over low heat until melted, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Sift flours, bicarb and cocoa into a large bowl of an electric mixer, add the sugar and beat on low speed to combine. Add the combined eggs, oil and buttermilk and beat on a low speed until well combined.

Spoon into tin and bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Leave the cake in the tin until cold. Ideally, make the cake the day before and then once cool to touch, refrigerate over night.

Chocolate ganache

Heat cream in a small saucepan until close to boiling, remove from heat and add chocolate. Stir until chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Leave to cool for at least an hour or until thick enough to thickly coat the back of a spoon.

Use a small knife to loosen the cake from the sides and middle tube of the cake pan. Be patient, I usually have to do this 2 or 3 times before the cake comes out.

Cut a sheet of the yellow and red cellophanes in half. Layer each sheet on the cake stand or plate (yellow, red, yellow, red). Carefully turn the cake onto the cellophane Lava Pool. Spread a generous layer of cooled chocolate ganache over the top and side of the cake using a butter knife or offset spatula (from cake decorating shops).

Press a small cup into the mouth of the volcano and line with a half sheet of red cellophane. Press the cellophane right in so the ends stick up like erupting lava. Spoon red and orange jelly into the cup, so it is just overflowing the brim of the cup. Use the jubes to form piles of molten rock at the base of the volcano.

Refrigerate the cake until needed, or leave at room temperature and just load up with jelly before the big moment. To cause the eruption, lift a corner of the cellophane and the jelly will tumble down the cake and into your carefully placed lava-catching devices!

Notes:

  • Preparation time: 25 minutes, baking time: 1 hour 15 minutes, decorating time: 20 minutes.
  • This chocolate mud cake is sublime and best at room temperature. A little too much chocolate (and optional caffeine) for small children, but great for all the chaperoning adults!
  • Some small chocolate honeycomb squares would also look great as boulders. My son (now an elderly 7yo) is obsessed with secret agent Lego at the moment, so we had our volcano decorated with agents chasing Dr Infernos bad guys across the dangerous slopes!

 

Hand Painted Easter Cookies

Hand painted Easter cookies

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups (380g) plain flour, sifted
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup (250g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup (220g) sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Icing

  • 1 pkt (500g) ready-made white fondant
  • 1/ cup (80g) icing sugar, sifted
  • 2 tbsp honey (for attaching the fondant)

You will also need:

  • food colourings
  • small paint brushes
  • water

Method

Sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter until pale and then add the sugar a little at a time. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until mixed in. Add the flour until it is just incorporated.

Remove from bowl and gently knead on a floured surface for 1 minute and then divide into two discs. Cover the discs in cling film and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

When ready to roll the dough, preheat the oven to 190°C (160°C fan-forced). Cover baking trays with baking paper and set aside.

Remove one disc from the fridge and roll out the dough to a thickness of 7mm on a floured board.

Dip cookie cutters in flour and cut shapes. Repeat with second disc. Place all shapes on baking paper and bake for 7-11 minutes until pale golden in colour. Cool on wire racks.

While cooling, roll out fondant on a surface dusted with sifted icing sugar. Use cookie cutters to cut out identical shapes of the prepared cookies in the fondant.

Brush cookies with honey and place fondant cut outs on top of each cookie.

Dilute food colours with a few drops of water and paint the cookies.

Tips:

  • Make sure you keep an eye on these in the oven so they don’t brown.
  • These cookies need plenty of time to cool before you layer the fondant icing on top.
  • This recipe was created by Spoon & Fork Cake and Cookies for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Banana-oat cookies

Banana-oat cookies

Serves:

 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • half a cup butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup mashed bananas
  • 1 and a half cup quick cooking oats
  • 1 and a half cups flour
  • half a teaspoon salt
  • half a teaspoon cinnamon
  • half a teaspoon baking soda
  • half a cup chopped walnuts

Method

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease cooking tray or line with baking paper.

Cream together butter, sugar and egg until light and fluffy. Stir in bananas and oats.

Combine remaining dry ingredients and nuts and add to creamed mixture, blending well.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Serving Suggestions

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Easy peanut butter bars

Easy peanut butter bars

Serves:

 

Ingredients

  • 2 cups peanut butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • nuts (optional)

Method

Mix all ingredients together.

Press into a deep, greased baking tray.

Bake in a 180C oven for 15 minutes.

Turn oven off, and let sit in oven for 15 more minutes.

Remove from oven and cut into slices. Serve hot or cold.

Serving Suggestions

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Dotty sultana cake

Dotty sultana cake

Serves:

 

Ingredients

  • 500g sultanas
  • 250g unsalted butter or margarine, softened
  • 1 cup caster sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 3 cups self-raising flour

Method

Preheat oven to 150°C. Grease a 22cm round cake tin and line the base with baking paper.

Place the sultanas in a large saucepan, cover with water and boil for 10 minutes. Drain well and chop butter into pan, cover and leave butter to melt. Use an electric beater to beat the eggs and sugar until thick and creamy. Sift flour into pan, pour in egg mixture and mix until well combined.

