Allergen: Contains Gluten

One-pan mini meatloaf dinner

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.

Meatloaf dinner

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

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.

Sizzling lemony chicken and potatoes

Sizzling lemony chicken and potatoes

Serves:

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 4 small potatoes, peeled, 1cm dice
  • 500g chicken breasts
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 20ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 125ml (1/2 cup) white wine
  • 1 lemon, zest and juice
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 100g baby spinach
  • 1 tbsp parsley, chopped

Method

Boil potatoes for 8 minutes or until tender. Drain.

Slice chicken into long strips and place between two sheets of cling wrap. Pound with a rolling pin or mallet until very thin. Tear into small pieces. Dust lightly in seasoned flour.

Melt butter and oil in a large frypan. Add chicken and cook for a couple of minutes, shaking pan. Add garlic and potatoes and continue shaking pan. Pour in wine and allow it to bubble up and reduce for approximately 1 minute.

Add lemon zest and peas and continue sizzling for another minute. Finally, add lemon juice, spinach and parsley and cook until spinach has just wilted.

Find more chicken recipes:

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • If you don't want to use wine, a little light chicken stock would do the job.
  • Leave out the potatoes and serve the dish with pasta or rice.
  • 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. Her blog is typically red.

Banana and choc chip muffins

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 don‰t 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 doesn‰t bother you, make 12 monster muffins.

Serving Suggestions

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Puppy cupcakes

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.

Apricot muesli bars

Apricot muesli bars

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 150g butter, chopped
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups plain flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup White choc bits

Apricot muesli slice:

Preheat oven to 180C.

Line the base of a 28cm x 18cm x 3cm tin with baking paper.

Put the apricots and water in a saucepan, bring to the boil, simmer until the liquid is absorbed.

Remove from heat.

Add the butter and stir until melted.

Stir in the brown sugar, cool.

Sift the flour and baking powder together.

Add to the apricot mixture with the rolled oats and white choc bits, mix thoroughly, press into the tin.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and cooked when tested with a skewer.

Stand 10 minutes, turn out onto a rack, when cold, cut into bars.

Serving Suggestions

Note

Strawberries and cream shortbread stacks

Strawberries and cream shortbread stacks

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 125g unsalted butter, softened
  • 60g caster sugar
  • 125g plain flour
  • 60g cornflour
  • 250g strawberries
  • 60g raspberry jam
  • 200ml whipping cream

Method

Preheat oven to 170C.

In a mixing bowl, combine sugar and butter and using electric beaters, cream until light and fluffy.

Sieve the plain flour and cornflout into the butter mixture and using a fork, combine all ingredients. When the mixture has mostly come together, tip the content of the mixing bowl onto the work bench and use your hands to bring the dough together into a smooth ball.

Wrap the ball of dough in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 15 minutes to chill.

Place the dough between two pieces of baking paper and roll out until it is about 1cm thick all around.

Using a biscuit cutter, cut 12 biscuits out of the rolled dough and place on a lined baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes or until the biscuits the slightly coloured. Remove from the oven and allow to set in the baking tray before moving them to a rack to cool.

While the biscuits are cooling, warm the jam in a small saucepan. Take off the heat and stir the fresh strawberries though. Allow to cool.

Whip the cream to stiff peaks.

To assemble the biscuits, place a teaspoon of cream on a biscuit and then lie two or three strawberry pieces on top of the cream. Drizzle a little of the jam over the top .

Notes

  • My 12 year-old daughter made these with her best pal and they managed to do the whole lot without needing me to help. This made the eating the Strawberry and cream shortbread stacks all the more enjoyable for me!
  • Dont assemble the biscuits until you are ready to eat them as they dont keep well. They are definitely a fancy afternoon tea treat.
  • You could use different shaped biscuit cutters on the shortbread but take care not to choose a shape that has fine detailing as the edges usually cooks faster than the centre and you will end up with over-cooked biscuits.
  • This recipe was created by Ella Walsh for Kidspot, New Zealand

Serving Suggestions

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Tuna melts

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 Zealand‰s best recipe finder.

Chicken tacos

Chicken tacos

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 400g chicken breast, cut into strips
  • 1 pkt Old El Paso Crispy chicken seasoning
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 avocados
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Salt and pepper
  • 8 taco shells
  • 3 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded
  • 2 tomatoes, halved and sliced
  • 2 cups tasty cheese, shredded

Method

Place the seasoning in a ziploc bag with the chicken and shake to coat.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the chicken until golden and cooked through. Drain on paper towel.

While the chicken is cooking, mash the avocado with the lemon juice, garlic and salt and pepper. Set aside.

Warm the taco shells and arrange the tacos by layering with lettuce, tomato, chicken pieces, cheese and then top with the avocado.

