Baking with kids

Today we decided to make gingerbread men which was a good idea as I already had everything in the cupboard.

The kids thought it was fantastic and were both very excited to help.

Eating them afterwards was the best part x

Choc Caramel Peanut Butter Cookies

This recipe was origionally named "Flourless peanut butter and choc chip cookies"

I wanted Rolo chocolate for the caramel which turned our amazing. I found that when i made the recipe it was very sticky so i added 1/3 cup of GF SR flour. You could use normal wheat flour.

My kids and i devoured these while uncooked, cooked and in between!
I scraped up all the melted caramel that poured out onto the tray... it was amazing!!

• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup milk choc chips or chopped Rolo chocolates
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp bi carb soda
• 1/3 cup flour (check if it needs it before adding.)
• 1/2 cup crushed nuts (optional. I added these.)

Preheat oven 200c
Lightly grease a tray or line with baking paper
Mix all ingredients in a bowl
Roll heaped spoonfulls of mix into balls and place on tray 3cm apart.
Press down on each ball slightly before cooking
Bake 8-10 mins - do not over cook.
Cool on tray - resist the urge to eat them soft... i didnt. Couldnt help myself!!

Grain & Gluten Free Carrot & Pineapple cake

Gluten Free. Never thought id be baking this way.

Someone suggested that i post some 'gluten-free goodies' on my blog once. I politely assured them i would but i was lying at the time. Sigh.

I have been on a gluten and grain free diet with my son just shy of 2 weeks and we have never felt so amazing! What took us so long? Were we mental eating the amount of wheat that we did?

My son is now a regular (literally!) kid and was free from his terrible symptoms instantly. You can read the full story here: http://myautoimmunefamily.blogspot.com.au/

This is my first attempt at gluten free baking and i must say i was very surprised and pleased at just how easy it was and how good it tasted! When faced with such restrictions i thought my baking would all go out the window but i have already figured out ways to change my regular goodies in to gluten free!

• 2 cups grated carrot. (about 3 carrots)
• 440g tin of crushed pineapple, drained.
• 2 cups of grain free flour (1 cup almond meal, 1/2 cup quinoa, 1/2 cup potato starch) (if you are not going grain free you can use commercial gluten free flour already mixed.)
• 1 tsp cream of tarter
• 1 1/2 tsp bicarb (have to use lots in this recipe!)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cup of brown sugar (caster sugar is fine)
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 200ml oil
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 180c
2. Put everything in to a mixing bowl except flours
3. Whisk the flours and bicarb etc together over the top and mix in
4. This mixture makes a lot, grease a cake pan well and line muffin trays for the remainder of the mix
5. Cook muffins 30 mins and cake 1 hour.
6. Check they are cooked with a skewer test.
7. Once cooled, ice with cream cheese icing :)

Cake and heart shaped muffins x

Cake pops!

I am no baker, nor am i a photographer. This blog post proves just that!

This is my second attempt at cake pops (first lot went in the bin.)

They look totally ridiculous..... I was drinking pink champagne the whole time.

But they were HARD. I'm not going to lie.

They were damn EASY to eat though! Not sure if i will attempt these again.

These particular cake pops are not actually cake. They are cookies and cream. Oreo cookies crushed with cream cheese to be exact. I decided to try them again after a friend of mine made super amazing ones that we had for Jasmine's birthday. I failed. But they were YUMMY!!

Traditional cake pops are cake crumbs mixed with frosting. You can also make any type of truffle and stick them on a lolly pop i guess.

Here goes.... GOOD LUCK!

• 300g Oreos. (I used 3x single packets)
• 150g Cream cheese at room temperature. (I added bits slowly, you don't need it all and the mixture cant be too wet.)
• 1x pack chocolate melts. Milk or white. White looks good too!
• Lolly pop sticks. (I got mine of Ebay)

1. Crush oreos in a food processor. (Bahahahaaha oh i wish i had one!!)
2. Add cream cheese chunks at a time and process until the mixture comes together. (I smooshed it all around with a spoon.)
3. Roll into small balls - Approx 1 tbsp worth.
4. Melt a little of the chocolate and dip the end of the stick in to coat, then stick into the balls.
5. Put them in the fridge or freezer to firm.

