Allergen: Contains Nuts

Biscuit necklaces

Biscuit necklaces

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 250g butter, softened
  • 1 cup caster sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2  cups plain flour
  • Icing
  • 2 cups icing sugar
  • food colouring
  • sprinkles, cachous or smarties to decorate
  • Ribbon, cut to 40-50cm lengths

Method

Cream the butter and sugar together with a spoon in a bowl or using an electric mixer. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add the flour and mix until a smooth dough forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line three baking trays with non-stick baking paper.

Divide dough into three pieces. Roll each piece of dough on a floured surface to 5mm thick. Use your favourite cutters to cut out hearts, stars, circles etc. Place biscuits on baking trays and use a wooden skewer or toothpick to make a 5mm diameter hole in each biscuit. Cook for 10-15 minutes until golden. Cool biscuits on trays.

To prepare icing, mix icing sugar with enough water to make a spreadable paste and mix in your chosen colour. Or divide icing into bowls and use 2-3 different colours. Decorate with sprinkles, cachous or smarties. Leave for 30 minutes until the icing is set. Thread ribbon through the hole in the biscuit and tie off to make a necklace. Will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Notes:

  • My kids loved every bit of making these biscuits! Wonderful to see their imaginations at work for some very serious decorating.
  • If it is a hot day, only work with one piece of dough at a time and keep the rest in the fridge until you are ready to roll! Warm dough loses its shape and is hard to manoeuvre.
  • Dont panic if the holes close over during baking wait until the biscuits are cold and then use a toothpick to remake the hole.
  • For a kids party, make the biscuits in advance and then make decorating the biscuits one of the party activities. A sure hit.

Serving Suggestions

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Caramel and pear self-saucing pudding

Caramel and pear self-saucing pudding

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 2 Beurre Bosc pears, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
  • 1 cup (150g) flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup (100g) dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup (75g) butter, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla paste
  • 1 cup (250ml) milk

Topping:

  • 3/4 cup (165g) dark brown sugar
  • 1 cup (250ml) boiling water
  • 1/4 cup (50g) hazelnuts, roughly chopped

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced) and line the base of a 24cm cake tin with the pears. In one bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, brown sugar and ginger together and in another, whisk together the remaining ingredients.

Gently stir to combine and pour batter over the pears.

Sprinkle this with the brown sugar, carefully pour over the boiling water and scatter with hazelnuts.

Place in the oven and bake for 35 minutes, or until the top is firm to touch. Serve with custard or ice cream.

Find more delicious hot dessert recipes:

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • This pudding does absorb its sauce if let to sit (cooked) for too long so try and enjoy it fairly soon after baking.
  • The batter can be made well in advance, so you can prepare the recipe right up to the point of sprinkling with sugar, etc., and have it ready to pop in the oven as you sit down to dinner.
  • You can replace the Beurre Bosc pears with apples if you prefer.
  • You might also serve this with a dollop of thick Greek yoghurt – it offers a nice balance with all that sweetness.
  • 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.

Chicken and antipasto rice

Chicken and antipasto rice

Serves:

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (200g) brown rice
  • 2 cups (500ml) water
  • 2 chicken breast fillets
  • 1 x 225g jar antipasto vegetables in oil

Method

Place rice and 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to lowest setting, cover with a lid and allow to simmer until water has been completely absorbed, approximately 20 minutes. Turn off heat and leave covered for 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice chicken fillets horizontally into thin escallops. Place in a bowl and pour over some of the oil from the antipasto, ensuring it is well coated.

Heat a non-stick frypan over medium heat. Fry chicken for 1-2 minutes on each side until just cooked through. Set aside and keep warm.

Remove vegetables from oil and dice. Pour one tablespoon of remaining oil into the frypan and add vegetables and cooked rice. Stir to combine and warm through.

Distribute rice between serving bowls and top with chicken.

Find more chicken recipes:

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • Antipasto is available in the supermarket. Alternatively, you could buy a selection from the deli.
  • Substitute brown rice for white if you prefer.
  • Recipe by Greer Worsley, who blogs at Typically Red.

Birds nests

Birds nests

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 2 pkts two-minute noodles, uncooked
  • 250g chocolate chips or block chocolate
  • jelly beans
  • chocolate eggs
  • marshmallows
  • peanut butter
  • baking paper
  • paper plates

Method

Line paper plates with baking paper.

Melt chocolate chips/brick chocolate in microwaveåÊand pour into bowl of uncooked, broken 2 minute noodles. Mix well to coat.

Place spoonfuls of noodle mixture onto platesåÊand mould into nest shapes. Make sure the chocolate has cooled but not so much that the mixture hardens.

Using peanut butter as glue, stick down jelly beans, marshmallow and eggs inside the nest cavity.

