Fruit Kebabs

Fruit seems so much more fun on a stick..

 
 

Perfect Pancakes

A slow saturday morning at home is the perfect time for pancakes/pikelets.

My favourite recipe works perfectly every-time (from David Herbert's The Perfect Cookbook).

For Piklets I just substitute plain flour for Self-Raising Flour, or add baking soda to the flour.

1 Cup of (all-purpose) Flour 
Pinch of salt
2 Eggs (free-range of course), lightly beaten
1 Cup of Milk
30 g of Butter, melted

Sift the flour and pinch of salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre

In Separate bowl, combine the beaten eggs, milk and melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until a smooth batter forms.

Grease a small non-stick frying pan and preheat over moderate heat for 1 minute.

Ladle the batter into the pan and cook for about 1 minute, or until bubbles appear on the pancake and the underside is golden. Using a spatula, flip the pancake and cook for a further 45-60 seconds before turning out.

Simple home made bread

This Recipe is from a lovely Waldorf inspired book called 'Heaven on Earth', by Sharifa Oppenheimer. The children helped knead and shape the bread dough into letters, shapes and animals.

Foolproof No-Rise Bread Recipe


Dissolve in 1 cup boiling water:
4 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup honey


Stir until cool 


In a separate bowl, dissolve in 1.5 cups lukewarm water:


2 Tbsp dry baker's yeast

Add to honey-butter and stir.


Add, 1 cup at a time:


6-7 cups whole wheat pastry flour.
Knead on floured board.
Shape into rolls, bunnies, bread baskets, braids etc.


Bake at 350 F, 40-45 mins (depending on oven). Tap on top to test- a hollow sound means it's done.

snake pizza

I was inspired by this snake pizza recipe by Annabel Karmel for tonight's dinner. Finn loved making the dough, watching it rise in the sun, and shaping it into balls to form the snake.  

Gingerbread biscuts

We spent a rainy afternoon baking together. This recipe is fool proof and delicious from my favourite recipe book by David Herbert.

I love cooking with children, it opens so many literacy and numeracy learning opportunities for them.

Gingerbread Biscuits

(Makes 24-30, depending on size of cutters)

Ingredients

• 125 g unsalted butter, chopped
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1/4 cup of SR flour
• 1/4 cup golden syrup
• 1/3 cup brown sugar 
• 1 tbs ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp mixed spice
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tbs bicarbonate soda

Method

1. Place the butter, golden syrup and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
   
   
2. Sift both flours, the bicarb of soda, the spices and a pinch of salt into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Pour in the melted butter and the beaten egg and mix well
   
   
3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap and put in fridge for 30 mins.
   
   
4. Preheat oven to 170 degrees c. Line two oven trays with baking paper.
   
   
5. Roll out dough between two sheets of baking paper the thickness of 5mm. Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter and bake for 8-10 mins or until firm and golden brown. Allow to cool on wire rack.