Spoon cake mixture into prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 1¼ – 1½ hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven. Set aside in the pan for 15 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

Notes:

  • This cake keeps well, is handy for lunchboxes, snacks and grown-ups afternoon teas. Buttery and moist, mmm-mmm.
  • Freeze slices wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or freezer bags for up to a month. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
  • Make gluten-free using gluten-free self-raising flour or plain flour and 5 teaspoons baking powder.
  • Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.

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Peach and raspberry upside down cake

Peach and raspberry upside down cake

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp butter
  • 2 cups self-raising flour
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 250g butter
  • 1 cup caster sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ cup milk
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup frozen raspberries
  • 1 x 800g tin sliced peaches

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C or 160° fan-forced. Using the teaspoon of butter, grease a 20cm round cake tin.

In a bowl, sift the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Combine and set aside.

Using a mixer, cream the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs on at a time, beating well after each addition.

Fold in half of the flour, then the milk, then the remaining flour.

Sprinkle the brown sugar over the base of the tin. Place the frozen raspberries and peaches on top of the sugar.

Spoon the cake batter over the peaches and raspberries and smooth the top evenly with the back of a spoon.

Bake for 45-50 minutes. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes then turn out onto a serving plate.

Notes:

  • Make sure that the tin is greased well so the cake will come out easily.
  • Serve with hot vanilla custard.
  • This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

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Halloween vanilla vampire cupcakes

Halloween vanilla vampire cupcakes

Serves:

12 cupcakes

Ingredients

Method

Spread each cupcake with buttercream icing.

Now use the red icing tube to dab two dots of red onto each cupcake.

Use a toothpick to drag the red colouring down vertically, like bloody fang marks (see video).

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Serving Suggestions

Note

  • This cake decoration is so simple you could get the kids to do it and tick off a fun Halloween activity in the process.
  • If you find making a quantity of buttercream icing just one step too far on a busy day, buy a can of Betty Crocker buttercream icing at the supermarket instead.
  • This recipe was created by Penny Flanagan for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Quiche

Quiche

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 1 pkt shortcrust pastry
  • 250g rashers bacon, rind and fat removed, chopped
  • 1 cup grated tasty cheese
  • 3 eggs
  • 300ml pouring cream

Method

Place a baking tray in oven and preheat oven and tray to 200C.

Line base and sides of a 2.5cm deep, 25cm (base) fluted loose-based flan with pastry.

Cover with baking paper and weights (rice or beans work well) and bake according to directions on the packet.

Meanwhile, heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook for 4 minutes or until light golden. Set aside to cool completely.

Reduce oven to 180C. Spread bacon mixture over pastry base.

Top with cheese.

Place eggs, cream and salt and pepper in a jug and beat with a fork until well combined. Pour over cheese.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the centre is set.

Cut into slices and serve hot or cold with salad.

Serving Suggestions

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Food pyramid

Food pyramid

Serves:

Ingredients

Method

The food pyramid helps kids to receive all the nutrients growing children need each day from the five food groups.

These are:

  • Fruit
  • Vegetables
  • Protein – this includes lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, legumes
  • Grains – this includes bread, cereals, rice, pasta and noodles
  • Dairy – this includes milk, yoghurt, and cheese

 

You’ll need to eat a number of serves from each group depending on your age and how active you are. Growing children need the following number of serves from each group:

 

Grains

Vegetables

Fruit

Dairy

Protein
Children 4-7 yrs

3 – 4

4

2

3

1/2-1
Children 8-11 yrs

4 – 6

4 – 5

1 – 2

3

1 – 11/2
Adolescents 12-18 yrs

4 – 7

5 – 9

3 – 4

3 – 5

1 – 2

Sample serves from the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating.

 

How big is one serve?

Fruit:

  • 1 medium piece – such as an apple, banana or pear
  • 2 small pieces – such as a kiwi fruit, passionfruit, plum
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons of sultanas, raisins or currants
  • 4 pieces of dried fruit – such as apricots, pears or figs
  • 1 cup of tinned fruit

Vegetables:

  • 1 potato
  • 1/2 cup (75g) of cooked vegetables
  • 1 cup of salad vegetables
  • 1/2 cup (75g) of cooked legumes – dried beans, peas or lentils

Protein:

  • 65-100g cooked meat or chicken
  • 80-100g of fish fillets
  • 2 small eggs
  • 1/2 cup of cooked dried or tinned beans – such as lentils or red kidney beans
  • 1/3 cup of nuts – such as almonds, cashews or peanuts
  • 1/4 cup of seeds – such as sunflower or sesame

Grains:

  • 2 slices of bread
  • 1 medium bread roll
  • 1 cup of cooked pasta, noodles or rice
  • 1 1/3 cup breakfast cereal
  • 1/2 cup muesli

Dairy:

  • 1 cup of milk
  • 200g of yoghurt
  • 40g of cheese
  • 1/2 cup evaporated milk

While there are plenty of foods that don’t fall clearly into one of these categories – chips, chocolate – it’s best to keep these ‘extras’ to minimum as they are usually high in empty calories, salt, sugars and fats.

