Banana cake
Serves:
Ingredients
- 125g butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cup castor sugar
- 2 eggs (60grams), beaten
- 1 cup (approx. 2 large) ripe bananas, mashed
- 5 drops vanilla
- 250g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon bi-carb soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Butter and line a square cake tin.
Cream butter and suar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, bananas and vanilla
Sift the dry ingredients together.
Mix together the milk and lemon juice.
Alternatng, add the dry ingredients and the milk, beating between each addition.
Bake in the oven for approximately 45 mins or until a skewer comes out clean.
Rest in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
Notes:
- This banana cake has bee proclaimed the BEST cake ever by the toughest judges around – a group of 11-year old girls.
- Thanks to Stephanie Alexander for giving the world this wonderful but super-easy cake recipe.
- Delicious cool, this cake is even better (in my humble opinion!) still warm from the oven – it has a fantastic caramel-y flavour that is lip-smackingly good.
- The ripeness of the bananas has a direct impact on the banana-iness of this cake.
- This recipe was created by Ella Walsh for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.
Serving Suggestions
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Mini ham and zucchini quiches
Serves:
Makes 18
Ingredients
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, defrosted
- 1 small zucchini, grated
- 80g ham, diced
- 1/2 cup (40g) tasty cheese, grated
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup (125ml) milk
Method
Preheat oven to 210°C (190°C fan-forced).
Using a round cutter with an 8cm diameter, cut 9 circles from each sheet of pastry. Press them gently into the rounds of a patty-pan tray. (You will either need two trays or to do this in two batches).
Distribute the zucchini, ham and cheese evenly into each pastry case. Whisk eggs and milk in a jug and gently fill the pastry cases. Bake for 14 minutes until puffed and golden.
Find related quiche recipes
Serving Suggestions
Note
- Depending on your children’s tastes, you can vary the fillings. Use parmesan in place of tasty cheese, or cooked bacon in place of ham.
- You could make slightly larger quiches using a 1/2 cup muffin tray, but you’ll need to cut slightly larger pastry circles.
- Recipe by Greer Worsley, who blogs at Typically Red.
One-pan mini meatloaf dinner
Serves:
Ingredients
- 1 kg red potatoes
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 500g lean beef mince
- 1 small brown onion, diced
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 egg
- salt and pepper
- 375g green beans, trimmed
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Method
Step 1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Cover a large baking tray with baking paper and set aside. Slice each potato into 6 wedges and pour over 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss to coat, sprinkle over flour and season with salt and pepper. Tip potatoes onto baking tray and bake for 20 minutes.
Step 2. Meanwhile, place the mince, diced onion, breadcrumbs, 2 cloves of crushed garlic, egg and salt and pepper into a bowl. Using clean hands, mix all ingredients together until well combined and divide into four portions.
Step 3. Shape 4 mini meatloaves. Remove the tray from the oven and push potatoes to one end. Place the mini loaves onto the tray and return to the oven for 10 minutes.
Step 4. In a bowl, mix tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce together. Place beans into a bowl and drizzle remaining two tablespoons of oil over the beans and toss with remaining crushed garlic cloves. Remove the tray from the oven and spoon sauce over meatloaves generously. Push wedges to the centre and add the beans to the end of the tray. Bake for another 10 minutes and serve.
Serving Suggestions
Note
- You can easily feed a crowd with this recipe by making it on three trays instead of one. It is fast and tasty.
- We used a combination of tomato and Worcestshire sauce to top these meatloaves but you could also use barbecue sauce.
- You can switch out the green beans in this recipe for capsicum slices, zucchini or even cauliflower.
- This One pan caprese pasta is a delicious Italian twist on pasta and is full fresh flavours.
- If you love creamy pasta the this One pan chicken alfredo is a great meal that the whole family will love.
- This bake-in-the-oven One pan chicken and sage dinner is easy and everyone loves chicken.
- If you want all the flavours of lasagne but can’t be bothered to go through the whole ordeal, you should try this One pan lasagne.
- The fresh lemon flavours really shine through in this One pan lemon chicken fettucini.
- They don’t come much simpler than this delicious One pan roasted salmon and bread salad. It’s packed full of tomatoey flavour.
- Do you need an easy desssert? Try this One pan chocolate cake for dessert.