6. Melt the remainder of the chocolate, make sure it is completely smooth. Holding the stick, dip the balls into the melted chocolate. Double coat them if you have to.  Tap the ball on the edge of the bowl to let the excess chocolate drip off and place into something to dry (I used an upside down colander)

7. Dip the pops in sprinkles or after they are dry decorate them with cachous, butterflied etc using the chocolate as glue.

8. Place back in the fridge to set and then EAT THEM!!!

Google image them for decorating ideas.

WARNING:
Do not consume champagne while attempting this recipe.

ANZAC Biscuits

Anzac biscuits are dated back to World War 1 and were as hard as rocks. Before being named Anzac biscuits, they were called soldiers biscuits. They were adapted by wives and mothers back home in an attempt to give them more nutrients using the oats. The sugar, flour, golden syrup, butter and bi-carb soda were added because they would be able to withstand the long journey via ship to reach the troops. Some soldiers used to grind them up and eat them like a sort of porridge.

This is a traditional recipe that i have been making for years and it has never fail on me. They have a wonderful taste and last a long time (if you hide them!)

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 tbsp golden syrup (i always add more)
• 1 tbps water
• 1/2 tsp bi-carb soda

1. Combine oats, flour, sugar and coconut in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Combine butter, golden syrup and water in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until melted.
3. Stir in soda. (mixture will foam)
4. Stir mixture into dry ingredients
5. Create small balls of mixture and place on lined baking trays 5cm apart
6. Bake in mod/slow oven 15-20 mins.

* I always need extra wet mixture and always add extra golden syrup!

* Biscuits will be soft when taking them out of the oven. Don't over cook them, they will harden as they cool.

*This mixture will produce chewy biscuits (yum) unless overcooked. 

Chocolate Peanut Brownies

Do you love Peanut m&m's? Snickers? Chocolate?

Same.

You get a whole peanut m&m in each bite of this amazing brownie.

A friend i used to work with 10 years ago gave me this recipe recently. I think that we met 10 years ago just so that, 10 years later she could give it to me!! She warned me it was addictive and lo and behold i was eating it for breakfast.

• 125 gm butter, melted
• 1 tin of condensed milk
• 1 cup SR flour sifted (i never sift :( )
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1/2 cup coconut ( optional - i didn't put it in.)
• 1 king size snickers cut into small pieces
• 1 family size packet of peanut m&m's, kept whole.

1. Mix everything together together except the m&m's and snickers.
2. Pour into a lined baking tray - it will rise
3. Sprinkle with cut pieces of snickers and push m&m's into the mixture until the packet is empty. (I ate quite a few....)
4. Crushed nuts can be sprinkled on the top  for an extra peanutty taste
5. Bake 30 mins at 180
6. Don't remove from the tray until completely cooled or it will fall apart.

I made it at night and cut it in the morning. Yes, it made a fantastic breakfast!

Just try stopping at one!!!

 

Apricot and Coconut Slice

This slice was also made for a work morning tea and it was another favourite. I have to admit, i ate more of this then the amazing Anzac Slice that i love so much.

Another no bake slice because i am lazy. These are just so simple and effective and when you have 2 kids and work full time, you just don't have time much time to create whizzbang recipes. These taste just as good anyway.

• 250g pain sweet biscuits, crushed
• 1 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1 1/2 cups desiccated coconut
• 1 can condensed milk
• 125g butter
• 1 1/4 cups chocolate milk melts, melted.

1. Line a tray/container with baking paper
2. Combine biscuits, apricots and coconut in a mixing bowl
3. Melt condensed milk and butter together in a saucepan
4. Stir in to dry ingredients
5. Press mixture in prepared tray
6. Pour over melted chocolate, allow to set and cut into squares. :)

Cherry Ripe Slice

I made this slice for a morning tea at work and everyone loved it! Its a really easy version and does not require cooking at all!

I didn't tell anyone what was in it....

• Red/pink food colouring
• 1 can of condensed milk
• 125g melted copha
• 250g milk coffee biscuits, crushed
• 200g glace cherries, chopped
• 175g desiccated coconut
• 250g dark chocolate

Colour the condensed milk dark pink (this is fun!). Combine with the melted copha and mix with the crushed biscuits, cherries and coconut.

It is that easy.

Press into a lined baking tray/container and refrigerate. When set, pour melted dark chocolate over the top. You can sprinkle coconut and chopped cherries over the top but i had run out.

Place back in the fridge and cut when set.

Place in a container labeled 'stewed plums' so your kids don't find it!