Find more:

 

Common Sense Advice. Share your experiences, tips and advice on the Kidspot Message Board.

This article was written by Ella Walsh for Kidspot. Sources include Nestle and Better Health Channel.

 

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Mini chocolate mint ice cream sandwiches

Mini chocolate mint ice cream sandwiches

Serves:

Makes 12

Ingredients

  • 24 chocolate biscuits
  • 2 Litre Mint chocolate-chip ice cream
  • 1/4 cup sprinkles
  • 1 bottle white chocolate sauce

Method

Lay 12 chocolate cookies out with the flat side facing up. Match them with similar sized chocolate cookies and place them facing up too.

Scoop a spoonful of chocolate mint ice cream onto 12 of the cookies.

Place the leftover cookies on top.

Press the cookies together slightly so that the ice cream comes right up to the edges.

Working quickly, press the sides of the ice cream sandwiches into the sprinkles, so that all of the sides are covered.

Drizzle over the white chocolate sauce.

Serve immediately.

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Note

  • Using store-bought cookies means that these mini ice cream sandwiches are the perfect size for kids.
  • You might find it easier to make the ice cream sandwiches in batches of 3-4, so that the ice cream doesn’t melt before serving.
  • This is the perfect Christmas dessert – it’s so simple! In fact, the kids can even make their own – just lay everything out and let them create their own mini sandwiches.
  • You can prepare these ahead of time and freeze in an airtight container until needed
  • This recipe was created by Lucy Mathieson for Kidspot.

Ham and pineapple pizza muffins

Ham and pineapple pizza muffins

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 3 English muffins, split
  • 6 tbsp pizza sauce
  • 4 slices ham, diced
  • 1 tin (440g) crushed pineapple, drained well
  • 3 cup pizza cheese

Method

Toast the muffins in the toaster and spread 1 tablespoon of pizza sauce on each.

Scatter ham and pineapple on the pizza sauce.

Top with pizza cheese.

Place under the grill until the cheese is melted and serve.

Notes

  • You can do these in the oven for 10 minutes at 160C fan-forced to melt the cheese, too.
  • I prefer to get these made fast under the grill.
  • Consider making a double batch of these and popping some into lunchboxes cold. They get eaten fast in my house.
  • This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand

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Free form apple pie

Free form apple pie

Serves:

 

Ingredients

  • 2 sheets frozen sweet shortcrust pastry
  • 3 small red apples (Pink Ladies are my favourite)
  • 4 tablespoons almond meal
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoon caster sugar
  • Thick cream or icecream, to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Remove pastry sheets from freezer and lay on a bench to defrost.

Quarter and core apples, then thinly slice each quarter.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons almond meal on each pastry sheet, leaving a 5cm border.

Pile on apples, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.

Fold up edges of pastry, doesn’t matter if it looks messy, that’s the whole idea.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until pastry is crisp, apples are tender and there is a fantastic aroma drifting through the house!

Serve hot with cream or icecream.

Notes:

  • Make sure you get sweet shortcrust pastry, I have made this pie with unsweetened pastry, but it’s just not quite right.
  • You could always make your own pastry, if time permits.
  • Leftovers can be kept covered in the fridge and reheated the next night at about 150°C.
  • Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.

 

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Gluten-free peanut butter cookies

Gluten-free peanut butter cookies

Serves:

 

Ingredients

  • 375g jar crunchy peanut butter
  • 1 cup caster sugar
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
  • 1/2 cup milk choc bits

Method

Preheat oven to 180ºC and line trays with baking paper.

Place peanut butter, sugar and egg into a mixing bowl.

Stir with wooden spoon until mixture is no longer sticky. Stir in nuts and choc bits.

Roll mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, into balls.

Place on baking trays, allowing room for spreading. Flatten slightly with fingertips.

Bake for 12-15 mins or until light golden. Cool on trays for 5 mins. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

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Fairy wands

Fairy wands

Serves:

10

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (125g) butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup (115g) caster sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour
  • 10 wooden sticks
  • icing or icing pen
  • sprinkles or cachous of your choice

Method

Preheat the oven to 180å¡C (160å¡C fan-forced) and line two baking trays with paper and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until pale. Add the egg and vanilla and mix again for another couple of minutes. Fold in the flour until you have a smooth dough.Wrap this in plastic and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Roll out the dough until about 5mm thick then cut out biscuits using a star-shaped cookie cutter. Arrange on the baking tray then carefully push the wooden sticks into the biscuits (in the corner between two points of the stars).

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until light golden then let cool completely before decorating.

Pip or write (using an icing pen) dots or add a lacy border around the edge of each biscuit then tie a bow around the handle of each.

