These bonfire cupcakes have a rich chocolate sponge and are topped with orange buttercream and Matchmakers chocolate sticks. 

We’ve given our classic cupcake recipe a Guy Fawkes night makeover with adorable mini campfire decorations. This simple but effective decoration will be a big hit with kids and adults but don’t worry if you can’t find Matchmakers chocolates, we have some clever ingredient substitution ideas.  

Ingredients

• 150g unsalted butter, softened
• 150g caster sugar
• 175g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 25g cocoa powder
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tbsp milk
• Grated zest from one orange
• 1 box of chocolate orange Matchmakers

For the buttercream:

• 110g unsalted butter, softened
• 440g icing sugar
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
• Red and orange food colouring

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan, Gas 4). Put 12 muffin-sized paper cases into a muffin tin.
2. Add the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, eggs, milk and orange zest into a large bowl and whisk with an electric hand whisk until combined.
3. Spoon the mixture into the cases, filling them about halfway, and bake for 20-25 minutes. Once cooked, leave in the tin to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, make the buttercream. Put the softened butter into a mixing bowl and give it a whisk to break it up and soften it even further. Weigh the icing sugar into another bowl. Start by sifting just a small amount of icing sugar into the mixing bowl to join the butter; the equivalent of about 2tbsp. Whisk the icing sugar into the butter. Carry on adding the icing sugar in stages and whisking after each addition. This prevents it from spraying out of the bowl and covering you and your kitchen in icing sugar!
5. Once all the icing sugar has been incorporated into the butter, pour in the orange juice. Add it slowly as you may need a little more or less to bring the buttercream together.
6. To colour the buttercream take a cocktail stick and dip it into the red food colouring. Use it to draw a line down the inside of a piping bag. Then do the same with the orange food colouring, but draw the line down the other side of the piping bag. Add the buttercream to your piping bag fitted with a star nozzle.
7. Pipe the buttercream on top of the cupcakes then carefully break the Matchmakers in half and place them around the ‘flame’.

Top tips for making bonfire cupcakes

It's that time of year, when kids are wondering who is Guy Fawkes and you're wondering how to make a cupcakes more seasonal and fun. Our bonfire cupcakes are your answer, and for a more intense coloured ‘flame’, divide the buttercream between the two bowls and colour one orange and the other red. Fill the piping bag with alternate teaspoonfuls of each buttercream then pipe onto the cupcakes and finish with chocolate Matchmakers. If you’d like more tips and tricks to make these cupcakes, continue reading below.

This recipe uses an all-in-one method but it’s important to combine the ingredients quickly. The best way to do this is by using an electric hand mixer. 

You could make our chocolate cupcake recipe and top with the campfire decorations if you like. Alternatively, our mini cupcakes are a great option for parties and these rainbow cupcakes always go down well with kids. 

Kids will love creating these Halloween marshmallows - they can be ready in as little as half an hour or you can spin it out into an afternoon's fun.

Those searching for Halloween food ideas need look no further than these spookily sweet Halloween marshmallows. We've taken the classic marshmallow pops and given them a twist, turning them into creepy characters like Frankenstein, a mummy, a pumpkin and a ghost - which are sure to stand out in your Halloween feast. These are perfect for making with kids in the kitchen as no cooking is needed. With our recipe making 16 cake pops and taking around 30 mins to prepare and decorate.

Ingredients

• 16 large marshmallows, to make 4 of each Halloween pop
• 16 lollipop sticks
• 75g white cooking chocolate (15g for ghosts, 30g each for pumpkins and mummies), chopped

For Frankenstein pops:

• 40g green candy melts
• 10g vermicelli sprinkles
• 2 or 3 pretzels
• black writing icing

For ghost pops:

• 85g white fondant
• 16 chocolate chips, for eyes

For pumpkin pops:

• 35g orange sprinkles
• black writing icing

For mummy pops:

