Allergen: Contains Soy

Nutritious teething biscuits

Nutritious teething biscuits

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
  • 3 tbsp golden syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 tbsp rolled oats
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 tbsp bran
  • 1 tbsp powdered milk

Method

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

Mix all wet ingredients together in a jug.

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and combine.

Dough will be firm. Roll out thinly on a floured surface. Cut into sticks and bake for 15 minutes.

Find related baby recipes

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • The longer you cook these the harder they are.
  • You can swap the bran for wheatgerm.
  • This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Easter Bunny tails

These cute little Easter Bunny tails are made from marshmallow, chocolate and coconut.

They’re a fun Easter activity for the kids and a lovely treat for friends and family.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (190g) white chocolate melts
  • 2 cups (170g) shredded coconut
  • 2 packets (300g each) large marshmallows

Method

Step 1. Place white chocolate and coconut into heatproof bowls. Melt the chocolate on high in the microwave for one minute and stir until it is smooth.

Step 2. Dip the tip of the marshmallow into the melted chocolate and tap off excess chocolate.

Step 3. Roll the marshmallow in the coconut.

Step 4. Place on a plate and refrigerate for 10 minutes before serving.

Find related Easter recipes

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • If you don’t have shredded coconut, then desiccated coconut is fine.
  • You can dress these up by placing them into glass jars tied with pretty ribbon.
  • This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

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.

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Lemon slice

Lemon slice

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 200g Marie or Arrowroot biscuits
  • 1 cup desiccated coconut
  • 3/4 cup condensed milk
  • 100g butter melted
  • rind of one lemon, finely grated

Icing

  • 2 cups icing sugar, sifted
  • juice of one lemon
  • 40g butter softened

Method

Line a 21cm x 16 cm slice tin with baking paper and set aside.

Place biscuits, coconut, condensed milk, butter and lemon rind in a food processor. Pulse until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Press the mixture into the slice tin.

To make the icing, using a mixer, beat the butter and add the lemon juice. Gradually add icing sugar. Spread over slice, sprinkle with coconut and refrigerate for 1 hour before cutting into squares.

Related slice recipes:

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • If you use the back of a metal spoon to press the base into the tin you will get a nice even surface.
  • You could swap the lemon for orange in this recipe if you prefer oranges.
  • This recipe was created by Kris Henderson for the Kidspot, New Zealand's best recipe finder.

Silver beet and bacon tart recipe

Silver beet and bacon tart recipe

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 2 sheets frozen shortcrust pastry, thawed
  • 1 bunch silver beet
  • 20ml (1tbsp) olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 1 clove garlic, finely diced
  • 3 rashers bacon, finely sliced
  • 3/4 cup tasty cheese, grated
  • 5 eggs
  • 250ml (1 cup) fresh cream
  • 2 tbsp parmesan, grated

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C conventional or 180°C fan-forced.

Line a 28cm flan tin with pastry, sealing joins between the sheets and trimming to fit.

To blind-bake, place a sheet of foil over the pastry and fill with dry beans, lentils or baking weights. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove beans and foil, then return to oven for a further five to 10 minutes until lightly brown.

Reduce oven to 180°C conventional or 160°C fan-forced.

Wash silver beet well. Finely slice stalks and set aside. Roughly chop leaves. Place cup of water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add leaves and cover with a lid. Cook for two minutes until wilted. Drain and allow to cool. Squeeze water out of leaves then chop finely.

Heat oil in a frypan, then saute onions over very gentle heat for five minutes. Add garlic and silver beet stalks and cook for a further five minutes. Increase heat slightly, add bacon and cook for a further two minutes. Finally, add chopped leaves and stir to combine. Season well with salt and pepper, and set aside to cool.

Distribute silver beet mixture into the blind-baked pastry case and top with tasty cheese. Beat eggs and cream together and pour over the silver beet. Sprinkle with grated parmesan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until set and lightly brown. Serve with a large green salad.

Find more dinner recipes

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • You could replace silver beet with English spinach, but it won't require blanching. Just chop finely and add to the bacon and onion mixture.
  • For a vegetarian version, simply omit the bacon.
  • 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.