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Note

  • To stop the wands breaking while decorating; hold the biscuit not the stick and keep them on the work surface at all times.
  • To make these even easier, just skip the wooden sticks and make up a batch of stars to decorate at will.
  • This recipe was created by Sophie Hansen for Kidspot, New Zealand‰Ûªs beståÊrecipe finder:åÊYou can follow Sophie onåÊLocal is Lovely,åÊFacebook,åÊTwitteråÊoråÊPinterest.

Easy lamb koftas

Easy lamb koftas

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 600g lean lamb mince
  • 4 pieces multigrain bread
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 sprigs of fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried if you must!)
  • 2 long sprigs of fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
  • Olive oil

Accompaniments

  • Tzatziki (fresh or pre-made)
  • Sliced tomatoes
  • Lettuce – I prefer rocket or cos
  • Diced cucumber
  • Pita bread

Equipment

  • 20cm skewers x 16

Method

In a food processor, process the bread until it becomes breadcrumbs.

Add garlic and herbs, and blitz for another 20 secs or so until well combined.

Add mince and egg and blitz for about 1 minute until all well combined.

Form into long finger-like patties about 3cm wide and 10cm long, push a skewer through the sausage until it almost reaches the top and give a final roll between your hands to retain a round shape.

Refrigerate until ready to cook (I recommend at least 1 hour but if you are in a hurry- go ahead!).

Cover the ends of the sticks with foil and cook, turning occasionally under a hot grill for approximately 10-12 minutes, or bake in the oven at 200ºC conventional (180ºC fan-forced) on a tray lined with baking paper for approximately 20-25 minutes until cooked.

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Note

  • I’ve wanted to try these forever and it’s a wonder I haven’t really – it contains most of my favourite flavours and is a perfect BBQ addition or a quick meal for a hot evening.
  • What I like about these lamb koftas is that my young family can get involved in putting their meal together themselves – kids love to invent their own foods and it’s a way of giving them some control, whilst (sneakily) deciding what they eat.
  • You can make the lamb kebab sticks the day ahead or even weeks, and freeze uncooked. Leftovers are fabulous cold too.
  • This recipe was created by Melissa Klemke for Kidspot, New Zealand

Carrot topped cupcakes

Carrot topped cupcakes

Serves:

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups (225g) self-raising flour
  • 1 1/4 cups (280g) caster sugar
  • 3 eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (125g) butter, softened and cubed
  • 1/2 cup (125ml) milk
  • zest and juice of two limes
  • 1 tsp vanilla paste

For the icing:

  • 250g cream cheese (softened)
  • 1/2 cup (80g) icing sugar, sifted
  • zest and juice of one lemon
  • 1 packet store-bought marzipan (for the carrots)
  • orange and green food colouring.

Method

Step 1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced) and place cupcake liners in a 12-hole muffin tin. Combine all ingredients and beat for five minutes. Spoon into muffin tin and bake for 15 minutes if making cupcakes (or until golden and a skewer comes out clean). While cakes are cooking, take three-quarters of the marzipan and knead the orange food colouring into it (gloves are a good idea here!) then set aside. Knead the green colouring into remaining marzipan.

Step 2. Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack while making the icing. To do this just beat together all ingredients until you have a nice, tangy and thick consistency. 

Step 3. Make the carrots by shaping a piece of the orange marzipan (about the size of a Malteser) into a small fat sausage, then work one end into a point and gently roll in the palm of your hand until you have a horn or carrot shape. Repeat with remaining carrots. Score lines across each one with a sharp knife. Shape the green marzipan into little carrot tops and gently press two into the top of each carrot. Keep in the fridge until needed.

Step 4. To assemble, generously ice the cupcakes then press one or two carrots into the top of each one. Sprinkle with remaining lime zest and serve.

Carrot topped cupcakes

Notes:

  • You may use fondant instead of marzipan if you prefer.
  • You can also make one large cake instead of 12 cupcakes. Simply pour the cake mixture into a greased and lined 24-cm springform cake tin and bake for 30-35 minutes instead of 15-20 minutes.
  • You will also love this cute Easter bunny breakfast. It is the perfect savoury start to Easter Sunday for your little ones.
  • On the day you have your Easter egg hunt you could make these cute Bunny butt pancakes. They are just like those bunnies in the garden.
  • If you love Hot cross buns you will love these Hot cross cookies. They are the perfect compromise and much faster to make than their traditional cousins.
  • These Coconut cream eggs are perfect for when you need to know exactly what is in your Easter treats. The kids will also love making these with you.
  • This Cream egg cheesecake is worthy of being the centrepieces for your special Easter dinner. It is easy to make ahead and will please the whole family.
  • These Carrot topped cupcakes are topped with sweet marzipan but don’t be fooled into thinking they are all sweet. The cupcakes under the carrots have a zingy lime flavour.
  • 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.