- This recipe wa created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.
Cake in a mug
Serves:
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp self-raising flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp cocoa
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp milk
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 tbsp chocolate chips
Method
In a large mug, place all the dry ingredients and mix well with a spoon. Use the spoon to grind all of the cocoa against the side of the cup so there are no lumps.
Add the egg and beat it a little on top of the dry ingredients to break the yolk.
Add the oil, milk and vanilla and mix until well combined.
Stir the chocolate chips in and put into the microwave on high for 3 minutes.
Serve with a nice big scoop of ice-cream.
Find related cake recipes
Serving Suggestions
Note
- This a dirty little secret and should only be shared with other chocoholics so shhhhh.
- Mix it really well and you will end up with a cake that rises beautifully and has a great texture.
- This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.
Banana and choc chip muffins
Serves:
Ingredients
- 2 and a half cups self-raising flour
- half a cup sugar
- 1 cup (250mL) milk
- 1/3 cup (80mL) oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 over-ripe banana, mashed
- half a cup choc chips or chopped chocolate
Method
Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a 12 hole and a 6 hole muffin pan or line with paper cases. Sift flour into a large bowl of an electric mixer. Add sugar and beat briefly to combine. In a glass measuring jug, pour in milk (up to 1 cup), oil (up to 1 1/3 cups) and add eggs, whisk to combine.
Pour milk mix and mashed banana into dry ingredients, beat with until just combined. Stir through chocolate. Spoon into muffin pans, fill each hole 2/3 full and bake for 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Cool slightly, then place on rack to cool completely.
Notes:
- I make 18 muffins with this mixture because I dont like Muffin Tops on my muffins. High risk of spill over in the oven, too hard to get out of the pan and extra work cleaning the pan! But if this doesnt bother you, make 12 monster muffins.
Serving Suggestions
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Puppy cupcakes
Serves:
12
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (125g) butter, room temp
- 3/4 cup (180g) sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup (125ml) milk
- 1 1/2 cups (225g) self-raising flour
- cocoa powder
- ready-made white frosting
- spearmint leaves
- white marshmallows
- black Jelly Belly jelly beans
- black writing icing
- red Smarties
- brown mini M&Ms
Method
Preheat oven to 160°C (180°C fan-forced). Line a 12-cup baking tray with patty cases and set aside.
Using a mixer, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla essence. Add eggs, beat well. Add milk and self-raising flour. Mix until ingredients are incorporated.
Spoon mixture into patty cases and bake for around 12-15 minutes, until golden. Cool on wire racks.
Mix cocoa powder with white frosting to make a pale brown colour. Cover spearmint leaves with brown icing. Ice cupcakes with white icing. Position ears. Use white marshmallows as noses, with black jelly beans as snouts. Draw mouths with black writing icing. Place red Smarties just under the marshmallows as tongues. Use brown mini M&Ms for eyes.
Find related cupcake recipes
Serving Suggestions
Note
- You can use Betty Crocker vanilla frosting in this recipe.
- Don’t overbeat the cupcake mixture or your cupcakes will be dry.
- This recipe was created by Alana House.
Grand Marnier and chocolate mousse
Serves:
Ingredients
- 200g dark chocolate
- 3 eggs, separated
- 1/2 cup light olive oil
- 1/4 cup Grand Marnier
Method
Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Don’t let the water touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir until the chocolate is smooth and set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs whites with an electric mixer until they form stiff peaks. Add the egg yolks one at a time beating well.
Beat in the chocolate and gradually add the oil in a thin stream and then the Grand Marnier, making sure it is all well combined.
Pour into small dishes or martini glasses and refrigerate until firm.
Notes
- This is a super-rich decadent dessert and a little goes a long way.
- The oil gives this chocolate mousse a silky feel on the tongue but adds no flavour at all.
- This is really nice served with a dollop of double cream and some orange slices cooked in orange juice and brown sugar on the side.
- You can make this recipe a day ahead and it works well for a midweek dinner party or special occasion.
- This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.
Serving Suggestions
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Tuna melts
Serves:
Ingredients
- 1 pkt English muffins
- 185g tin tuna, strained
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- half a cup grated carrot
- half a cup corn kernels, tinned or fresh
- half a cup tasty cheese, shredded plus 14 cup extra
- salt and pepper
Method
In a large bowl add tuna, mayonnaise, carrot, corn and cheese – stir to combine and season to your liking.