• 35g white fondant
• 16 chocolate chips, for eyes

Method

1. Insert the lollipop sticks into each marshmallow. Your child can happily do this task while you melt the white chocolate, either in a microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between until melted, or in a bowl over a pan of simmering water.
2. Melt the green candy melts in this way in a separate bowl. They will harden very quickly, so make the Frankenstein pops straight away.
3. To make the Frankenstein marshmallow pops: Pour the vermicelli sprinkles onto a plate. The vermicelli will be Frankenstein's hair.Carefully break up your pretzels. Try to get a few short pieces, as they will be the bolts in poor Frankenstein's neck!Your child can dip 4 marshmallows into the melted green candy, but make each Frankenstein one at a time as the candy will set very quickly. Make sure the marshmallow’s top and sides are completely covered. Tap the lollipop stick gently on the side of the bowl a few times to allow the excess candy melts to fall back into the bowl.Dip the top of the marshmallow in the vermicelli. Attach the pretzel bolts by gently pushing into the sides of the marshmallow. Use the black writing icing to add eyes and a stitched up mouth.Leave to set, preferably standing in florist’s foam or in a mug.
4. To make the ghost marshmallow pops:Use a rolling pin to roll out the fondant to about 1mm thick. To avoid a cloud of icing sugar, roll fondant between two sheets of greaseproof paper or cling film. Your little helper can now use a 2 ½ or 3 inch round cutter to cut out 4 circles of fondant.Ask your child to dip the top of each marshmallow into the melted white chocolate.Carefully drape a circle of fondant over each marshmallow and adjust to resemble a ghost.Your child can finish the ghosts by adding chocolate chips for the eyes. Use a little more melted white chocolate as glue.Leave to set, preferably standing in florist’s foam or in a mug.
5. To make pumpkin marshmallow pops:Pour the orange sprinkles into a plate.Your helper can submerge each marshmallow into the melted white chocolate. Gently tap the lollipop stick on the edge of the bowl so that any excess chocolate can fall back into the bowl.Now your child can roll the chocolatey marshmallow through the orange sprinkles, making sure that the marshmallows are completely covered in sprinkles.Use black writing icing to add triangle-shaped eyes and mouth to the pumpkin pops.
6. To make mummy marshmallow pops:Ask your helper if they can use a rolling a pin to roll out the white fondant to 1mm thick. You can then take over to slice the fondant carefully into thin strips with either a pizza slicer or a sharp knife.Your child can now move onto dipping the marshmallows into the white chocolate. Make sure that the tops and sides of the marshmallows are completely covered. Wrap the strips of fondant around the chocolaty marshmallows in all directions; they are not meant to be perfect!Lay them on a piece of greaseproof paper to set. 

Top tips for making Halloween marshmallows:

You could wrap your decorated marshmallows up and sell them at a Halloween bake sale or give out as party favours at the party.

How long do Halloween marshmallows last?

Halloween marshmallows do not keep very long. They will continue to look great, but the marshmallows will harden and go stale in in a couple of days, so it's best to make these no more than a day or two in advance of when you want to eat them.

How do I display my Halloween marshmallows?

Marshmallow pops are easier to display than cake pops as they are a lot lighter, so they don't fall over as much. Professionally made one are usually displayed by inserting the stick into a styrofoam block. If you don't have one of these, you can use a cardboard or paper box, with holes poked in the top using a metal skewer.

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Our ghost biscuits are far from ghoulish and are ready to eat in around half an hour.

These Halloween cookies are an easy spooky season bake - perfect for whipping up when you're short on time. Our recipe gives you eight tasty biscuits in just 32 minutes. And kids are sure to love the decorating step: giving these ghosts some delicious chocolate chips for eyes. Pop into their lunchbox for a fun October afternoon treat or bring a plate to a Halloween party. These also make a great alternative to sweets when dishing out goods for trick-or-treating.

Ingredients

• 90g unsalted butter, softened
• 100g caster sugar
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 200g plain flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 100g white chocolate, chopped
• 60 chocolate chips (approximately)

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. Ask your helper to grease the baking tray with a little butter or to line with a piece of greaseproof paper.
2. The first part of this recipe is to make the biscuits, so grab a mixing bowl and weigh in the sugar and butter. The butter needs to be lovely and soft as it will make it easier for your child to mix.
3. Use either a wooden spoon or electric whisk to cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. It will take longer with a wooden spoon but my little boy is suspicious of my noisy mixer. Choose whichever is easier for you and your child!
4. Once the butter and sugar mixture is suitably light and fluffy, add in the beaten egg. Carry on mixing until all the ingredients are combined.
5. Now weigh the flour and baking powder into your mixing bowl. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to carefully mix the flour into the butter and egg mixture. It is a fairly firm mixture, so you may need to lend a helping hand.
6. Flatten the dough with your hands, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for around 1 hour.
7. Once the time is up, take the dough from the fridge, unwrap the cling film and use a rolling pin to roll it out on a floured worktop. The dough should be the thickness of a pound coin, about 3mm.
8. You can use a cutter to cut out your biscuits but I just cut them by eye, using a table knife. This may be why some of our ghost biscuits are short and fat while others are on the tall and thin side.
9. Place the shaped biscuit dough on to your lightly greased baking trays and cook in the oven for between 8 to 12 minutes. The biscuits should be pale – you don't want a 'sunburnt' ghost.
10. Once the biscuits are cooked leave them on a wire rack to cool. They will be cold in less than half an hour and ready to decorate.
11. Place the white chocolate in a small microwaveable bowl and melt in the microwave, using short sharp blasts of heat, stirring in between.
12. When the biscuits and white chocolate are cool, your child can have great fun decorating. They can either dip the biscuits into the chocolate or spoon the chocolate over the biscuit.
13. Place the ghost biscuits onto a piece of greaseproof paper. Your little helper can now add the chocolate chips for the eyes. Leave your wonderful spooky ghosts to set.