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Prawn toasts

Prawn toasts

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 10 slices white bread
  • 500g green prawns, peeled and deveined
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • 1 tbsp grated ginger
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 tsp cornflour
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • 1/2 cup sesame seeds
  • peanut oil for frying

Method

Remove crusts from bread and cut each slice into 4 triangles.

Place the prawn meat into food processor with the green onions, ginger, egg white, cornflour, soy sauce and pepper. Process until smooth.

Spread 1 tablespoon of this mixture on each triangle of bread. Press the toasts face down into the sesame seeds. Repeat until all are finished.

Heat the peanut oil in a saucepan or wok. Check the heat by dropping a small piece of bread in to see if it sizzles.

Fry the toasts in batches of three, face down for 1 minute and then turn for 20 seconds. Drain on paper towel.

Notes

  • As you fry these in batches you will need to make sure that your oil doesn’t get too hot or the mixture won’t cook through properly. I like to turn the heat down after the first two batches.
  • It’s best to drain these on paper towel after frying.
  • To keep warm just pop them into an oven that has been preheated to 150’C while you finish cooking.
  • You can also freeze these after frying and re-heat in the oven when you need them.
  • This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Serving Suggestions

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Banana cake with lemon icing

Banana cake with lemon icing

Serves:

 

Ingredients

  • 125g unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup caster sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup mashed banana (2 large bananas)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ cup milk
  • Lemon icing
  • 1 cup icing sugar
  • 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice.

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Butter a 20cm square cake tin and line with baking paper.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in one egg at a time, then bananas and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients into mixture, alternating with milk and beat until combined. Pour into prepared tin and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Allow cake to cool for 5 minutes in the tin and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

To make the icing, combine icing sugar and enough lemon juice to make a smooth paste. Spread icing onto cold cake.

Notes:

As with the Orange cake, this is perfect for afternoon tea and lunch boxes.

I felt the need for a round banana cake, so used a 20cm round tin, but needed to cook it for about 10 minutes longer. I used bananas that I had frozen – they were a bit watery and the cake was more dense than I usually like. Drain excess water off defrosted frozen bananas.

 

To make gluten-free, use gluten-free plain flour and baking powder.

Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.

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Profiteroles recipe

Profiteroles recipe

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 1 batch of choux pastry
  • 1 small carton cream
  • 2 tbsp pure icing sugar

Chocolate icing

  • 1 cup icing sugar
  • 2 tsp cocoa
  • 3 tbsp hot water

Method

Preheat oven to 220°C. Prepare two baking trays with baking paper and set aside.

Fill a piping bag with the choux pastry and then pipe walnut-sized balls of the pastry directly onto the baking tray. Brush with a little of the beaten egg before going into the oven.

Place in the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn the oven down to 200°C and slip a wooden spoon into the oven door so that it is ajar while it cooks for another 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in a protected area on a baking rack.

Meanwhile, whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. Add the icing sugar and continue to whip until it is very stiff.

Cut open the pastry cases and spoon a generous teaspoon of the cream into the pastry then close.

To make the chocolate icing, combine all the ingredients in a bowl thoroughly and then dip the topside of the eclair into the icing.

Notes:

  • Choux pastry is a lot easier to make than you may think – so give it a go!
  • The choux pastry recipe will give you about 30 pastry cases so invite friends over for afternoon tea when you plan to make them because they don’t keep well.
  • The unfilled choux buns will store in an airtight container for 24 hours but they will begin to go soft quite quickly so ensure that you keep them completely moisture-free at all times.
  • If you REALLY want to be ambitious, you can build a croquembouche with these profiteroles.
  • This recipe was created by Ella Walsh for Kidspot Nerw Zealand’s best recipe finder.

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Note

Little pear and raspberry cupcakes

Little pear and raspberry cupcakes

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 160g unsalted butter
  • 1 cup natural yoghurt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/3 cups plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 cup caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 1 cup tinned pears, cut into 1.5cm dice
  • 3/4 cup raspberries, frozen or fresh

Method

Preheat oven to 210ºC or 190ºC fan-forced. Line a 12-hole muffin pan with paper cases.

Melt butter and allow to cool. Whisk in yoghurt and eggs. Place flour, baking powder and sugar in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Pour in the butter mixture and whisk until smooth. Stir through vanilla and pears.

Spoon mixture into a lined muffin pan, and dot each one with a few raspberries, pushing them into the batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly brown and cooked through.

Notes:

  • To poach your own pears: Peel, quarter and remove the core from some firm pears and simmer until tender in a light sugar syrup (a cup of sugar dissolved in a litre of water) with a sliced lemon and scraped vanilla bean.
  • Alternate with seasonal fruit, for example strawberries, blueberries, stewed apples or peaches.

Recipe by Greer Worsley, a working mum whose desire to make and bake things has grown in inverse proportion to the amount of spare time she has since her three gorgeous girls came along.