Heat your griller, cut muffins in half and spread with margarine or butter.
Place a heaped tablespoon of mixture on each half.
Add a touch of extra cheese on top and grill until melted and lightly brown.
Note
- For this recipe I used tinned corn so my 3 year old could do all the work!
- Swap or change the vegetables to suit your family if you like.
- I spread the muffins with margarine so the muffins do not go soggy from the topping.
- Recipe created by Camilla Baker for Kidspot, New Zealands best recipe finder.
Red curry prawn noodles
Serves:
Ingredients
- 125g dried rice vermicelli noodles
- 10 green prawns, peeled, deveined and tails removed
- 2-3 tablespoons red curry paste
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 4 spring onions, cut into 2cm lengths
- ½ cup (125mL) chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ½ cup coriander leaves
- 2 lemon wedge
Method
Soak noodles in a bowl of hot water for 10 minutes or until soft, drain and set aside.
Take a deep recovery breath after dealing with the prawns, then slice prawns in half lengthways.
Place prawns in a bowl and mix in the curry paste to coat each prawn.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok over high heat and cook eggs in an ‘omelette’, remove from wok and set aside.
Wipe the wok out with paper towel.
Heat remaining oil and stir fry prawns for 2 minutes, then add noodles and spring onions and stir for another 2 minutes.
Add stock and soy sauce, stir until heated through.
Slice the omelette and stir though.
Divide noodles and prawns between two bowls and garnish with coriander and lemon.
Notes:
- I use rice vermicelli noodles because they are gluten-free, but they do have an annoying habit of clinging together unless you persist with gently mixing.
- Substitute with your favourite noodles, such as hokkien or soba.
- If your kids love prawns, then by all means double or triple the recipe to suit the whole family.
- This recipe works just as well with a milder curry paste such as korma or satay.
- Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.
Serving Suggestions
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Banana and passionfruit bread with ricotta
Serves:
10 slices
Ingredients
- spray olive oil
- 1 3/4 (265g) wholemeal self-raising flour
- 1/4 cup (40g) plain flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup (140g) brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (50g) oats
- 1/2 cup (50g) shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup (125ml) milk
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup (60g) butter, melted
- 1 over-ripe banana, mashed
- 8 passionfruit, pulp
- 200g ricotta
- 1 passionfruit (for serving)
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Spray a 11 x 21cm loaf pan with spray olive oil. Line the base and two opposite sides with non-stick baking paper, allowing it to overlap.
Sift the flours, cinnamon, and sugar into a large bowl. Stir in oats and coconut.
Place milk, eggs, melted butter and banana into a medium mixing bowl. Pass the passionfruit pulp through a sieve to remove seeds and place into bowl with wet ingredients. Stir until well combined.
Combine wet and dry ingredients and stir well. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.
Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and set aside in the pan for 5 minutes.
Turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
Cut into slices and toast. Garnish with a scoop of ricotta and some fresh passionfruit pulp.
Find more breakfast recipes
Serving Suggestions
Note
- You can toast this bread and serve it with butter if you don't have any ricotta.
- You can slice this banana and passionfruit bread in slices and use it for lunch boxes. Just pop it into their bag frozen and it will defrost by morning tea.
- This recipe was created by Sammy & Bella Jakubiak.
Make-up compact birthday cake
Serves:
Serves 15
Ingredients
- 2 store-bought double sponges
- Meadow Lea or 125g butter, softened
- 2 1/2 cups icing mixture, sifted
- 2 drops rose food colouring
- 20cm aluminium foil
- 50cm strap black licorice
- 1 musk stick
- 1 white marshmallow
- 2 fruit tingles
- sprinkles or sugar sands of choice
Method
Cut one edge off both sponges about 1 inch from edge, with a bread knife.
Stand up one of the cakes on its cut edge and move it to butt against the other cake to resemble an open compact. Measure the aluminium foil against the cake, cut or fold the aluminium foil to fit with about 1cm gap to the edge of the cake.
Make the icing by beating butter and icing sugar together until well combined. Add vanilla and food colouring and ensure it has a smooth, spreadable consistency. Add water by the drop if the mixture is too stiff, or add extra icing sugar by the tablespoon until you reach the desired consistency.