Top tips for making ghost biscuits:

Make sure you allow time for the biscuits to cool before adding the melted chocolate - otherwise the chocolate won't stay put, causing a right kitchen mess.

How can I make these biscuits more quickly?

If you want to cheat a bit, use a packet of plain rectangular biscuits instead of making your own. Nice biscuits are ideal, or Waitrose Essential Shortcake Biscuits.

How can I stop my biscuits sticking to the baking tray?

A silicon baking sheet is a brilliant option here. They're cheap to buy from cook shops, and can be reused again and again. They stop almost anything from sticking the baking tray.

How can I stop my biscuits spreading as they bake?

Cold ingredients are essential for biscuits. To get the right consistency, make sure to chill the dough well before cutting the biscuits out, and again before cooking them. You can even pop them in the freezer for an out to really chill them.

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• Halloween food ideas
• Halloween biscuits
• Halloween cupcakes

This budget Bolognese is a classic meaty pasta dish, updated for penny-pinching times. 

We've stripped back everything that doesn't need to be in this sauce and ramped up the fresh vegetables - doubling the usual quantities of carrots, celery and onion. This brings a lovely varied texture to the dish. If you're cooking for kids, this dish will feed six. If you're stoking up hungry teenagers, this is a four-person dinner. For picky kids you can cook the veggies and tomatoes separately to the meat, then blend the veg to make a smooth sauce, which you can then add the cooked mince into. Adapt this recipe depending on what you have to hand. Add in chillies, dried herbs, lentils or beans. 

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp oil
• 250g lean minced beef
• 2 onions, peeled and diced
• 4 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 pepper, de-seeded and diced (optional)
• 2 cans chopped tomatoes
• 150ml water
• 500g penne pasta or spaghetti

Method

1. Put the oil and the onion in a pan and fry over a moderate to high heat for about three to four minutes. Stir frequently to avoid burning.
2. Add the minced beef to the pan and continue to cook, on high, until the mince is brown all over.
3. Next add the carrots and pepper and cook for a few more minutes.
4. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and water, bring to the boil, and then reduce the heat, cover and simmer. Be sure to give it a stir every so often and check to see if it requires a drop more water. Cook for approximately 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling water, according to the packet instructions.
6. Once the pasta is cooked, take it off of the heat, drain it well and return to the pan.
7. Now it's time to dish up your meal. Share the pasta between warmed plates and top with spoonfuls of bolognese. Sprinkle some grated cheese over the top, if liked.

Top tip for making budget Bolognese

If you have potatoes that need using up, skip them pasta. Mash the potatoes and use them as a topping to make this into a cottage pie.

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• Spaghetti Bolognese
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Microwave fudge is so easy to make and it only needs three ingredients. 

This is a great recipe to make with kids because it's so quick and easy - then you just have to wait for it to set for a couple of hours. You can use milk chocolate if you prefer, or make two batches - one white and one milk. Alternatively, you can get the kids to cut out the fudge with cookie cutters, into shapes like flowers and decorate with Smarties or Skittles. You don't need any special equipment for this recipe - no sugar thermometer or anything: just a microwave to cook it.

Ingredients

• 300g white chocolate
• 150g condensed milk
• 1 drop vanilla extract

For optional decoration:

• 25g melted white chocolate
• small handful sweets such as Skittles, M&Ms or sprinkles

Method

1. Take an 8 inch square baking tin and line it with baking paper or cling film.
2. Ask your child to break up the chocolate into a medium-sized microwaveable mixing bowl.
3. Place the bowl of broken up chocolate into the microwave and heat on 50% power in 30-40 second intervals, stirring in between.
4. Once the chocolate has melted and is smooth, pour in the condensed milk. Stir the chocolate and condensed milk together and place the bowl back into the microwave and heat again, on 50%, for just 10 seconds.
5. Take the bowl from the microwave and quickly add the drop of vanilla extract, then give one final stir.
6. Immediately pour the mixture into the lined baking tray. You will see that the chocolate mixture is already starting to firm up! Use the back of a spoon to gently guide the fudge into the corners of the tin.
7. Place a piece of baking paper or cling film over the top of the fudge and use your fingers to smooth the surface of the fudge. Make sure that the surface is level, then place into the fridge to set for 1-2 hours.
8. Once the fudge is set, you can take it from the fridge and leave it to come back up to room temperature before attempting to cut into shapes.
9. Your child can have great fun using their favourite cookie cutter. Use the extra melted white chocolate to glue on the decoration. We made white chocolate fudge flowers and used skittles for the centres.