 

Chicken breast with creamy cauliflower bake

Chicken breast with creamy cauliflower bake

Serves:

Ingredients

Creamy sauce

  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1½ tbsp butter or margarine
  • 1 cup (250ml) low-fat milk
  • 1 cup (250ml) chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 tsp dry mustard
  • 1-2 tbsp chopped chives
  • ½ tsp lemon zest
  • 1 small (about 500g) cauliflower, sliced
  • 2 leeks, sliced
  • ½ cup low-fat cheddar cheese (find a good sharp one like Vintage)
  • 6 x 120g chicken fillets
  • Oil spray
  • Watercress or rocket or a green salad

Method

Heat oven to 200°C or 180°C fan-forced and spray a shallow baking dish with oil.

In a small saucepan, melt butter/margarine.

Add flour, constantly stirring until mixture browns slightly.

Remove from heat and slowly add milk and stock, whisking constantly to avoid any lumps (if you get some, don’t panic just keep whisking).

Return to the heat and add mustard. Bring back to a simmer and stir constantly until sauce thickens. Stir through chives and lemon zest.

Place cauliflower and leeks into a microwave-safe dish, cover and microwave on high for 6-8 minutes, until just tender.

Discard any liquid and transfer vegetables to baking dish. Pour over creamy sauce and top with cheese. Bake for 25 minutes until golden and creamy.

While cauliflower is baking (about 6-8 minutes before the end of cooking time), slice each chicken breast lengthways through the middle to make two thin breasts.

Heat a frying pan to medium-high, spray lightly with oil spray and cook fillets for 2-3 minutes per side.

Remove chicken fillets and allow to rest on a board for a couple of minutes before serving with cauliflower bake and greens.

Notes

  • I try to reduce calories and fat where I can in my recipes by using lighter options. You can reduce the calorie and fat content even further by using a low-fat margarine or butter in the sauce. Just make sure it’s no lower than 60% fat, otherwise you’ll have problems with lumps and consistency.
  • Recipe written by Jay Rogers

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:

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Nan’s zucchini loaf

Nan’s zucchini loaf

Serves:

 

Ingredients

Nut-free, lactose-free

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 1/4 cups caster sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 cups plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon bicarb soda
  • 3 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 cups grated zucchini (2 small zucchinis)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Butter the base of a deep loaf pan or two small loaf pans. Beat the eggs using an electric mixer, add the oil and beat until combined. Beat in sugar one cup at a time and then add vanilla. Sift flour, baking powder, soda and cinnamon together into a bowl.

Add to egg mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in zucchini. Pour the mixture into prepared pans and bake for 30 minutes if using small pans or 50 minutes to 1 hour is using large pans, until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 15 minutes and then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes:

  • This is a beautifully moist loaf that tastes of vanilla and cinnamon, not zucchini! Nan tells me it will keep in the fridge for a month (not in our house)
  • I used a large loaf pan, but had some overflow. Better to use two loaf pans or a square cake tin.
  • If you don’t have vanilla extract, use 3 teaspoons vanilla essence.
  • Nan’s original instructions were, ‘Beat eggs, add oil, then all other ingredients. Cook’. I hope my extra instructions are helpful!

.

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Tomato and chilli mussels with sourdough garlic bread

Tomato and chilli mussels with sourdough garlic bread

Serves:

Ingredients

Garlic bread:

  • 1 sourdough baguette
  • 75g butter, softened
  • 3 cloves garlic

Mussels:

  • 1x 400g can chopped tomatoes
  • 150ml passata
  • 2 tsp horseradish cream
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • juice of one lemon
  • 1 tsp dried chilli flakes, or to taste
  • 1 kg mussels, ready to cook from the bag
  • 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C or 160°C fan forced.

Slice the baguette into 3 cm slices but not all the way through to the other side, so the baguette stays joined together.

Mix the butter and garlic together and spread the mixture evenly on both sides of each bread slice. Wrap tightly in foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, passata, horseradish cream, Worcestershire sauce, celery, garlic, lemon and chilli together in a bowl.

When the garlic bread is almost done, tip the mussels into a large saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Set the heat to medium/high and pour in the tomato mixture. Cover and cook for five minutes or until bubbling and all of the mussels have opened. Discard any that have not opened. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with the warm garlic bread.