Ice the bottom half of the cake and then the top. Fix the aluminium foil to the the top part of the cake – it will stick to the iciing. Stand the top part of the cake up and ice the back of it.
To decorate, cut the strips of licorice with scissors to 5mm widths and arrange around the aluminium foil as a border to the ‘mirror’ and create some boxes or circles on the lower part of the cake to represent blush and/or eyeshadow.
Fill in the gaps with sprinkes/sugar sand, and press down with forefinger into the icing.
Place two fruit-tingles near the connection of the two cakes to represent hinges.
Lastly, place a musk stick and a marshmallow cut to size with scissors for the make up applicator.
Notes:
- Packaged sponge cakes can be found in large chain supermarkets with a bakery section, you may also order them from your local bakery.
- You don’t need to use a round cake, use a square on if you like – your only limit is your imagination!
- This cake is particularly popular with pre-teens, and can be decorated by them, freeing you of cake decorating duties if you so desire!
- This recipe was created by Melissa Klemke for Kidspot New Zealand’s best recipe finder.
Meringues
Ingredients
- 4 egg whites, at room temperature
- Pinch salt
- 220g (1 cup) caster sugar
Method
Preheat oven to 120C. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
In a clean, dry bowl place the egg whites and the salt. Using an electric beater, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
Add the sugar slowly, one spoonful at a time as you continue to whisk each one in until just combined. Once all the sugar has been added, continue to whisk until the mixture is very
think and glossy ( this will take approximately 2-3 minutes) At this point, there should be long think peaks when you remove the whisk or beaters.
The sugar should be dissolved into the mixture – take a pinch of the mixture and run it between your fingers, if it feels gritty, the mixture needs a little more whisking.
Drop tablespoons of the beaten mixture onto the prepared baking trays, allowing room between each for them to expand.
Reduce the oven temperature to 100C as you place the trays in the oven and cook at this lower temperature for approx. 1 1/2 hours. To check if the meringues are cooked, tap one on
the underside – it should sound hollow.
Once cooked, turn off the oven but allow the meringues to cool in the oven for 3-4 hours.
Notes:
- Meringues may have only three ingredients, but they can be tricky to make and knowing the tricks of the trade will almost guarantee you success!
- Meringues don’t like moisture so don’t even think about making them in humid or rainy weather.
- Try to make meringues when there is no other cooking going on in the kitchen. Moist air is not their friend.
- Ensure that all your equipment is completely dry and free from fat (oil, butter) before you begin. An oily bowl will prevent the mixture from thickening and taking in air.
- Egg whites MUST be at room temperature. Cold egg whites are less able to expand so aren’t able to take in as much air during whisking.
- Lowering the temperature of the oven will allow the shell of the meringue to set but dry the interior rather than bake it. Allowing the meringues to cool in the oven is an important last step – if you remove them too quickly, they will crack.
- If you cook meringues too quickly (on too high a heat) you will see the meringues weep beads of sugar. While it’s too late to fix this problem this time, you’ll know for the future that your oven was too hot.
- Using an electric beater will give different results to a hand held whisk or a balloon whisk – none of them are right or wrong but you do need to keep a close eye on your mixture as you whisk it.
- If you want to make mini meringues, drop a teaspoon of mixture onto the baking trays and then bake for 45 mins.
- If you want to go fancy, try piping your mixture onto baking trays. You may have to adjust the baking time according to the size of the meringues.
- Meringues will keep for up to three weeks in an airtight container.
- This recipe was created by Ella Walsh for Kidspot, New Zealands best recipe finder.
Family mince tart
Serves:
Ingredients
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry
- 500g mince
- 4 rashers short cut bacon, chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- half a red capsicum, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 400g can diced tomatoes or 2 cups tomato passata
Method
Preheat oven to 180C. Place pastry sheets on a work bench to defrost.
Lightly flour two pizza trays or baking trays (my pizza tray has small holes in the centre, which gives a lovely crunchy pastry base).
Heat a large non-stick frypan over medium-high heat. Brown mince, then add bacon and onion and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add capsicum, tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes. The mixture should be quite thick, but add some water if it is sticking to the pan.