Serving Suggestions

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Stained glass window sandwiches

Stained glass window sandwiches

Serves:

 

Ingredients

  • 12 slices of fresh bread
  • apricot, raspberry, blackberry or blueberry jam
  • peanut butter
  • butter or margarine
  • sprinkles
  • shape cutters (e.g. circles, stars, hearts, people)

Method

Shape cutters (e.g. circles, stars, hearts, people)

Remove crusts from bread.

Spread six slices of the bread with spreads of choice.

Use butter or margarine to make sure the sprinkles stick.

Cut shapes from the centre of remaining six slices of bread and place on top.

Match up cut out shapes to make little sandwiches.

Serve on a large tray for maximum impact!

Notes:

  • Couldn’t be simpler and look fantastic.
  • Also a great idea to make boring lunchbox sandwiches a bit more interesting!
  • My son was “huge bored” this week, priceless, but these sandwiches received a “WOW”.
  • Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.

Serving Suggestions

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Fruit skewers

Fruit skewers

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 6 wooden skewers
  • 1 red apple
  • ½ honey dew melon
  • 2 bananas
  • 1 cup (250mL) vanilla yoghurt
  • 1 Flake chocolate bar
  • ½ cup desiccated coconut
  • 2 drops yellow food colouring (optional)
  • 2 drops red food colouring (optional)

Method

Quarter and core the apples, then cut each quarter into pieces about 2cm square.

Peel bananas and chop each into 6 pieces.

Peel honeydew, deseed and chop into 2cm square pieces.

For each skewer, thread on two pieces of each fruit.

Kids love this bit; let them choose their own combination.

Pour yoghurt into a shallow bowl.

Place coconut in a shallow bowl, add 2 drops of yellow and red colouring (optional) and mix well – you should end up with some yellow, orange and red flecks.

Crumble the Flake bar into a shallow bowl.

Serve the fruit skewers on a plate, let the kids choose one, dip it in the yoghurt and then roll in the coconut or Flake. Ta da, fun fruit.

 

Notes

  • If you would prefer not to use food colouring, use plain coconut, or toast it in a frypan over low heat.
  • I used the fruit my kids will eat (and the honeydew for colour!); use your kids’ favourites.
  • If you want to avoid the chocolate, you could use sprinkles or 100s and 100s or finely chopped dried fruit.
  • Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.

Serving Suggestions

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Halloween Witches Hats

This Halloween, go a little crazy and make fun snacks for the trick or treaters in your neighbourhood. These witches hats are easy to make and they’re full of surprises!

Fill them up with your favourite little sweets and watch their faces when they discover what’s inside!

Ingredients

  • Mini ice-cream cones
  • Choc Fudge biscuits
  • Mini M&M’s
  • Skittles
  • Orange writing icing
  • Black writing icing

Method

Step 1. Grab your lollies, mini ice-cream cones and biscuits.

Step 2. Fill the cones with the Mini M&M’s and Skittles.

Step 3.  Use writing icing to draw a line around the entire top edge of the cone. Stick a Choc Fudge biscuit on top of the icing edge and flip over so the cone stands with the biscuit on the bottom.

Step 4. Using orange writing icing, draw a line around the entire edge where the cone meets the biscuit. Using black writing icing, draw a “buckle” on the front of the hat.

Notes:

  • You can use buttercream icing and a piping bag instead of writing icing to glue these together. The writing icing is much easier to handle though.
  • If you want these hats to be brown all over, you can stand them on some baking paper and pour melted chocolate over the top, leaving them to set before decorating with writing icing.
  • This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Find more Halloween recipes:

Serving Suggestions

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Pumpkin feta and chickpea salad

Pumpkin feta and chickpea salad

Serves:

 

Ingredients

  • 1kg butternut pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cut into 2cm cubes
  • Olive oil spray
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 4 cups (about 100g) baby spinach leaves
  • 180g feta
  • half a cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons Moroccan seasoning
  • 1 loaf Turkish bread
  • half a cup dukka

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 200C.
  • Line a tray with baking paper.
  • Lay pumpkin on tray and spray with olive oil spray.
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until tender.
  • Prepare dressing by whisking orange juice, olive oil and Moroccan seasoning together in a small bowl.
  • Prepare Turkish bread by cutting in half lengthways, then cut crossways into 2cm wide strips.
  • Spray with olive oil spray, sprinkle with dukkah and bake for 5 minutes until golden.
  • Heat a non-stick frypan to medium heat, add oil and cook onion for 2-3 minutes or until soft.
  • Add chickpeas and cook for 2 minutes until heated through.
  • Transfer to a large bowl and add roast pumpkin, feta, spinach and dressing.
  • Toss well to combine and serve immediately with Turkish bread.