Find related cupcake recipes

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Hollywood starlet birthday cake

Hollywood starlet birthday cake

Serves:

 

Ingredients

Decorations

  • 200g white ready-to-roll fondant icing
  • Star cookie cutters
  • Alphabet cookie cutters
  • Red ribbon
  • Doll
  • Gold cachous
  • Yellow food colouring

Method

Following the packet instructions, prepare two packet cakes and pour together into the cake tine. Bake according to the instructions – you may have to increase your cooking time

slightly as you have doubled the recipe by putting to packets into one tin.

Repeat with the remaining packet cakes.

Level both cakes with a knife and spread the top of one cake with the Chocolate butter. Sandwich the remaining cake on top.

Ice the entire cake with buttercream.

Decorations

Knead fondant until soft and smooth.

Dust work bench with icing sugar and roll out fondant to approx. 5mm thickness. Using the star cutters, cut out desired number of stars and press gold cachous on star tips. Place stars

on a tray lined with baking paper and allow to dry and harden (this may take 24-48 hours.) Using the alphabet cutters, cut out the word Hollywood and put aside to dry and harden.

When the stars are dry paint the stars with yellow food colouring and allow to dry. (This will give a strong, vibrant colour.)

Position the ribbon down the middle of the cake leaving a space at the back of the cake for the Hollywood letters. (By putting the ribbon on first, gives you a centre to work from when

positioning your other decorations.)

Position the Hollywood letters at the back of the cake (you can curve this if the letters do not fit across the cake in a straight line.)

Position the stars at the front of the cake. Poke the feet of the doll either side of the ribbon so it looks like it is walking down the red carpet.

Carefully press gold cachous around the edges of the cake. This does take time but it is worth the effort to give the cake a bit of Hollywood glamour.

Notes:

  • If you don’t have alphabet cutters, you can create the lettering on a computer to use as a template on the fondant icing. Use a sharp knife to cut around the templates.
  • If you don’t wish to use packet cakes, any other cake is suitable. Adjust your recipe to suit the tin being used.
  • You can mix a splash of vodka with the yellow food colouring. This helps it to dry quicker.
  • Make the stars and Hollywood letters a couple of days before you need the cake to ensure they are completely dry. Store in an airtight container once dry and hard.
  • This recipe was created by Katherine Petric for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Serving Suggestions

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Ham coleslaw sandwich recipe

Ham coleslaw sandwich recipe

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 1/2 teaspoon table salt
  • 1/2 large cabbage, sliced as thinly as you can or whizzed in a food processor
  • 1 cup finely minced white onion
  • 1 large carrot, shredded
  • a few sprigs of flat-leafed parsley, roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp raw sugar
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 small tub plain low-fat Greek yoghurt
  • 2 tbsp low-fat mayonnaise

Method

In a colander, stir together salt and cabbage.

Let sit for 15 minutes, patting the cabbage dry after liquid has drained out.

Add onion, carrot and parsley and transfer to serving bowl.

In a mixing bowl, stir together sugar, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, black pepper, Greek yoghurt, and mayonnaise.

Pour over vegetables and mix well to combine.

Find more lunch ideas

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • Although the mayonnaise is optional I think it adds a nice, creamy touch to the coleslaw dressing.
  • Half a grated apple added to the veggie mix gives a lovely, fruity flavour to the coleslaw.
  • This recipe was created by Maxabella for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Homemade cake mix

Homemade cake mix

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 2 cups plain flour
  • 1½ cups sugar
  • 1 tbsp baking powder

To make the cake:

  • ¾ cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 125g butter, softened
  • 3 eggs

Method

To create the cake mixes for later use, just combine the flour, sugar and baking powder in a resealable bag and store for up to 3 months in the pantry.

To bake the cake:

Preheat oven to 180°C or 160°C fan-forced. Line 2 x 20cm cake tins with baking paper and set aside.

To make the cake mix, tip the bag of dry ingredients into a bowl, add milk, vanilla, butter and eggs and beat for 3 minutes. Pour into the cake tins.

Bake for 20 minutes or until centre of cakes bounce back after being touched lightly.

Notes:

  • To make this a chocolate cake you can add ¼ cup of cocoa per mix. You can also add this to the bags in the beginning if you want chocolate cake mixes.
  • The reason these only keep for three months is that baking powder needs to be fresh to act correctly in the recipe.
  • This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Find inspiring birthday cake recipes:

Serving Suggestions

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Lolly birthday cake

Lolly birthday cake

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 1 chocolate birthday cake
  • 1 Kit Kat share pack (185g)
  • 1 Cherry share pack (216g)
  • 1 Crunchie share pack (216g)
  • 1 Time Out share pack (192g)
  • 1 Twirl share pack (180g)
  • 1 Flake share pack (168g)
  • 1 bag of Chupa Chups ( 25 pack)
  • 1 pkt Mentos Mini Rainbow bag (120g)

Method

Step1. Bake the chocolate birthday cake.

Step 2. Give it a thick coat of chocolate buttercream icing.

Step 3. Cover it in your favourite chocolates. Decorate the top with Mentos and push Chupa Chups into the top.