More Mexican recipes

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • If you don’t have the crispy chicken seasoning you can replace it with a tablespoon of burrito seasoning and 1/2 a cup of breadcrumbs.
  • Kids will love these and I like to set the ingredients out on the table so the kids can make their own.
  • This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Tim Tam cake pops

Tim Tam cake pops

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 1 x pkt (200g) Tim Tam biscuits
  • 80g cream cheese
  • lollipop sticks
  • 200g dark chocolate melts
  • fondant decorations

Method

Step 1.  Grab a packet of Tim Tams and the cream cheese.

Step 2. Place them in a food processor and blend until well combined.

Step 3. Roll tablespoon-sized balls of the mixture and lay on a tray covered with baking paper. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Remove from the freezer and push lollipop sticks into the balls.

Step 4. In a heatproof bowl, melt the chocolate and dip the balls into the melted chocolate. Tap on the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate. Lie onto baking paper and decorate.

Notes:

  • I used ready-made fondant decorations from the supermarket but you could also use desiccated coconut, 100s & 1000s, crushed nuts, sprinkles or melted white chocolate.
  • You can also use Mint Slice biscuits in place of Tim Tams for this recipe.
  • This recipe makes 10 cake pops and may easily be doubled or even tripled.
  • These are great to wrap and give as gifts. If you want to display these on a party table, you can place some florist’s foam (Oasis) in a gift box and cover it with tissue paper. Then you can just poke in the pop sticks and serve.
  • This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Find related pop recipes

Serving Suggestions

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Red curry prawn noodles

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

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.

Caramelised onion and chorizo wreath

Caramelised onion and chorizo wreath

Serves:

 

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp instant yeast
  • 1 tbs milk
  • 400 ml water (lukewarm)
  • 600 g plain 00 flour
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1 tbs salt
  • 2 chorizo sausage (diced)
  • 1 cup caramelised onion relish
  • 200 g feta (crumbled)

Method

To make dough, combine yeast, milk and lukewarm water in a jug. Leave for 10 minutes until starting to froth. Combine with flour, olive oil and salt and knead for 10 minutes either by hand or in the bowl of a mixer with the dough hook attachment. Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 1 hour until doubled in size.

Cook chorizo in a frypan until golden and sizzling.

Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced). Turn out dough onto a floured surface and roll to form a large rectangle. Sprinkle half the onion, chorizo and feta along one half of the dough. Fold the dough over to enclose it filling. Gently roll again to flatten – you should now have a long, thin rectangle with the filling inside. Place remaining ingredients along the length. Fold again to enclose whilst also twisting to create a kind of coiled rope.

Form dough rope into a ring shape and carefully transfer to an oven tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden and cooked through, turning down the oven temperature partway through if it’s browning too quickly.

Related Christmas recipes:

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • Choose strong or 00 flour if available.
  • Make caramelised onion by cooking sliced onions in a little oil over very low heat for 10-15 minutes, adding a little brown sugar and balsamic vinegar towards the end. You can alternate with store-bought onion jam.
  • Garnish with fresh herbs and flowers.

Make-up compact birthday cake

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.

 

Family mince tart

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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Cheesy three veg pasta bake

Cheesy three veg pasta bake

Serves:

 

Ingredients

  • 350g shell or penne pasta
  • 30g butter
  • 2 tablespoons cornflour
  • 2 cups (500mL) milk
  • 2 cups grated cheese
  • 1 medium carrot, grated
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
  • half a  cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Method

Grease a 2L capacity baking dish. Preheat oven to 180C. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water, following packet directions, until just tender.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan, stir in cornflour and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat, slowly pour in milk, whisking all the time to make a smooth white sauce. Return to heat, continue stirring until sauce thickens.

Drain pasta, return to pot and stir in white sauce. Add cheese and vegetables, stir well to combine.

Spoon mixture into baking dish and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake for 25 minutes until golden and heated through.

Notes:

  • Great meal to prepare ahead, cover and refrigerate. Take out of the fridge 10 minutes before baking.
  • Depending on your kids‰ vegetable intake, add some capsicum, zucchini, chopped tomato, basil or parsley to the bake.
  • Add some protein with a cup of leftover Christmas ham, turkey or chicken!
  • Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.

Serving Suggestions

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Marble cake

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

Ricotta hotcakes

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

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

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Caramelised onion and mushroom pissaladiere

Caramelised onion and mushroom pissaladiere

Serves:

Ingredients

For pastry:

  • 1 1/2 cups plain flour
  • 50ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 75ml (1/3 cup) iced water
  • 1/2 tsp salt

For onions:

  • 40ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
  • 4 red onions, sliced
  • 2 tsp brown sugar
  • 10ml (2 tsp) balsamic vinegar

Method

In a food processor, combine pastry ingredients to form a ball. Add more water if necessary. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for one hour.