 

Notes:

  • Yum, yum, yum. Taste sensations: crunch of the spinach, chewy chickpeas, salty feta, smooth sweet pumpkin and zesty dressing!
  • Dukkah is a spice mix usually consisting of sesame seeds, ground almonds, cumin and other spices.
  • It is now readily available in supermarkets and delis.
  • If you prefer not to buy yet another jar of specialty spice, substitute a teaspoon of cumin for the Moroccan spice.

Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.

Serving Suggestions

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Healthy raw caramel dip

Healthy raw caramel dip

Serves:

Makes about 2 cups of dip

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup macadamia nuts (soaked in water for a few hours)
  • 1/2 cup dates, pitted (soaked in water for a few hours)
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla paste
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • sliced apples and pears for serving

Method

Drain then rinse nuts and dates then tip into a food processor or blender. Add remaining ingredients and blitz until smooth.

Transfer to an airtight container or jar and keep in the fridge for no more than two weeks.

Serve with a little plate of thinly sliced apples and pears.

Find related caramel recipes

Serving Suggestions

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Slow cooker hot chocolate

Slow cooker hot chocolate

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 2 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 395 g sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 tbs vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup thickened cream
  • 6 cup milk

Method

Place all ingredients into a crockpot or slow cooker.

Set the crockpot or slow cooker to a low setting.

Using a whisk, mix all ingredients together until well combined. Cook on low for 2 hours. Stop to stir every 30 minutes to ensure the chocolate chips are not melted onto the bottom. Serve and enjoy!

Find more delicious chocolate recipes

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • This is definitely a decadent hot chocolate and not really meant for those on a diet.
  • You can add extra milk or reduce the condensed milk if you don’t like your hot chocolate too sweet.
  • You could make this with white chocolate instead of milk chocolate.
  • I like to serve this with little biscotti or some marshmallows.
  • This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Salted caramel and ganache tarts

Salted caramel and ganache tarts

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup (60ml) cream (pouring or thickened)
  • 200g dark cooking chocolate, broken into cubes
  • 12 ready-made tarlet cases
  • 12 tbsp slow cooker salted caramel (this is equal to one tin)
  • 12 strawberries (for garnish)

 

Method

Step 1. Place cream in a glass bowl and microwave on high for 20-30 seconds. When hot, add dark chocolate pieces.

Step 2. Using a metal spoon, mix chocolate and cream well until all chocolate is melted and you have a smooth mixture. You may need to return to microwave for 5-10 second bursts until you have smooth glossy ganache.

Step 3. Spoon tablespoon-sized amounts of salted caramel into the tartlet cases and smooth over with the back of a spoon.

Step 4.  Spoon warm ganache over the caramel and tap bases gently on the bench to smooth over the tops. Slice strawberries into fan shapes and place on top.

Salted caramel and ganache tarts

Find more delicious dessert recipes

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • We chose to top these with ganache but if you a hard chocolate top, you can just use melted chocolate on top of the caramel and refigerate until set.
  • We chose tartlet cases but you could make a large tart case using these ingredients or even use bite-sized mini-tarts for this recipe.
  • If you love pancakes, you could make these Banana pancakes with caramel sauce for brekky.
  • Frozen yogurt is delicious and refreshing and this Caramel banana frozen yoghurt is better than store-bought ice cream.
  • If you want a warming winter dessert then Caramel and pear self-saucing pudding will have them licking their bowl.
  • Slices are the perfect afternoon tea treat and this Chocolate caramel slice will disappear fast.
  • You can make this Caramel sauce to go over ice cream and if you have slightly more sophisticated taste then this Salted caramel sauce is lovely over ice cream too.
  • If you want to make Caramel filling on the stove top it only takes 2 hours v’s 8 hours for slow cooker salted caramel.
  • These Caramels are the perfect homemade confectionery to give as gifts.
  • This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Banana muffins

Banana muffins

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 2 cups self raising flour
  • half a cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup (80mL) vegetable oil
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup mashed banana (2 large)
  • 12 pecan halves (optional)

Method

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a 12 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 bananas into dry ingredients, beat with until just combined.

Spoon into muffin pans and top with a pecan half (if using) 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:

  • This is a great basic recipe for banana muffins. Add half a cup choc chips, macadamias or pecans to the mixture for variation.
  • Make these for a special Valentine Day weekend breakfast or as lunchbox fillers for the coming week.

Serving Suggestions

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Easter bunny butt cake

Easter bunny butt cake

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 1 Betty Crocker vanilla cake mix
  • 1 cup (250ml) water
  • 1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs (59g)
  • 1 tin (453g) Betty Crocker creamy deluxe vanilla frosting
  •  pink food colouring
  • 1 large marshmallow
  • 250g shredded coconut
  • 1 pkt (93g) fruit Roll-ups, strawberry flavour
  • green food colouring
  • 1 baby carrot
  • 1 Oreo biscuit, crushed

You will also need:

  • pink cardboard
  • 1 skewer or large toothpick

Method

Step 1. Preheat oven to 200°C conventional (180°C fan-forced). Grease and flour a 20cm round ovenproof bowl (for the bunny butt) and line 3 cups of a muffin tin with cupcake liners (these will be your bunny tail and paws).