Place pastry on baking trays, use a knife to score a 1cm border in the pastry. Spoon mince mixture onto pastry within the border. If you have some pastry scraps, twist ribbons of pastry and decorate the top of the tart. Bake for 15 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden.
Notes:
- Mince tart was a family favourite when I was growing up and is a fabulous thing to do with mince! Make the meat sauce the day before or use leftover bolognaise sauce and dinner is ready in minutes.
- Add carrot, celery, peas or mushrooms to the meat sauce, as tolerated by your family.
- Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.
Serving Suggestions
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Marble cake
Serves:
Ingredients
- 200g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups self-raising flour
- ½ cup milk
- Red food colouring
- 2 tablespoons cocoa
- 1 tablespoon milk, extra
Icing
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 1 tablespoon cocoa
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 20cm ring cake tin and line with baking paper.
Use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy.
Add the vanilla extract and then the eggs one at a time, beating well between adding each egg.
Add the sifted flour and milk in two batches and mix until just combined.
Divide the mixture between three bowls. Use the red food colouring to tint the mixture pink in one bowl, mix well. Add sifted cocoa and extra milk into another bowl, mix well.
Drop spoonfuls of each mixture into the cake pan. Swirl knife through the mixture once or twice (don’t over do it).
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool in tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
To make icing, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and beat until smooth. Spread on cold cake.
Notes:
- This has to be an all time kids favourite! Also highly suitable for grown-ups at morning tea time, or try the chocolate-orange liqueur cake.
- I just used a chocolate icing for this cake, but if you have the time and inclination, make pink and white for a marbled icing effect.
- Make this cake gluten-free using gluten free plain flour and 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder. Make sure your icing is gluten free.
- Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.
Serving Suggestions
Note
Flourless citrus cake
Serves:
Ingredients
- 1 ruby grapefruit, washed
- 1 orange, washed
- 1 lemon, washed
- 250g (2 and a half cups) almond meal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 5 eggs
- Syrup
- 1 cup caster sugar
- half a cup orange juice
- half a cup water
- Ruby grapefruit and orange segments, to decorate
Method
Place fruit in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer rapidly for 1 hour. Remove from pan, when cool quarter and remove pips.
Preheat the oven to 160C. Grease a round cake tin (mine is 22cm diameter) and line with baking paper. Place fruit in a food processor and whiz until smooth. Add almond meal, baking powder and eggs and process. Add sugar and blend until smooth. Depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to do this in stages and combine in a large bowl.
Pour into prepared cake tin and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool in tin, then invert onto a serving plate.
To make syrup, combine sugar, juice and water in a small saucepan, stir over a low heat until sugar dissolves, then increase heat to medium and boil (dont stir!) for 10-15 minutes until syrupy.
Decorate cake with ruby grapefruit and orange segments. Serve cake at room temperature or warm with syrup and thick cream or icecream.
Notes:
- This is a version of my flourless orange cake, which was such a hit with friends when I made it I thought I would make it again with a twist.
- If blood oranges are in season, they would be fantastic in this cake.
- Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.
Serving Suggestions
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Ricotta hotcakes
Serves:
Ingredients
Hotcakes
- 1 cup plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 4 eggs, separated
- 250g ricotta
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 180ml (3/4 cup) milk
- 1 tbsp butter
Rhubarb and raspberry compote
- 200g chopped rhubarb
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 100g fresh or frozen raspberries
Optional:
- ice cream, mascarpone or yoghurt to serve
Method
To make the hotcakes
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the ricotta, vanilla and milk.
Whisk the egg whites until firm peaks form.
Add the flour to the egg yolk mixture, combining gently.
Add the beaten egg whites to the mixture, folding in carefully with a metal spoon.
Melt a little of the butter in a pan and spoon in just over 1 tbsp of the hotcake batter into the pan.
Cook over a medium/low heat for 3 minutes each side (or until cooked through!)
To make the Raspberry and Rhubarb Compote
Put the rhubarb in a saucepan with 1 tbsp of sugar and 1 tbsp of water and simmer (covered) over a low heat until just soft.
Add the raspberries and simmer for 2 more minutes over a low heat.
Serve your hotcakes with the compote and some ice cream, yoghurt or mascarpone on the side.
Find related pancake recipes
Serving Suggestions
Note
- You can make a few hotcakes at a time, making sure they are golden and cooked through and keeping them warm in the oven while you cook each batch.