Lolly birthday cake

Find more cake recipes:

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • If you need to plan ahead with this cake you can bake the two layers of cake and freeze them wrapped in cling film until the day you need them. They will only take an hour or two to defrost.
  • The thick coating of icing should be enough to hold all these delicious chocolates on the outside but if you need to transport this cake or are decorating it for the next day you will need to tie a big ribbon around the centre of the cake to hold all of the chocolates on.
  • If you don’t like these particular chocolates you can use a combination of just your favourites.
  • This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Apple and cinnamon frittata

Apple and cinnamon frittata

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 cup raw caster sugar plus 2 tbsp extra
  • 1/4 cup plain flour
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp finely grated orange rind
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 granny smith apple, cored and finely sliced
  • 2 tbsp flaked almonds

Method

Whisk eggs together then add the sugar, flour, milk, cinnamon and orange rind.

Melt the butter in an ovenproof saucepan on medium heat. Add the apples and cook for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Pre-heat the oven grill and pour over the batter and cook for about 5 minutes.

Place the saucepan under the grill, sprinkle over the almonds and a little extra sugar.

Once the top is golden remove and serve almost immediately with some nice natural yoghurt and maybe a drizzle of maple syrup.

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • You need to watch the frittata under the grill as it can burn easily at this point.
  • Even though one apple doesn’t seem enough it is fine for this recipe.
  • This recipe was created by Sophie Hansen for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Dino birthday cake

Dino birthday cake

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 2 pkt x Betty Crocker Devils food cake
  • 6 eggs
  • half a cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup water

Icing and decoration

  • 2 Betty Crocker Creamy deluxe vanilla frosting
  • 3 tsp green food colouring
  • 2 sachets of chocolate Icing from the cake mix
  • 1 medium pkt M&Ms (Just the brown ones – the rest are for mummy!)

Method

Prepare cakes in 2 x 9 inch round cake tins as per the packet directions.

Freeze both cakes before cutting and frosting. When ready to create your dinosaur, remove the cakes from freezer and trim tops so both cakes are the same height and sit flat on the board when turned upside down.

Cut a slice off the bottom of one cake and create an upside down U shape to make the dinosaur body.

Make a template of a head shape and a tail shape on a 9 inch diameter piece of paper and cut these from the second cake.

Arrange all pieces of cake into dinosaur shape on a tray or cake board.

Open frosting sachets and reserve 2 tablespoons of the (white) icing for the teeth and eye dots. Tint the remainder of the frosting with 3 teaspoons of green food colouring. Mix well. Place a big smear of this frosting on the bottom of each piece and position into final dinosaur shape. This helps it stick to the tray or board.

Apply a thin coat of icing all over the dinosaur and return to the fridge for an hour. This is called a crumb coat and helps seal the cake so the final product is smooth and crumb free. Recoat the cake in a final coat of icing smoothing all edges ready for decoration. Give the Dinosaur back spots, toes and two eyes with the M&Ms. Use a piping bag to dot the eyes and make some teeth with the reserved white frosting.

Take the chocolate icing sachet and squeeze into piping bag and pipe some spikes onto the board above the Dinosaur (a freezer Ziplock bag with the tip cut off one corner works well if you dont have a piping bag). Surprisingly this cake freezes really well. If you are freezing it add the M&Ms just before serving.

Notes:

  • Freeze the cake before you start to cut the shapes as this will give you a sharp edge to all the cuts you make as well as keeping the crumbs to a minimum.
  • Go easy on the amount of green colouring you add to the icing or you will end up with a flouro cake and hyperactive party guests!
  • This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Serving Suggestions

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Rainbow Pancakes

Rainbow Pancakes

Serves:

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups (500ml) milk
  • 2 cups (300g) self-raising flour, sifted
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • squeeze lemon juice
  • food colouring, various
  • butter (for greasing)

Method

Step 1. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Add flour, baking powder, bicarb and lemon juice and whisk until smooth.

Step 2. Divide batter between 7 small bowls

Step 3. Colour each bowlful of batter with the food colouring to create your desired colours. I chose the classic colours from the rainbow song – red, yellow, pink, green, purple, orange and blue.

Step 4. In a large frypan, melt a little of the butter over gentle heat. Beginning with one colour, spoon batter to create four pancakes. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip and cook for a further minute. Remove to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with remaining coloured batters. Serve in stacks with maple syrup and fresh fruit.