In a mixing bowl, using a mixer, combine the cake mix, water, oil and eggs and beat for 2-3 minutes until you have a smooth consistency.

Fill 3 cupcake cups 2/3 full. Pour remaining mixture into the glass bowl.

Step 2. Place both in the oven, removing the cupcakes from the oven after the first 20 minutes and then cook the bowl for a further 40 minutes (a total of 60 minutes for the bowl). Test the cake with a skewer and if it comes out clean, the cake is ready.

Cool the cakes for 5 minutes and remove from the bowl to cool further.

Step 3. Remove 2 tablespoons of frosting from the container and set aside to frost the bunny tail.

In a bowl, mix the remaining frosting with pink food colouring until thoroughly combined.

Place the bunny butt on a serving tray. Smooth a spoon of  frosting under it so it sticks to the tray. Place the 2 cupcake paws into place and cut the marshmallow in half and place them on top of the paws to make heels.

Use a knife to smooth a thin coat of frosting over the whole cake. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes. This is called a “crumb coat”.

Step 4. Give the whole cake a second coat of frosting. Sprinkle liberally with  2 cups of coconut. Frost the bunny tail with the reserved white icing and roll in coconut. Use a toothpick or skewer to secure into place on the bunny butt.

Step 5. Using a roll-up, cut 2 large oval paw pads and 6 smaller round ones with scissors. Use leftover frosting to adhere to the bunny paws.

Brush away any excess coconut around the bunny. Place the remaining cup of coconut in a resealable bag with green food colouring and massage until coloured evenly. Sprinkle green coconut around the bunny to make “grass”.

Step 6. Using the cardboard and scissors, cut 2 long bunny ears and fold over a flap on the bottom of each. Slide these under the head of the bunny and adjust to stand up. Place the carrot beside the ears and sprinkle with a little crushed Oreo.

Easter bunny butt cake

Find related Easter recipes

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • If you are in a hurry, you can skip the crumb coat but your finished product will look slightly messy.
  • You may have to trim the top of your cake to make the “butt” sit flat.
  • I have seen this recipe use a “dirt” base for the bunny instead of “grass”. For this you can use crushed Oreo’s instead of green coconut.
  • This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Luscious lemon tart

Luscious lemon tart

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 1 cup plain flour (gluten-free)
  • 1/2 cup almond meal
  • 2 tablespoons caster sugar
  • 75g butter, chopped
  • 2-3 tablespoons iced water

Lemon filling

  • 1/2 cup (125mL) lemon juice
  • 1 cup water
  • 3/4 cup caster sugar
  • 3 tablespoons custard powder (gluten-free)

Method

Place flour, almond meal, sugar and butter in food processor bowl. Whiz until mixture resembles bread crumbs. While motor is still running, add iced water a tablespoon at a time until mixture starts to come together. Tip onto a floured surface, knead lightly to form a dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Roll dough between two sheets of non-stick baking paper to 3mm thick and large enough to line a 22cm flan tin with removable base. Roll pastry around a rolling pin and carefully unroll into flan tin. Cursing quietly when you haven’t lined it up properly and the edge of the tin cuts through the pastry… trim edges. Line pastry with baking paper and fill with baking weights or pasta/rice.

Cook (baking blind) flan for 10 minutes then remove paper and weights and cook for a further 10-15 minutes until pastry is golden.

Place lemon juice, water and sugar in a saucepan, bring to the boil and stir until sugar is dissolved. Mix custard powder in some hot water and stir into lemon mixture. Continue stirring until lemon filling thickens. Pour into pastry base, cool for 10 minutes and then refrigerate for a few hours until filling is set.

Serve wedges of tart with thick cream

Notes:

  • This refreshing, tangy lemon tart was a much anticipated dessert of my childhood – Mum and Nan made it often. What I like most about it is that it doesn’t contain the heavy cream and egg filling of cafe-style lemon tarts.
  • Use a frozen shortcrust pastry tart to make this recipe super-quick.
  • Make this tart gluten-free using gluten-free flour in the pastry.
  • Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.

Serving Suggestions

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Banana and walnut bread

Banana and walnut bread

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 2 cups plain flour
  • 3/4 tsp bi-carbonate soda
  • 3/4 cup castor sugar
  • 1 1/3 cups walnuts, chopped
  • 85g melted butter
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups banana, mashed

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a loaf pan with baking paper and set aside.

In a bowl ,mix sifted flour, bi-carbonate soda and sugar.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs, add sour cream and mix in vanilla, banana and butter.