- You can also serve these with honeycomb butter. Blitz 100g of butter with 1 Crunchie Bar in the food processor. Roll into a sausage shape and chill. Cut off in discs and serve with toast, crumpets or hotcakes.
- This recipe was created by Pip Lincolne for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.
Tiny Teddies pool party
Serves:
Ingredients
- 12 basic cupcakes
- 12 flat-bottomed ice cream cones
- 1 tub (453g) Betty Crocker Vanilla Frosting
- 1 tsp blue food colouring
- 1 x 250g pkt Tiny Teddies Honey biscuits
- 1 x 250g pkt Jaffas
- 1 x 160g pkt Rainbow Sour Straps
- 1 x pack of Lifesavers
Method
Push the prepared cupcakes into the ice cream cones. (They may be snug and they will be iced over if you damage the tops.)
Add the blue food colouring to the Vanilla Frosting and combine well. Cover the top of each cupcake in icing.
Add the Tiny Teddies to the top to create your beach scene. Place the Lifesavers swim rings on the icing to look like swim rings and roll up one end of the Sour Straps to look like towels with head rests. Scatter the Jaffas to look like beach balls. Place your Teddies onto the icing.
Notes
- These are cute for beach themed parties and to take to school to celebrate birthdays.
- I like to fill the bottoms of the cones with lollies so they will sit firmly on the tray, otherwise they are top heavy.
- If you don’t have time to make cupcakes, you can buy them and decorate.
- If you can’t get Sour Straps for this recipe, you can use Fruit Roll-Ups as a substitute.
- This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.
Find related Tiny Teddy recipes
Serving Suggestions
Note
Cauliflower pizza crust
Serves:
Ingredients
- 340g cauliflower (leaves removed)
- 1/2 cup (35g) grated light cheese – mozzarella or tasty
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Method
Heat oven to 230°C (210°C fan-forced) and line a baking sheet with baking paper sprayed lightly with oil.
Chop cauliflower into chunks and place in a food processor.
Pulse until you’ve got cauliflower rice; the consistency of rice (you should have about 3 cups).
Remove cauli ‘rice’ and place into a microwave safe dish, cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 8 minutes.
Allow to cool slightly, place into a tea towel and squeeze as much moisture from the cauli ‘rice’ as possible (this is the secret to a crispy base).
Place cauli ‘rice’ into a bowl and mix with remaining ingredients. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour ingredients out onto the baking paper and shape into a thin layer about 25cm in diameter.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden.
Sprinkle over toppings and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes until golden and bubbly.
Topping ideas:
- Margherita: 1/2 cup grated light cheese, 2 tbsp passata, 10 cherry tomatoes, halved (and drained on some paper towel to remove excess moisture).
- Cheese and olive: 1/2 cup grated cheese, 1/4 cup chopped black olives.
- Hawaiian: 1/2 cup grated light cheese, 1/4 cup finely chopped pineapple (drained on paper towel to remove excess moisture), 50g lean ham, chopped.
Related pizza recipes
Serving Suggestions
Note
- I find you get the best results using a thin baking sheet as opposed to a thicker oven tray. If you have a pizza stone then you’ll most likely get great results with that too.
- Try not to overload the pizza crust with toppings – it’s a little more fragile than a traditional pizza base.
- We often make the pizza crust and serve it cut up as an accompaniment with salad or spread on hummus for nibblies – really yum just on its own, too, though.
- 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.
Baked cherry cheesecake
Serves:
Ingredients
- 2 cups plain sweet biscuit crumbs (I used McVite’s Digestive
biscuits)
- 75g unsalted butter, melted
- 375g Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
- 500g ricotta
- 4 eggs
- 2 tablespoons cornflour
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 1 ½ cups caster sugar
- 1 ½ cups morello cherries (I buy the 680g glass jar)
- Finely chopped zest and juice of 1 lemon
- Fresh cherries, to decorate
- 1 teaspoon icing sugar, to dust
Method
Butter the base of a 22cm springform pan and line with non-stick baking paper. In a bowl, combine biscuit crumbs and melted butter. Press firmly into the base of the pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 150°C.