To cook the onions, heat olive oil in a heavy based saucepan with a lid. Add onions and stir to coat, then seal with lid and cook over very low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sugar and vinegar and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Melt butter with oil in a large frypan, add mushrooms and saute over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes until brown. Add garlic and continue cooking for another minute. Season well.

Preheat oven to 220°C conventional or 200°C fan-forced. Roll out pastry into a rectangle – approx. 20x26cm and 4mm thick. Fold over 1-2cm of the edges to create a border. Place on a lined baking tray and prick all over with a fork. Cover with foil and fill with baking weights, rice or lentils. Bake for 20 minutes, remove baking weights and foil, and return to oven for another 10 minutes until lightly browned.

Spread caramelised onions over the pastry. Top with mushrooms and dot with goats cheese. Bake for 5 minutes until warmed through.

Garnish with thyme sprigs, cut into large squares and serve.

Related pizza recipes

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • Make the onions ahead of time and store in the fridge.
  • Double the onion recipe and use the extra in other meals. It is delicious on a steak sandwich or stirred through a frittata.
  • 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. Her blog is typically red.

Chocolate crackles

Chocolate crackles

Serves:

MakesåÊ15 chocolate crackles

Ingredients

  • 4 cups rice bubbles or rice puffs
  • 1 1/2 cupsåÊ(230g) icing sugar, sifted
  • 1 cup (85g) desiccated coconut
  • 1/4 cup hundreds and thousands (sprinkles)
  • 3 tbsp cocoa or powdered cooking chocolate
  • 250g Copha (vegetable fat)

Method

In a large bowl combine rice bubbles, icing sugar, coconut, hundreds and thousands and cocoa. Mix well.

Melt copha in a small saucepan over medium heat. When completely melted, pour over the dry ingredients.

Mix well, ensuring all ingredients are covered with Copha.

With a spoon, fill cupcake cases and place on a baking tray. Chill in the refrigerator for one hour.

Note

  • Crackles can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
  • You can substitute the hundreds and thousands with coloured sprinkles or cachous if you wish.
  • This is a party favourite and no birthday party is complete without chocolate crackles!
  • Thanks to our sister company Kidspot Australia for creating the instructional video.
  • This recipe was created by Melissa Klemke for Kidspot, New Zealand’såÊbest recipe finder.

Homemade chicken soup

Homemade chicken soup

Serves:

Ingredients

For the stock

  • 1 free-range chicken
  • 2 onions, peeled and quartered
  • 2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 12 cups cold water

For the soup

  • 1 cup small pasta
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1/4 cup parmesan, grated

Method

Rinse and pat the chicken dry. Place it in a large stockpot and add remaining ingredients.

Bring to a gentle simmer and let bubble away for 2 hours.

Check every now and then that the chicken isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pan as it could burn. Remove the chicken from stock and place on a chopping board, sitting on a tea towel (this should catch any juices from escaping all over your kitchen bench).

Let cool a little before shredding off the chicken and store in an airtight container in the fridge until needed.

To make up the soup

Bring a couple of cups of the stock to a boil, add the soup pasta and cook for aproximately 5 minutes.

Add frozen peas and cook for another 2 minutes.

Stir through some shredded chicken and serve with a little shaving of parmesan.

Find related soup recipes

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • A free-range chicken is important for the flavour of this recipe.
  • If you use the best basic ingredients you will have the best flavour.
  • You can add other frozen vegetables if you prefer.
  • 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.

Baked cherry cheesecake

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.

Savoury teddy scones with beef and mash

Savoury teddy scones with beef and mash

Serves:

 

Ingredients

  • 5 potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1 tspn butter or margarine
  • 2 tbsn milk
  • 1 tbsn olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 large or 2 small onions
  • 1 carrot, peeled and diced
  • 1 zucchini, diced
  • 310g minced beef
  • 2 field mushrooms, diced
  • 2 tbsn instant gravy powder
  • 1 tbsn stock powder (vegetable or beef)
  • 1 cup water

For the Teddy scones:

  • 1 cup Self Raising Flour
  • 2 tbsn chilled butter or margarine, cubed
  • 2 tbsn cold water
  • 3 tbsn grated cheese
  • 1 tbsnn parmesan cheese
  • A little extra flour for rolling out

Method

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius.

Fill a saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add the potatoes and leave until soft cooked.

Meanwhile, put a large fry pan on the stove on high heat. Drizzle in the oil when hot.

Add the garlic and onions and fry until clear, stirring so they don’t stick.

Add the mince, stirring until browned. Stir in the carrot, mushrooms, zucchini and leave on a low heat. After a few minutes, stir in the gravy and stock powder, then pour in the water. Leave on low heat, stirring occasionally. A gravy will begin to form after a few minutes. Leave to simmer for about 10 minutes.

