In the northern hemisphere chilly nights and dimming days call for their own special kind of comfort food. The classic Bonfire is a seasonal treat that we all look forward to. Here are a few inspired culinary traditions to make it extra special.
This cake goes down a real treat with chocolate-loving little valentines. Easy to make which means little fingers can be part of the stirring and pouring. In our family it’s sometimes called “chocolate pancake” because the mix itself is so yummy there’s often not more than enough to make a pancake when it’s time to go in the oven!
Ingredients
100g butter
2 eggs
220g granulated sugar
0,5-1 tsp vanilla essence
3 tbsp cocoa
200g plain flour
Tools:
Since it’s Valentine’s Day we use a silicone heart-shaped oven cake tin, but normally we would use a round cake tin with removable edge.
Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven at 175°C.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan or in the microwave oven at about 400W, then leave to cool.
3. Stir by hand or use an electric whisk on low speed to mix the eggs and sugar until fluffy.
4. Add vanilla essence and coca. Keep whisking on low speed unless you are stirring manually.
5. Add the flour.
6. Add the melted butter and blend carefully until combined.
7. Pour the mix into the greased cake tin and bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes. If you wish a slightly muddier consistency take the cake out earlier.
Leave to cool until serving, then sprinkle with icing sugar and berries, or any other decoration you fancy. Serve with a bit of whipped cream or ice-cream if you want otherwise it’s perfectly good on its own. Especially if there’s only a thin “pancake” left.
Enjoy!
Words and Images by Linnea
One of our favourite mummy cooking blogs is Cooking with My Kid, which follows blogging mum Rebecca and her son as they get stuck in cooking meals and treats together.
We knew, when it comes to back to school lunches, Rebecca would have some creative ideas, so, directly from her blog, we bring you her Pasta Primavera Lunch, with all the fun components of ‘lunchables’ but without all the salt and processed-ness.
Rebecca says when she makes pasta for dinner she always throws some extra in the pot. After it is drained, she drizzles a little bit of olive oil on it and puts it in the fridge. The next day, she adds chopped veggies and cheese to the container tells her budding chef that it is up to him to put it all together at school (fun, fun, fun for little ones!)
Build Your Own Pasta Primavera Lunch
1 1/2 cups cooked whole wheat pasta
drizzle of olive oil
chopped veggies (your choice)
diced cheese (your choice)
Rebecca is currently doing a giveaway with Easy Lunchbox as well, so if you are looking for some great lunch worthy Tupperware (as pictured above) make sure you enter!
Thank you to Rebecca from cookingwithmykid.com for the clever lunchbox idea!
Whenever I make For those of you who asked, here’s where you can get these cool lunch containers: Easy Lunchboxes.
To go along with our other Picnic Posts today, we thought we ought to give you some great things to pack the basket with for you and the kids.
Using mummy blogger Rebecca’s fun kid friendly recipes from www.cookingwithmykid.com, we created a fun family meal plan for your picnic in the park.
All of the recipes are easy and won’t consume a lot of your time, plus the kids can help out. Bake the night before and leave the rest for the morning creating a fun prelude to the picnic itself.
FRUIT SNACK: Festive Watermelon Stars
Fruit in kid friendly shape is sure to get the kids excited, plus nothing says summer like fresh juicy watermelon.
Rebecca suggests using baby seedless watermelon for its sweeter taste and using the left over watermelon chunks later in a fruit salad or with dinner.
What You Will Need
Seedless watermelon
Star shape cookie cutter
What To Do
1. Slice watermelon into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick slices.
2. Lay flat and cut out star shapes.
REFRESHING DRINK: Fresh Strawberry Lemonade
Instead of pop or juice, making a fresh, fruit filled drink is a sure way to keep your little ones hydrated during a day in the sun. Pour the drink into a family sized thermos and it is sure to stay cool all day!
What You Will Need
1 1/2 cup strawberries (hulled + halved)
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 1/2 cups fresh water
juice of 2 large lemons
extra strawberries for garnish
What To Do
1. Blend strawberries, lemon juice and agave on high until quite smooth.
2. Pour into a pitcher and add water.
3. Whisk to combine and refrigerate until well chilled.
APPETIZING APPETIZER: Cheesy Corn on a Stick
Corn rolled in butter and cheese, quick fun and easy at its finest.