Mix cornflour and water together in a small bowl to make a runny paste. Place cream cheese in a food processor and whiz until smooth, add ricotta and whiz again to combine. Add the eggs, cornflour mixture, sugar, lemon zest and juice. Whiz until all combined. Pour 2/3 of the cream cheese filling into pan, sprinkle cherries over, and then cover with remaining cheesecake mixture.
Place onto a baking tray (just in case there is overflow or seepage from the springform pan). Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Check to see if the cheesecake is set in the middle, if not, bake for another 10-15 minutes.
Cool in pan, then run a knife around the edge of the pan, release sides of pan and transfer to a serving plate. I leave the cheesecake on the base of the pan.
Refrigerate until cold or needed. Just before serving, top with fresh cherries and dust with icing sugar (place icing sugar in a tea strainer and sprinkle from a height). What an impressive dessert! Serve with thick cream.
Related Christmas recipes:
Serving Suggestions
Note
- I love baked cheesecake. And the lemon and cherries in this version cut through the richness. A nice cool alternative to Christmas pudding.
- Best of all, cheesecake can be prepared a day or two ahead of serving and kept nice and cold in your overloaded fridge. Added bonus: the taste improves while you are worrying about the turkey, doing a last minute clean of the house and wrapping presents at 11pm on Christmas Eve!
- Store leftover cherries in the jar in the fridge and use later in muffins or cakes.
Tuna burgers
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
- 1 tbsp horseradish
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 can tuna
- 2 spring onions, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- hamburger buns
Method
In a bowl, lightly beat eggs.
Mix in bread crumbs, horseradish, mustard, pepper and salt.
Drain tuna and mix into bowl along with onions and celery. Shape into thick patties.
In nonstick skillet or BBQ, heat oil over medium heat.
Cook patties, turning once, for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and add to your bun.
Tea cake
Serves:
Ingredients
- 60g unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
- 3/4 cup milk
Topping
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon caster sugar
Method
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Butter the base of a 20cm round cake pan (I used a bigger one in the pic and the cake was a little on the shallow side).
Cream the butter and sugar together using an electric mixer. Add the egg and beat well. Sift the flour and add half to the mixing bowl with half the milk and beat on a low speed until combined. Repeat with remaining flour and milk and beat until just smooth.
Pour the mixture into prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Cool in pan for 5 minutes then turn onto a wire rack and remove paper. Reverse cake so the top is uppermost. While the cake is still hot, spread with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
Notes:
- A classic cake to have with your afternoon tea. Quick to make and bake and on the table served sliced and hot!
- My kids love this cake because it has cinnamon and sugar dusting ‘just like doughnuts’.
- Great for kids and parents alike for an after school snack.
- Make gluten-free using gluten-free flour and one teaspoon baking powder.
- Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot New Zealand. .
Serving Suggestions
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Pork and sage meatloaf with apples
Serves:
Ingredients
- oil spray
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 500g lean pork mince
- 1 tsp ground sage
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and finely sliced
- salt and pepper
Method
Heat oven to 180°C and line a loaf pan with baking paper (using baking paper makes it easier to get the meatloaf out of the pan).
Heat a small frying pan and spray lightly with oil. Add onion, celery and garlic with a pinch of salt and cook until translucent. Cool slightly.
Mix all ingredients, except apples, together in a large bowl until well combined. Press mixture into prepared pan and line top with sliced apples.
Season with salt and pepper and bake for 45 minutes until cooked through.
Remove from oven and stand in pan for 5 minutes. Gently lift meatloaf from pan onto a board and slice. Serve with salad or vegetables.
Notes
- You may want to spray the loaf pan lightly with oil before lining it with paper as it helps the paper to stick to the pan.
- Recipe written by Jay Rogers
Find related mince recipes
Serving Suggestions
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Heavenly Hash
Serves:
Ingredients
- 500 grams lean mince
- 420 gram can of condensed vegetable soup
- 420 gram can of tomato soup
- Vermicelli pasta (egg noodles) 1/4 to 1/2 pkt
- Small can of corn
- Water
Method
Brown mince add vegetable soup add tomato soup add water as necessary to avoid it becoming too thick .
Add the pasta but crush or break it up first.
Let it all simmer then serve.
Great to freeze and makes approx 4-6 meals.