Pour the wet mix into the dry mix bowl and add walnuts. Mix gently until just combined and pour into loaf pan.

Bake for 45 mins.

Related banana recipes

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • I have made this recipe over and over and it never gets old. My son is not a fan of walnuts so I often bake a loaf without.
  • I find that this recipe freezes very well. I bake, slice and freeze this, so the kids can have it for school lunches.
  • This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Choc-cherry fudge

Choc-cherry fudge

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 400g tin condensed milk
  • 2 x 200g blocks dark or milk chocolate
  • 2 x 50g cherry ripe bars, chopped
  • 100g glace cherries, chopped

Method

Line a slice tray (mine is 26cm x 16cm) with baking paper.

Melt chocolate and condensed milk in a pan on low heat.

Mix in cherry ripe bars and glace cherries.

Pour the mixture into the pan and refrigerate until firm.

Cut into squares, with mouth watering, and enjoy.

Notes

  • This fudge is fantastic. Put some in Christmas boxes or tins for gifts. Or hide it in the fridge marked “Stewed plums” and have it all to yourself!
  • I use skim condensed milk—which is foolish considering the amount of chocolate in this recipe!
  • I had a few centimetres of baking paper overhanging the ends of my pan. When the fudge was set, I lifted it onto a chopping board to make for easier cutting.
  • Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.

Serving Suggestions

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No bake hazelnut slice

No bake hazelnut slice

Serves:

Ingredients

Base:

  • 125g butter
  • 3/4 cups condensed milk
  • 2 tablespoons golden syrup
  • 250g Milk Arrowroot biscuits, finely chopped.
  • 1 cup flaked almonds

Topping:

  • 250g Cadbury hazelnut chocolate
  • 60g copha

Method

Place butter, condensed milk and syrup into a small saucepan, stir over low heat until butter is melted and simmer for 2 minutes.

Place biscuits crumbs into bowl, add almonds and butter mixture and mix well.

Grease and line a 18 x 28 cm slab tin with baking paper.

Press mixture evenly and firmly into base of tin, refrigerate.

Combine chocolate and copha in pan, stir over low heat until melted and pour chocolate over base. Refrigerate.

Serving Suggestions

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Lamb curry

Lamb curry

Serves:

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • 15 fresh curry leaves, plus extra, to serve
  • 4 cardamom pods
  • 4 cloves
  • 1 stick of cinnamon
  • 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 1 kg lean lamb cut into 2.5cm pieces
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground red chilli
  • 1 tsp ground fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • 2 tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
  • ½ cup [firmly packed] coriander, coarsely chopped
  • Steamed basmati rice, yoghurt and chutney to serve

Paste:

  • 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
  • 3 fresh small red chillies, coarsely chopped
  • 2.5cm piece ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
  • ¼ cup white vinegar

Method

To make the paste, process all ingredients and ¼ cup water in food processor until a paste forms.

Heat oil in a heavy-based casserole, add curry leaves, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and fenugreek seeds and stir continuously over medium heat for 2 minutes or until fragrant.

Add onions and stir continuously for 5 minutes or until onions are golden.

Add lamb, 1 tbsp sea salt, turmeric, ground red chilli, fennel and cumin, stir until well combined, then cook, covered over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 50 minutes or until lamb is almost tender.

Stir paste into lamb, cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes, then add ground coriander, curry powder and garam masala and stir occasionally over low heat for another 10 minutes or until spices are fragrant.

Add coconut milk and cook for another 10-15 minutes or until lamb is tender.

Stir in tomatoes and coriander, and adjust seasoning with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serving Suggestions

Serve lamb curry scattered with extra curry leaves, with basmati rice, yoghurt and chutney passed separately.

Note

Vietnamese-inspired beef and noodles

Vietnamese-inspired beef and noodles

Serves:

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 3 teaspoons peanut oil (or olive or vegetable)
  • 1 onion, halved and sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 1 chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped
  • 600g rump steak, thinly sliced
  • 2 carrots, sliced in strips (julienne)
  • 1 red capsicum, sliced in strips (julienne)
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • juice of two limes
  • packet rice noodles (gluten free)
  • 1 cup coriander leaves
  • 1 cup mint leaves (Vietnamese if you can get it)
  • roasted peanuts, chopped (optional)

Method

Soak noodles in hot water for a few minutes until soft, drain into a colander, refresh with cold water and drain again.

Heat a wok over high heat, add 1 teaspoon of peanut oil and stir fry half the beef to seal and brown.

Transfer cooked beef to a plate.

Repeat with another teaspoon of oil and remaining beef.

Cover beef with aluminium foil to keep warm.

Heat remaining teaspoon of oil and stir fry onion for 2 minutes, add garlic and chilli and stir fry for another minute.