Notes:

  • This meal is fun as everyone can help themselves and linger over their plates. If you’d like to bulk the meal out a little then toss through some cooked linguine.
  • It is most important that you discard all of the unopened mussels as these will potentially give you food poisoning.
  • This recipe was created by Sophie Hansen for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Find related seafood recipes

Serving Suggestions

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Friday takeaway hamburgers

Friday takeaway hamburgers

Serves:

 

Ingredients

Rissoles/Patties:

  • 1 large onion, finely diced
  • 1 medium carrot, grated
  • 1 medium zucchini grated
  • 1 clove garlic, minced or finely diced
  • 500g lean beef mince
  • 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
  • 1 tbsp tomato sauce
  • 1 tbsp BBQ sauce
  • 1 egg
  • Small handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • lashings of pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

 

Hamburger

  • 6 soft bread rolls, toasted
  • butter
  • 4 large leaves lettuce, cut into ribbons
  • 2 large tomatoes, sliced
  • fresh sliced cheddar cheese

 

Onions

  • Red or brown onions
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

 

Method

Preheat oven to 150C.

 

In a frying pan, heat a tbsp olive oil, and fry onion, carrot and zucchini.

Cook until soft to eliminate the moistness of the zucchini, add garlic and stir through. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, combine mince, breadcrumbs, sauces, egg, pepper and parsley, combine well and then add the carrot/onion/zucchini mix.

Roll into patties, and fry in batches in a frying pan with the remainder of the olive oil. Transfer patties when cooked to baking tray and warm in oven whilst continuing to cook the rest of the patties.

Set up your ‘making station’ with butter, sauces, pickles, cheese, tomato and lettuce.

Chop onions and when last patties have gone into the oven, start toasting the hamburger buns.

Put the onions on the frying pan, with olive oil. When softened, add balsamic vinegar and toss regularly. When caramellised, turn off heat.

If you like bacon or egg or pineapple with your hamburger, fry them now.

Assemble hamburgers, and serve.

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • I’ve been lucky that I’ve never really had to hide vegetables into my kids’ food but this being a hamburger, I like to inject some extra healthiness into them, whilst making it taste absolutely delicious.
  • The hamburger patties are also good if you have some leftover, on their own cold or even with some tomato onion gravy as rissoles.
  • If you have little ones who don’t like veggies, this hamburger recipe could be your ticket to get some into them.
  • This recipe was created by Melissa Klemke for Kidspot, New Zealands best recipe finder.

Banana choc-chip cookies

Banana choc-chip cookies

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 50g unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup (200g) brown sugar
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 2 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 cups (300g) plain flour
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup (190g) chocolate chips

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat to combine.

In a bowl, mix the mashed bananas and baking soda, set aside for two minutes.

Mix the banana mixture into the butter mixture with a wooden spoon. Mix together the flour and cinnamon and stir into the butter and banana mixture with a wooden spoon until just combined.

Fold in the chocolate chips.

Drop dollops of the mixture on a tray. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Place on wire racks to cool.

Find more delicious biscuit and cookie recipes:

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • You can freeze bananas when ripe and defrost to use for this recipe.
  • You can make a different version of these by using dark chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips.
  • This recipe was created by Alana House for Kidspot, New Zealand's best recipe finder.

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.

Savoury mince

Savoury mince

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 500g beef mince
  • salt
  • 1 sweet potato, diced
  • 1 cup frozen peas and corn
  • garlic salt (optional)
  • pepper
  • 2 cups beef stock

Method

Heat oil in a large pan. Add finely chopped onion and cook until transparent.

Add mince and generous sprinkle of salt.

When mince is browned, add diced sweet potatoes. Stir for a few minutes. Add peas and corn and season with garlic salt and pepper.

Add the beef stock to the pan – this should cover everything.

Cook on low heat with lid on, stirring periodically.

Once the sweet potato is soft, taste and season accordingly.

Notes:

  • This is a crowd pleaser for kids, and I even discovered hubby squeezing the leftovers onto a piece of toast for a snack.
  • Without any strong flavours to put them off, this is a great meal for the fussy eaters in the house.
  • Super-quick, you can have this dinner on the table in no time at all.