Serving Suggestions
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Apple sauce cake
Serves:
Serves 8-10
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (125g) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup (180g) sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups (300g) plain flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 375g jar apple sauce
For topping:
- 2 tsp butter, melted
- 1 1/2 tsp caster sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease a ring tin and line the base with baking paper.
Beat butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Fold through flour, cinnamon and baking powder. Finally, fold through the apple sauce.
Pour into prepared tin and bake for 30-35 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Once cooked, remove cake from tin and place right side up on a cooling rack. Brush the cake with melted butter. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Find more delicious cake recipes:
Serving Suggestions
Note
- You could use a homemade apple puree if you prefer.
- Try adding chopped apple and/or walnuts to the batter before baking.
- Recipe by Greer Worsley, who blogs at Typically Red.
Banana bread pie
Serves:
Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas
- 1 tin condensed milk
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 150g butter, chopped
- 1 cup self- raising flour
- 2 eggs
Method
Pre-heat oven to 180° C. Grease a quiche dish with butter. Set aside.
Place all ingredients in food processor and process until smooth.
Pour into the dish and bake for 45 mins until edges are crisp but it’s still a little soft in the centre.
Related banana recipes
Serving Suggestions
Note
- This is a variation on an American recipe that uses bisquick. I have an aversion to using shortening in cooking so I used butter.
- This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.
Salmon danish
Serves:
Ingredients
- 200g smoked salmon
- 4 sheets frozen puff pastry
- 1 egg, beaten
- 200g ricotta cheese
- 1 tsp capers, finely chopped
- 2 tsp fresh dill leaves, finely chopped
- ½ tsp horseradish paste
- 1 egg
- sprig of dill leaves, to garnish
- tiny wedges of sliced lemon, to garnish
Method
Preheat oven to 210°C or 190°C fan-forced.
Chop two slices of the Tassal smoked salmon into tiny pieces.
Combine the smoked salmon in a small bowl with the ricotta cheese, capers, dill leaves, horseradish and egg. Mix well.
Cut each sheet of pastry into four or six squares, dependent upon size of danish preferred.
Place a spoonful of the smoked salmon mixture into the centre of each pastry square, fold each edge of the pastry in a triangular shape towards the centre of the filling to form a danish shape and twist the edges together to secure.
Place onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Repeat with remaining pastry squares and filling.
Brush each salmon danish with a little beaten egg and bake in oven for 12-15 minutes or until puffed and golden.
Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving topped with curled smoked salmon slices.
Serving Suggestions
Note
- These are perfect canapes for a dinner party or special get-together.
- Make the danish ahead of time then top with the salmon mixture just before serving.
- Recipes created by Tassal.
Homemade cookies and cream ice cream
Serves:
Ingredients
- 3 egg yolks
- 400g sweetened condensed milk
- 2 cups whipped cream
- 2 tablespoon water
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup coarsely crumbled Oreos (any other favourite biscuits)
Method
In a large bowl, beat egg yolks, then stir in sweetened, condensed milk, water and vanilla.
Fold in cookies and whipped cream.
Pour into a loaf pan lined with baking paper, or other container of the same size.
Cover and freeze for 6 hours or until firm.
Scoop ice cream from pan or peel off baking paper and slice.
Serving Suggestions
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Tagliatelle bolognaise
Serves:
Ingredients
- 375g egg-based tagliatelle
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 500g beef mince
- 250g pork mince
- 1 carrot, diced
- 2 celery sticks, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 700g passata (tomato sauce)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- half a cup tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
In a large saucepan, heat the oil and saute the carrot, onion and celery until soft. Add the minces and brown, stir to break up into small pieces. Add all other ingredients (yes, even the milk) and simmer for about 2 hours.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add tagliatelle and cook according to packet directions.
Drain well and return to pot, stir through a couple of soup ladles of bolognaise to coat each strand, then serve in bowls with extra bolognaise on top.
Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Notes:
- Addition of the milk and sugar reduces the tartness of the tomatoes, adding to a marvellous flavour.
- This makes a sizeable amount of bolognaise, so I usually freeze some for an emergency dinner at a later date.
- Tagliatelle, not spaghetti, is the traditional pasta to serve with a bolognaise sauce (ragu).
- If your children, like mine, will not tolerate obvious bits of carrot and celery in their bolognaiseåÑpuree in the blender until smooth.
- Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.
Serving Suggestions
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