Add carrots and capsicum, cook for about 3 minutes.

Stir in noodles, fish sauce and lime juice, cook until noodles heated through.

Serve in bowls topped with herbs and peanuts.

Notes:

  • I stirred the coriander and mint leaves through the stir fry just before serving and the heat did brown them a bit.
  • Try piling the herbs on top to keep the vivid green (and impressive presentation).
  • If you are not a big fan of fish sauce, substitute with soy sauce.
  • Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.

 

Banana blasters

Banana blasters

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 6 paddle pop sticks
  • 6 bananas
  • honey
  • 1 cup muesli

Method

Peel bananas. Cut in half across the middle to make two equal parts.

Place a paddle pop stick in the flat end (creating a lollipop effect).

Pour honey onto a paper plate. Roll the banana in honey until it is fully coated.

Sprinkle with or roll in muesli.

Serving Suggestions

Note

Fried rice Goong Goong style

Fried rice Goong Goong style

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 1kg Char siu (Chinese pork), diced
  • 6 sticks Lup cheong , steamed and sliced
  • 1 bunch shallots, sliced into 1/2cm pieces
  • 12 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 4 cups long grain rice, cooked and cooled
  • 2 tbls dark soy sauce
  • 6 tbls peanut oil

Method

Heat the wok and lightly coat with peanut oil until smoking and add beaten eggs.

Turn and chop them until they are all little tiny pieces and transfer to a bowl.

Add a few more tablespoons of oil to the wok and heat until shimmering.

Add the meat and toss until lightly coloured and heated through.

Add the rice and a few splashes of soy sauce for colour.

Make sure you keep turning it to stop it burning. Add the egg back in and toss through. Add shallots and toss through for a minute.Serve

 

Notes

  • I have used a barbeque chicken diced up when I don’t have the right sausages or pork and it still tastes great.
  • Lup Cheong is Chinese sausage which must be steamed for 10 minutes before you use it for this recipe.
  • I use the light coloured Lup cheong fresh from the Chinese barbeque shop or you can buy a packaged one in the supermarket in the asian food section.
  • Char Siu is a red barbequed pork fillet. It’s sweet and moist and usually very lean. You can buy it ready-made from a Chinese BBQ shop or if you don’t have one of these handy, you can make it from scratch using pork fillet and a Char Siu sachet from the asian section of your supermarket.
  • Goong Goong is the Cantonese name for grandfather.This recipe was made for me often by my dad.
  • This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

 

 

 

 

Serving Suggestions

Note

Orange and cranberry truffles

Orange and cranberry truffles

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 300g dark chocolate, chopped
  • ½ cup (125mL) cream
  • zest of an orange, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup craisins (dried cranberries), chopped

Method

Line a 15cm square cake tin with non stick baking paper or use a 15cm square silicon mould. Place the chocolate and cream in a small saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in orange zest and cranberries.

Pour into tin or mould and refrigerate for 2 hours until set.

Turn out onto a chopping board and cut into 36 small squares.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Notes:

  • Absolutely delicious! If your kids prefer plain truffles, omit the zest and cranberries. Let’s be honest, keep them hidden until the kids have gone to bed, time for hot drink/night cap and treats time.
  • Adore truffles, hate rolling them, so love this quick and easy recipe. But if you insist on rolling, refrigerate the mixture overnight and then roll teaspoonfuls into balls, roll in cocoa, chopped nuts or more melted chocolate.

Serving Suggestions

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Black and white chocolate brownie

Black and white chocolate brownie

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 300g dark chocolate, finely chopped
  • 125g butter, chopped
  • 2/3 cup caster sugar
  • 2 eggs, lightly whisked
  • 1 cup plain flour
  • 200g white chocolate, chopped
  • 100g slivered almonds

Method

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a 20cm square slice tin and line with baking paper, extending paper 5cm over sides. I used my new SiliconWare pan and only needed to grease, not line with paper.

Stir butter and dark chocolate in a saucepan over low heat until smooth. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in eggs and flour. Gently fold in white chocolate and almonds until just combined.

Spread mixture into pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. The trick with brownies is to not over cook them, so the skewer should not come out clean! Allow to cool completely in the tin (it will set as it cools), then use the overhanging baking paper to carefully lift out onto a large chopping board.

With the SiliconWare pan, I loosened the pan from the edges and turned out onto the board. Cut into squares and try very hard not to eat half before the kids get home!

Notes:

  • Pure chocolate evil. Enjoy.
  • Notice in the picture that the slice was not quite set when I cut it, it was fine a few hours later.
  • Store in an airtight container in a cool shady spot for up to 5 days or in the fridge.
  • Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.