While the gravy thickens and the mince cooks through, test the potatoes in the saucepan to check cooked. They should feel soft when poked with a knife.

Strain potatoes to drain the water then add back to the saucepan. Mash thoroughly until smooth. Mix in butter or margarine and milk. An easy way to do this is with a whisk as it ensures really fluffy mash.

Pour the mince and gravy mix into a casserole dish. Spoon out your mashed potatoes in a ‘mountain’ on top.

For the teddy scones, sift the SR flour into a large bowl. Massage in butter or margarine with your hands. You want the mixture to resemble breadcrumbs. The Teddy stage is a great way to get the kids involved. Stir in the cheese.

Use a dinner knife to mix in the water, stirring until the mixture turns into dough. Sprinkle some flour on the bench, and turn out the dough onto it. Sprinkle a bit more flour on the dough. Roll out to about 1 centimetre thick and cut out shapes with a cookie cutter. This dish is called Teddies on the Mountain as we always use a teddy bear shaped cookie cutter, but you can easily substitute it for any shape. The kids can have great fun cutting out shapes.

Continue rolling out and cutting shapes until all the dough is gone. Place your ‘Teddies’ on top of the pile of mash, spread out so the don’t touch. They will rise a bit while baking.

Bake for 30 – 40 minutes depending on your oven. It’s done when the scones are risen and golden brown.

Spoon into bowls, making sure everyone gets a few teddy scones (or whatever other shape you’ve chosen).

Notes

  • Though a bit fiddly, this recipe is a great way to get the kids involved in making the cute teddies appear on the mountain.
  • You can change the shape of the teddies to anything that might please the kid’s stars, crowns, angels, whatever!
  • It’s a great way to sneak in some extra veggies. The carrot, zucchini and mushroom can easily be substituted for any left over veggies.
  • Can easily be converted to dairy free by using soy milk instead of milk and replacing cheese with herbs and stock powder.
  • Can be converted to vegetarian by using more vegetables or soy mince if preferred.
  • This recipe was created by Lauren Rowland for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder

Serving Suggestions

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Tuna burgers

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

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

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

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Heavenly Hash

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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Beef pot roast

Beef pot roast

Serves:

 

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup flour (to coat roast in)
  • 1 rump roast 11/2-2kg
  • salt and pepper
  • 3 carrots, roughly chopped
  • 2 large onions, roughly chopped
  • 4 celery sticks, roughly chopped
  • 6 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 cups of water

Gravy

  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 4 cups beef stock
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Roll the roast in plain flour.

In your cast iron pot, heat the vegetable oil and sear each side for 4-5 minutes. Add the vegetables, garlic, and bay leaves and enough water to come to 1/3 the way up the roast.

Cover and roast for 3 1/2 -4 hours.

When done, remove from the pot and set aside. Strain the liquid to remove all solids and place the roast back in the pot to keep warm.

Gravy

In a saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the flour to make a roux (flour butter mixture). Cook for about 3 minutes until it becomes a light brown.

Whisk in the Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, pot liquids and stock. Cook until it reaches the desired gravy consistency.

Season to taste with fresh salt and pepper.

Slice the roast and serve with the gravy and some seasonal roasted vegetables.

Find related recipes for the man of the house.

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • I love this recipe and have made it over and over.
  • If you don’t have a cast iron pot you can sear this in a frying pan and roast it in a casserole dish.
  • You need to be REALLY careful of the fat when searing the roast.
  • The gravy complements this roast and you may like to add only half the brown sugar depending on your own tastes.
  • This recipe was adapted by Jennifer Cheung from a Rachael Ray recipe for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder

Bunny Butt Pancakes

Bunny butt pancakes

Serves:

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup (250ml) milk
  • 30g butter
  • 1 banana
  • 24 choc chips
  • 32 white mini marshmallows

Method

Step 1. In a large bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Add egg and milk and whisk until well combined.

Step 2. Melt butter in a large non-stick frypan over medium heat. Use a spoon to create pancake shapes. You will need one large circle for the body, a smaller circle for the head, two small circles for the feet and two triangles for the ears. Cook for 1-2 minutes until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip and cook for a further 1-2 minutes. Remove to a plate and keep warm.

Step 3. Peel banana and slice into 8 pieces. Top small pancake circles with a slice of banana and three choc chips to create feet.

Step 4. Arrange pancakes on plate. Start with the ears. Top with the head piece, slightly overlapping, then the body piece. Finally, carefully place the decorated feet overlapping the bottom of the body. Arrange mini marshmallows to create the fluffy tail.

  • This recipe was created for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder by Greer Worsley, who blogs at Typically Red.

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