Serving Suggestions

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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.

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.

Berry scone wedges

Berry scone wedges

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 60 grams polyunsaturated margarine
  • 80 grams blueberries
  • 2 tablespoons castor sugar
  • 125 grams NESTLE Mulberry Blissfull
  • low-fat milk for glazing

 

Method

Preheat the oven to 210C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl, rub in the margarine with your fingertips.

Stir in the sugar and blueberries.

Add the Blissfull and bring the mixture together with your fingertips.

Turn onto a lightly floured surface, knead lightly until combined.

Place onto the tray, press out to 3cm thick.

Cut into 8 wedges and separate them slightly.

Brush with milk.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Serving Suggestions

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Strawberry banana milkshake

Strawberry banana milkshake

Serves:

 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 scoops vanilla ice cream
  • 4 large fresh strawberries (or 1/2 cup frozen strawberries)
  • 1 large banana, chopped

Method

A refreshing and simple treat on a warm day!

Blend together for one minute.

Serve in tall milkshake glasses. Garnish with strawberries if desired.

 

Find more:

Serving Suggestions

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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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Mini hot dogs

Mini hot dogs

Serves:

 

Ingredients

  • 6 bake-at-home mini rolls
  • 6 skinless cocktail frankfurters
  • half a cup grated cheese
  • tomato sauce, to serve

Method

  • Preheat oven to 220C.
  • Place frankfurters in a saucepan of water, simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile place rolls on a tray and bake in the oven for 5 minutes until starting to turn golden brown.
  • Split rolls in half, fill with some cheese and push in a frankfurter.
  • Repeat with remaining rolls and dogs.
  • Serve on a large plate with tomato sauce.

Notes:

  • I think cocktail frankfurters in general are foul and disgusting, but the kids seem to like them
  • This makes a nice change from serving them in a bowl in the centre of the table (in a pool of cold water!)
  • Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.

Serving Suggestions

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Quick muffins

Quick muffins

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 2 cups self raising flour
  • 1 cup caster sugar
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon custard powder
  • 3/4 cup milk

Method

Mix all together.

Add whatever you like to your muffin mix, choc bits, sultanas, bananas, raspberries

Bake in a moderate oven until done.

Serving Suggestions

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Snakes In blankets

Snakes In blankets

Serves:

 

Ingredients

  • 8 sausages
  • 8 slices bread, crusts removed
  • 8 toothpicks

Method

Heat a non-stick frypan over medium heat. Cook sausages until done, about 10 minutes (always seems so much longer).

Turn a slice of bread so it is in a diamond shape, put the sausage at the base of the diamond and roll up.

Secure with toothpick. Serve with your favourite sauce.

Notes:

  • More of an idea than a recipe! Another of my attempts to get my children to eat something resembling meat.
  • I buy some great lamb, honey and rosemary sausages from our butcher – no gristle and slightly sweet – my kids (almost) love them!
  • Our sausages were way too big for the bread, so I cut them in half.
  • You may need more bread if everyone wants them presented like this.
  • If your kids are into gore – try splitting the cooked sausage, stuffing with grated carrot, cheese or diced tomato before you roll up – snake guts!
  • For the adults, sauté some onion rings in olive oil and serve with a salad. We had leftover Tomato pie with our sausages.
  • Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.

Serving Suggestions

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Bacon and egg cups

Bacon and egg cups

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 12 slices wholemeal bread
  • 12 rashers middle bacon, rind removed
  • 12 eggs
  • cooking spray

Method

Using a scone cutter, cut out 12 rounds of bread. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and place the bread rounds in the bottom of each cup.

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced.

Remove the eye (big round piece) from each rasher of bacon and place back in the fridge to use for another recipe. Spray a frying pan with cooking spray and lightly fry the bacon rashers on each side until just cooked.

Place one rasher inside each muffin cup, lining the edge of the cup and just inside the bread.

Crack one egg into each cup so it is sitting on top of the bread and inside the bacon.

Place the tray in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the eggs are set.

Remove and serve immediately.