Find more cakes and baking recipes:

Serving Suggestions

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Snowman marshmallow pops

Snowman marshmallow pops

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 375g white chocolate buttons or candy melts
  • 1-2 tsp vegetable oil
  • 250g (2 pkts) white marshmallows
  • mini M&M’s and licorice straps (to decorate)

You will also need:

  • 18 cake pop sticks or bamboo skewers

Method

Step 1. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Once melted, stir through vegetable oil until smooth.

Step 2. Thread three marshmallows onto each cake pop stick or skewer.

Step 3. Dip marshmallows into melted chocolate to coat. Allow excess chocolate to drip away.

Step 4. Before chocolate sets completely, decorate using mini M&M’s for the eyes, nose and buttons, and slivers of licorice for the mouths. You can even add a set of earmuffs if you like.

Marshmallow pops

Find more sweet recipes

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • Candy melts and cake pop sticks are available from cake decorating suppliers and kitchenware stores.
  • Adding oil to the melted chocolate or candy thins it and makes it easier to dip.
  • A block of florist’s foam would be useful to stick the pops in and keep them upright while they set.
  • These Caramel Christmas apples are a delicious take on candy apples for the festive season.
  • You can make these Christmas chocolate spoons with the kids and enjoy some family time as you decorate them together.
  • These Edible glitter berries are the perfect addition to a platter, buffet table or even on the top of your favourite chocolate cake.
  • This Fruit Christmas tree  is a healthy alternative to all the indulgence of Christmas. It could be a beautiful edible centrepiece for your table.
  • If you like a round shortbread disc then this Christmas shortbread can be cut into “Petticoat tails”.
  • You can make these Christmas ginger joy biscuits and thread them on string to create a Christmas decoration.
  • These Gingerbread families are made with a traditional gingerbread recipe and decorated with Royal icing.
  • This recipe was created for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder by Greer Worsley, who blogs at Typically Red.

Egg salad boats

Egg salad boats

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 6 eggs
  • 3 tbsp (60ml) good quality mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp seeded mustard
  • 2 tbsp chives, finely chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • juice and zest of one lemon
  • sourdough bread rolls or a baguette

Method

Arrange eggs in a single layer in a medium pot and cover with cold water.

Bring to the boil and then remove from heat.

Cover and set aside for 10 minutes.

Drain, then cover eggs with cold water, swish them around and then drain, repeating twice.

Set aside to chill while you make the mayonnaise mixture.

To do this, simply combine remaining ingredients and check for seasoning.

Hollow out the rolls or baguette, removing most of the bread interior (reserve for breadcrumbs).

Peel the eggs and roughly chop.

Gently stir through the mayonnaise mixture and then spoon into the rolls.

Serve as is or slice into pieces before serving on a platter.

Find related sandwich recipes

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • Making perfect hard boiled eggs is a bit of an art if you don’t want those grey tinged edges.
  • Check out our Hard boiled egg recipe to find the best way.
  • Good quality mayonnaise is essential to a really great egg salad sandwich.
  • 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.

Blueberry and orange muffins

Blueberry and orange muffins

Serves:

 

Ingredients

Gluten-free (see note below)

  • 2 cups self raising flour (or gluten-free flour)
  • 1/2 cup almond meal
  • 1/2 cup caster sugar
  • 1/3 cup (80mL) oil
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • Zest of one orange, finely chopped
  • 1 cup blueberries

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C and place paper cases in muffin tray. Sift flour into large mixing bowl, add caster sugar. In a glass jug, measure out oil (to 1/3 cup), add milk (to 11/3 cup) and eggs, and whisk to combine.

Pour liquid into dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in orange zest and blueberries. Spoon mixture into paper cases. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a skewer inserted into the muffin comes out clean.

Notes:

  • If you don’t have almond meal, or don’t want to use it, just use more flour.
  • If you have extra mixture, make mini muffins (avoiding the blueberries for the fussy children).
  • Make these muffins gluten free using gluten free plain flour and 3 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder.

Serving Suggestions

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Lime and raspberry friands

Lime and raspberry friands

Serves:

 

Ingredients

  • 180g butter, melted
  • 200g icing sugar, sifted
  • 60g plain flour,sifted
  • 120g almond meal
  • 5 egg whites
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • 20 raspberries

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Grease a friand tray with some of the melted butter (use a cupcake tray if you do not have one).

Place icing sugar and flour in a mixing bowl, add almond meal and stir through with a fork.

In a separate small bowl, beat egg whites with a fork, then add the dry ingredients in the other bowl to the mix. Combine using a fork and then add the lime zest. Mix well.

Spoon the mixture into the tin until each mould is 3/4 full. Drop 2 raspberries in each mould.

Place in the oven on the middle shelf and bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the tray 180 degrees (so the part of the tin that faced the front of the oven now faces the back) and bake for a futher 5-10 minutes until golden on top.

Cool, and dust with icing sugar to serve.

