My boys LOVE being in the kitchen mixing, pouring, measuring, spreading and the all important bowl licking! Long may this passion last…I dream of amazing dinners, scrumptious treats and “edible” breakfasts-in-bed all presented by my well-mannered, charmingly witty sons….I guess I have my work cut out for me then!!!
As a simple start (and these would make great Grandparents Day Gifts – 6 September), here are some oh so yummy, oh so easy recipes that have very few ingredients and taste amazing…
*Nutella Brownies*
- Mix 1 cup Nutella, 2 eggs and 10 tbsp all-purpose flour together until uniformly combined.
- Pour into your pan of choice, and bake at 350F for about 30 minutes (shorten the time if you’re using a muffin/cupcake tin.) As with all brownies, err on the side of underdone! Take them out once the center seems set.
*Sprite Scones*
- Mix 500g self-raising flour, 1 can Sprite (340ml) and 250 ml cream together well.
- Scoop into deep muffin pans; only ½ to¾ full.
- Bake at 180 degrees C for 20-25min.
*Puff Pastry Marmite and Cheese Swirls*
- Roll out puff pastry
- Spread the Marmite (or peanut butter or pesto) on the pastry, leaving a 1cm border. Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg and sprinkle cheese over Marmite.
- Roll up the pastry like a Swiss roll, starting from the long edge. Roll it quite tightly. Brush the outside of the pastry with beaten egg. Cut roll into thick slices and place on baking sheet.
- Cook for 12-15 minutes (220°C) until pastry rises and is golden.
*Banana Peanut butter chocolate bites*
- Slice ripe bananas, spread peanut butter on the slices and sandwich together. Freeze the slices until firm.
- Microwave 1 cup of chocolate chips (semi-sweet, milk, white – your choice) and 1 teaspoon of oil (canola or vegetable) for 30 seconds, stir, and repeat until chips are almost completed melted (about 3 intervals).
- Remove banana slices from the freezer and using a long pronged fork or stick (e.g. marshmallow roaster), dip the slices into the melted chocolate. Remove the excess chocolate and allow to cool on the fork/stick before setting on waxed paper. Or make banana choc pops and leave the sticks in! Store these tasty bites in the freezer.
*Some tips for baking with little chefs:*
- Make sure they are at the right height and stable (sitting at a counter, standing on a sturdy step, standing/sitting at a children’s table, sitting on a clean floor or even sitting in the middle of the counter)
- Give them a “really important” job so that they feel needed and an integral part of the baking process (count the eggs, pour in the flour, stir the mixture, taste the chocolate chips)
- Resign yourself to the fact that there will be a mess! It’s part of becoming a great chef so plan for it to be part of the process (have extra eggs on hand, remove any important papers or cell phones from the immediate vicinity, and enlist your Groovy chef’s help to clean up at the end)
- Encourage them to get their hands dirty so that they can get the full sensory experience (roll up their sleeves, dig in with your hands, and remind them they can only lick their fingers at the end of mixing!)
- The end result is not going to be entered into a baking contest, well probably not, so let them be creative and let each biscuit, slice, bite, swirl etc. be as unique and special as the chef is!
- The golden rule: HAVE FUN!!!!
Happy Groovy baking!