Notes

  • You can add some shredded cheese on the top of each egg or just a little salt and pepper.
  • You can use the leftover bacon for these egg and bacon muffins or even for a Simple fettucine carbonara.

Find more egg recipes

This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Serving Suggestions

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Hoisin chicken lettuce cups

Hoisin chicken lettuce cups

Serves:

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 shallots
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 2cm piece ginger, grated
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 medium zucchinis, diced
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • 2 cups cooked barbecue chicken, diced
  • 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 iceberg lettuce
  • coriander, to serve

Method

Step 1. Heat oil in a wok or large frypan. Slice white part of shallots, reserving green parts. Add shallots, garlic and ginger to wok and cook over gentle heat for 1 minute. Add carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Add zucchini and peas and cook for a further minute.

Step 2. Add chicken, sauces and sesame oil and cook for 2 minutes.

Step 3. Remove core from lettuce with a sharp knife. Gently pull apart lettuce leaves and trim with kitchen scissors. Chill until needed.

Step 4. Fill lettuce cups with chicken mixture. Top each cup with some coriander and finely sliced shallot greens.

Hoisin Lettuce cups
Notes

  • You can use whatever vegetables you prefer – capsicum, spinach and mushrooms would all be lovely.
  • Washed and well-dried butter or gem lettuce would also be suitable.
  • You could use this mixture cooled and wrapped in rice paper rolls.
  • Barbecue chicken is so convenient and you could also use it in this delicious Asian chicken noodles recipe. The flavours are similar.
  • This BBQ chicken and rice salad is great picnic food for the family and packs well in a cooler bag.
  • If you need to get a quick dinner in the oven then this BBQ chicken pasta bake will cut your cooking time in half.
  • Have you ever done the shopping and got all of the groceries home only to find that you are too tired to cook? Well this BBQ chicken salad for the exhausted shopper is the perfect recipe for you.
  • Have you ever had a sick family member and needed chicken soup in a hurry? Try Katie's chicken soup recipe recipe. It's maximum impact with minimal effort.
  • You can also use a barbecue chicken in Chicken BLTs,  Chicken parcels and Chicken pasta salad. Just bring it home in the bag and strip all the lovely moist chicken meat off for a super-fast kitchen shortcut.
  • This recipe was created for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder by Greer Worsley, who blogs at Typically Red.

Serving Suggestions

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Roasted baby tomato and olive ricotta tarts

These roasted baby tomato and olive ricotta tarts are the perfect summer lunch or picnic basket filler. Serve them up with a green salad and crunchy bread.

Makes 6

Ingredients

  • 3 sheets frozen shortcrust pastry, partially thawed
  • 400g tomato medley mix (see notes)
  • 400g fresh ricotta (see notes)
  • 1/2 cup (125ml) thickened cream
  • 3/4 cup pitted green olives, quartered lengthways
  • 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon thyme leaves
  • 1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
  • 20g baby rocket
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Place a baking tray on the top shelf in oven. Grease six 3cm-deep, 9cm-round (base) and 11cm (top) loose-based fluted flan tins.

Cut each sheet of pastry in half, diagonally. Line tins with a piece of pastry. Trim edges. Prick bases with a fork. Line pastry with baking paper. Fill with ceramic pie weights or uncooked rice. Place tins on hot baking tray in oven.

Place tomatoes on separate baking paper-lined baking tray. Place on bottom shelf in oven. Bake pastry cases and tomatoes for 10 minutes.

Remove weights or rice and paper. Bake pastry cases and tomato for  5 to 8 minutes or until pastry is golden and cooked and tomato skins have split but not collapsed. Remove from oven. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, combine ricotta and cream in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and add olives, parsley and thyme. Fold together until just combined.

Carefully remove pastry cases from tins and place on serving plates. Spoon ricotta filling into pastry cases. Top with tomatoes, sprinkle with lemon rind and season with salt and pepper.

Toss rocket, lemon juice and oil in a bowl. Arrange on top of tarts. Serve immediately.

Find more picnic quiche recipes

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • If the pastry bubbles up in places you can just weigh it down with something heavy when it comes out of the oven.
  • Recipes Tracey Meharg Photography Guy Bailey

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

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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

Note

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