Notes:

  • Friands are an almond cake, served mostly at cafes and at high tea houses.
  • If raspberries aren’t in season or very expensive, frozen raspberries work a treat in this recipe, and go a long way!
  • Almond meal can be found in the baking aisle in your supermarket.
  • These friands can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
  • This recipe was created by Melissa Klemke for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Serving Suggestions

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Sticky sesame chicken wings with red cabbage salad

Sticky sesame chicken wings with red cabbage salad

Serves:

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp umeboshi plum vinegar
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp honey, plus 1 tbsp extra
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1.2kg chicken wings
  • 1 tbsp peanut oil
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds

For salad:

  • 1/2 red cabbage
  • 2 carrots, grated
  • 1 tbsp umeboshi plum vinegar
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Method

Combine soy sauce, plum vinegar, sesame oil, 1 tbsp honey and garlic in a large bowl. Cut chicken wings through joints, discarding wing tips (or save them for chicken stock). Toss chicken pieces in marinade and set aside for at least an hour.

Meanwhile, prepare your salad. Finely shred cabbage and place in a large bowl with grated carrots. In a small jar combine vinegars, honey and sesame oil and shake to combine. Pour over vegetables and stir well, then set aside until ready to serve. Just before serving, toast sesame seeds in a dry frying pan until golden, then toss through salad.

Preheat oven to 220°C conventional (200°C fan-forced). Place chicken wings in a single layer in a large baking dish and drizzle with peanut oil. Bake for 40 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn them over, drizzle with extra honey and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Continue cooking for a further 20 minutes until dark and sticky.

Serve with red cabbage salad.

Find more chicken recipes:

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • Umeboshi plum vinegar is available in most supermarkets and health food stores. Its unique tart flavour adds a special zing to the dish.
  • The marinade would work just as well with chicken drumsticks.
  • Recipe by Greer Worsley from the blog Typically Red.

Rainbow cake

This rainbow cake is a very easy to make and impressive birthday cake or holiday fun cake. The cake can be made the day before and iced a few hours before serving

Ingredients

  • 1 packet mix cake with icing (I used Basco Gluten-free golden butter cake, 470g)
  • Extra ingredients for cake and icing (eggs, butter, water, milk)
  • 340g packet Smarties
  • 1 bag gold foil chocolate coins

Method

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a 20cm ring tin and line with baking paper. Prepare cake mix according to directions and spoon into cake tin, smooth top with back of metal spoon. Bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Turn onto a wire rack to cool.

Prepare icing according to directions. Sort smarties into colours (the kids will LOVE helping with this).

Trim the top of the cake so it is flat and cut in half to make two rainbows. Transfer cakes to serving plates. Spread with icing and decorate with smarties rainbow-style. Divide gold coins between two small bowls at the end of the rainbows.

Notes:

  • This is a very easy to make and impressive birthday cake or holiday fun cake. My 3yo daughter had a ball sorting the smarties into colours (I allowed her to eat the brown ones!) and helping me make the rainbow. My 6yo son was most miffed when he realised he had missed out.
  • The 340g pack should give you enough smarties of each colour to do one cake in the  proper colours.
  • I used a gluten-free cake mix for this cake, although the smarties are not strictly gluten-free.
  • The cake can be made the day before and iced a few hours before serving. Don‰t ice more than 4 hours before serving because the smarties go soggy but the kids might not mind, but I did!
  • Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.

Vietnamese caramel salmon

Vietnamese caramel salmon

Don’t be daunted by the caramel in this Vietnamese caramel salmon recipe. It’s a cinch to make and creates a dark, sticky sauce that is delicious with fresh salmon fillets.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup (60g) caster sugar
  • 1/2 cup (125ml) water
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 2 tbsp peanut oil
  • 4 salmon fillets (about150g each)
  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1 long red chilli, finely sliced
  • 3 shallots, cut into 3cm batons
  • steamed rice, green vegetables to serve

Method

Heat sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until it has melted and started to brown, swirling the pan occasionally. Carefully pour in water and stir for 3 minutes until dissolved. Add fish sauce and lime juice and continue cooking for a further minute. Set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a nonstick frypan. Cook salmon fillets skin-side down for 3 minutes. Turn and cook for a further 2 minutes until almost done. Remove from pan and set aside.

Heat remaining oil in frypan. Add garlic, chilli and shallots and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add caramel and stir to combine. Gently return salmon to pan, spooning over sauce for a further minute until cooked through. Serve salmon with rice and steamed Asian greens.

Note

  • Be very careful when melting the sugar as the temperature is very high. It will bubble up fiercely when you add the water.
  • Don’t overcook the caramel – there’s a fine line between dark and sticky, and burnt.
  • This recipe was create for Kidspot, New Zealand’s beståÊrecipe finderåÊby Greer Worsley, who blogs atåÊTypically Red.

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