Rainbow pancakes
Notes

  • These pancakes have a boost of raising agents – flat pancakes won’t show up the colour spectrum nearly as well.
  • You could make a simplified version with fewer colours.
  • Seek out natural food colourings if you are concerned about additives.
  • Sprinkle freshly cooked pancakes with fresh lemon juice and a dusting of caster sugar.
  • Maple syrup is always a favourite to serve with pancakes, but our Managing Editor's favourite are these orange syrup pancakes.
  • If you prefer a slightly fluffier pancake, some people swear you need buttermilk, which apparently traps air bubbles more effectively than this basic pancake recipe.
  • If your family is adventurous, try Kidspot's 2-ingredient pancakes. Some families swear by them, while others express disdain at the idea of eggs mixed with mashed banana.
  • Chocoholics can delight in our chocolate pancake recipe, or even tempt themselves with a choc chip pancake recipe.
  • If your household loves pancakes every weekend, make up this bulk pancake recipe, which will keep in an airtight container for up to three months.
  • This caramel banana recipe is a delicious accompaniment to any batch of pancakes, as is this peaches and custard topping.
  • Wholemeal apple pancakes or berry pancakes with yoghurt are a great way to add a dash of nutritious fruit to a weekend treat breakfast. And don't forget blueberry pancakes. Yum!
  • Red velvet pancakes are a nice twist on plain ol' pancakes – try serving these for Valentine's Day or just to show your family how much you love them.
  • Adorbs! Try making these Santa pancakes for a Christmas treat breakfast or these teddy pancakes just for fun.
  • This recipe was created for Kidspot, New Zealand's best recipe finder by Greer Worsley, who blogs at Typically Red.

Serving Suggestions

Note

Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise

Serves:

Ingredients

1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk
5ml (1tsp) mild Dijon mustard
15ml (1tbsp) white wine vinegar
300ml sunflower or vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

 

Method

Tools: TriBlade Hand Blender, Standard TriBlade attachment and Beaker

Worldwide, mayonnaise is commonly served in a sandwich or with salad such as potato salad or canned tuna.

Add the eggs, mustard and vinegar to the beaker and using the Standard Triblade attachment gently blend the ingredients together on the standard speed or speed 1 depending on the model.

With the blender still running, slowly drizzle the oil into the beaker and continue to blend until the mixture becomes thick and smooth.

Once you have the correct consistency add salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the rubber mat from the beaker and use as a lid for storage.

Note:

Fresh Mayonnaise can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Serving Suggestions

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Rainbow fried rice

Rainbow fried rice

Serves:

Ingredients

  • Red – 1/2 red capsicum, diced
  • Orange – 1 carrot, peeled and diced
  • Yellow – 1/2 yellow capsicum, diced and 1/2 cup frozen corn
  • Green – 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • Blue/Indigo – 1/2 red onion, diced
  • Violet – 6 rashers short cut bacon, diced
  • 1 cup basmati rice
  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 cups cooked chicken, diced
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Method

Cook the rice in a large saucepan of boiling water until tender or use a rice steamer. Drain, refresh under cold water and drain again.

Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a wok over high heat. Pour in the eggs and cook as an omelette, turn, cook until firm. Transfer to a plate and cut into thin strips.

Heat remaining teaspoon of oil in the wok over high heat, add onion and bacon, stir fry for about 3 minutes until golden and starting to crisp. Add capsicums and carrot and cook for 2 minutes, add frozen peas and corn, stir-fry for another minute. Add soy sauce, mix through, then add rice, egg strips and chicken and cook until heated through. Stir well and serve.

Notes:

  • If I know I am going to be cooking a fried rice-type dish, I try and cook the rice the night before or a couple of hours before and keep it in the fridge. The rice separates more easily and it makes for a speedier dinner.
  • A lovely colourful dish, but I had to take out the carrots for my daughter and the peas for my son. Otherwise, a raging success!
  • Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.

Serving Suggestions

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Veggie cream cheese spread pressed sandwiches

Veggie cream cheese spread pressed sandwiches

 

Ingredients

  • 100gm of cream cheese
  • Teaspoon of mayonnaise
  • Teaspoon of finely chopped red onion
  • 3 slices of carrot
  • 5 baby spinach leaves
  • Pepper to taste
  • 2 slices of bread

Method

For the cream cheese spread

Combine about 100gm of your kids’ favourite cream cheese with a little mayo. Then very finely chop a small amount of red onion, 3 slices of carrot and about five baby spinach leaves and mix into the mayonnaise and cream cheese. Add pepper to taste.

To make the pressed sandwich

Take two slices of bread, setting one aside and gently placing a glass or bowl (whatever fits best) on top of one slice. Don’t press down at this stage. Carefully cut away the crusts of the bread about 1/2 cm from the edge of the glass (to make a cat, cut the top corners of the bread on an angle and set aside). Do the same to the second slice of bread. Spread your filling on one round of bread and top with the second round. Put the glass/bowl back on top and this time press down gently but firmly, sealing the edges. Done!

To make the cat

Put the pressed sandwich into the lunchbox and add the crust corners for ears. Slice six fine slices from a carrot and place as whiskers. Add a raspberry (or blueberry) for a nose. Cut two slice of cucumber and add as eyes. Meow.

Note

  • Add ham, chicken, salad or cheese for extra oomph.
  • This recipe was created by Bronwyn Mandile for Kidspot.co.nz,åÊNew Zealand’s best recipe finder.

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