What You Need
4 ears of yellow corn (shucked)
2 to 3 tablespoons melted butter (or olive oil)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
cayenne
8 bamboo skewers (pre-soaked in water for 1 hour)
What To Do
1. Break each ear of corn in half.
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil and boil corn for 5 minutes or until tender.
3. Drain corn and insert 1 bamboo skewer into each piece of corn.
4. Grill corn over medium-high heat until toasty.
5. Pour melted butter or olive oil on a small plate.
6. Pour parmesan on another small plate.
7. Remove corn one by one from the grill and roll each stick in melted butter and then in parmesan.
8. Serve with cayenne and invite guests to sprinkle to taste. Makes 8 sticks of corn
YUMMY LUNCH: Goat Cheese & Fig Finger Sandwiches
Egg and cress is fine and dandy, but why not expand your children’s pallet a bit? These quick and easy sandwiches are fun to make and the heart shape makes them the perfect size for little nibblers.
What You Will Need
cinnamon raisin swirl bread
goat cheese
fig spread
cookie cutter
What To Do
1. Spread a layer of goat cheese on one piece of cinnamon raisin swirl bread.
2. Add a teaspoon of fig spread on top of the goat cheese.
3 Spread and top with another piece of bread.
4. Cut out a heart shape and repeat
FOR DESSERT: Blueberry Cobbler Bars
So far we’ve got strawberry, watermelon and lemon too, but one more fruity treat can’t hurt and with the lovely blueberry in season, your little ones are sure to snack while they bake.
What You Will Need
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup oat flour (you can make this by pulsing rolled oats into a food processor or coffee grinder until finely ground; 1 cup of oats makes 3/4 cup oat flour)
1/4 cup almond flour / meal
1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice
2 oz butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar (different from the one above)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
What To Do
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grease a square baking pan. In a medium bowl, stir together 1/4 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, flours, and baking powder.
3. Mix in salt and apple pie spice.
4. Use a fork to mix in the butter, oil and egg. Dough will be sticky but will not all hold together – just make sure the butter is evenly distributed and mostly mashed in.
5. Pat a little over half of dough into the prepared pan to form the crust. Use your fingers to make sure all the spots are covered.
6. In another bowl, stir together the sugar and cornstarch. Mix with the blueberries to coat. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust.
7. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.
8. Cook for 45 minutes or until slightly brown. Let cool completely before cutting into squares. Makes about 16 squares.
Thank you to Rebecca from www.cookingwithmykid.com for all the great recipes. Let us know if you give any of these a try and how your kids liked them. And, if you have any great kids recipes you want to share, send them to us at [email protected]
Popsicles are an ideal treat for kids and parents on hot summer days (of which we hope to have many).
They are an even better treat if you bypass the supermarket brands full of high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavours, preservative, and/or sweeteners’ and make your own.
Making popsicles from scratch can be a fun project for you and the kids and ensures that your children are eating things that are good for them!
Let your kids get creative by combining their favourite fruits or juices in the blender or for a quicker fix, use your favourite flavour of Innocent Smoothie
Ingredients
2 cups of your favourite fresh fruit yogurt
1 pot of whole milk based yogurt
(choose an organic yogurt in whatever flavour you like, we recommend Vanilla).
Instructions
1. Wash the fruit
2. Place them in a food processer/blender and blend
3. Strain the blended sauce through a sieve
4. Pour the strained sauce into your Popsicle maker or in a tall glass
5. Freeze the fruit Popsicle
6. When the popsicles are frozen solid, remove them from their holders and fill another glass with yogurt
7. Dip the popsicles into the yogurt
8. Lay them on a tray covered with parchment paper
9. Place the tray in the freezer until the popsicles are frozen
10. Serve in a bowl with ice cubes
Let us know what yummy combinations you and the kids come up with and send us some pictures of you and your little ones enjoying your frozen creations!