Top tip for making microwave fudge

If you're making this as a grown up gift, you can make milk and white chocolate fudge, then arrange the square in small boxes, alternating white and brown like a chess board.

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• Vanilla fudge recipe
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This five-a-day cottage pie is the perfect weekend meal for the family - a classic comfort dish packed with hidden vegetables in a delicious meaty sauce.

Cottage pies are always a good place to hide extra vegetables - you can toss a handful of frozen peas or chopped leeks into almost any potato-topped pie. But this version takes it to the next level. You can blend the vegetables right down so even picky eaters should be happy, or leave them with a bit more texture. This recipe was created by our mummy blogger Anneliese, so it's sure to be a success with the whole family, and you can feel smug about achieving their five-a-day.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 500g minced beef
• 250g carrot (approximately 2 large carrots)
• 250g courgette (approximately 1 large courgette)
• 2 medium red peppers
• 1 large onion
• 2 x 490g tins of chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 pint of beef or vegetable stock
• 800g potatoes
• 250g parsnips (approximately 2 large parsnips)
• 10-15g butter
• 4-6 tbsp milk

Method

1. First of all prepare your vegetables. Make sure your food processer is ready for action with the blade attachment already fitted.
2. Peel the carrots and onions, slice into chunks and then tip into your food processor. Slice the red pepper and courgette into chunks and add to the food processor.
3. Now it's time to put the lid on the food processor and to blend the vegetables together. You can leave some texture to the vegetables or you can blend into a purée; it's up to you. Place the blended vegetables to one side for a moment.
4. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan or deep casserole dish. When the oil is hot, tip in the minced beef and fry over a medium to high heat until all the meat is browned.
5. Tip the prepared vegetables in to join the sizzling meat and continue to cook for a few minutes, but on a medium heat.
6. Pour in the chopped tomatoes, measure in the tomato purée, dried oregano and sugar and stir to combine.
7. Make up the stock with fresh boiled water. Pour ¾ pint of the stock into the minced beef mixture and reserve the remaining stock. You may or may not need to use it, but keep it to hand, in case the mixture becomes dry as it bubbles away on the hob.
8. Leave the minced beef mixture to simmer for around 30 – 40 minutes, meanwhile prepare the mash.
9. Peel your potatoes and parsnips and chop into chunks.
10. Place into a saucepan of water, put the lid on and bring the water up to a rolling boil. Cook the potatoes and parsnips until tender which should take approximately 20 – 25 minutes.
11. Pre-heat oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas Mark 4.
12. Drain the water from the potatoes and parsnips. Add the butter and milk to the saucepan and mash the potatoes and parsnips.
13. Transfer the meaty bolognaise to an oven proof dish. Top with the mash and place into the preheated oven for 25 – 35 minutes, until the topping is crisp and slightly golden on top.

Top tip for making five-a-day cottage pie

If you have any leftovers pop them into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Make sure you reheat thoroughly before serving.

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A lovely, gooey, stodgy bite made from peanut butter, dried fruits and nuts - and no added sugar at all.

Peanut butter cookie dough is one of our easiest recipes. Plus it's a lovely, healthy treat. With just three ingredients, it's easy to knock these up in double-quick time (you don't even need to put them in the oven). In fact, they're probably ingredients you'd have in your store cupboards anyway. Unlike our classic peanut butter cookies, these are raw. No cooking required whatsoever - you just pulse up the ingredients in a blender. The result is a low sugar, sweet and protein-packed treat that's great for grown-ups or kids.  This recipe makes about 10 cookies in 10 minutes.

Ingredients

• 140g no added sugar peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
• 90g raisins
• 2 tbsp nuts, such as peanuts or mixed chopped nuts

Method

1. Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until well combined. The mixture will come together to form a ball.
2. Carefully tip the mixture into a small bowl and use your hands to divide it into 10 portions. Roll each piece of dough between your hands to form a ball. Place the balls of dough onto a plate or piece of baking paper. If you wish, you can use the back of a fork to press down into the dough to create a simple pattern.

Top tip for making peanut butter cookie dough...

If you're not keen on peanut butter, you could try almond butter or almond and coconut butter instead. These have a sweeter, milder flavour.

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Chocolate chip cookies

Sugar cookies

Snickerdoodles

These Angel Delight cookies are quick, cheap and easy to make with kids and will be on the table in 45 minutes.

Our easy chocolate chip cookies are one of our most popular recipes but these Angel Delight cookies are bursting with flavour. We’ve used the banana flavour but feel free to experiment with other combinations. The strawberry Angel Delight could be paired with white chocolate chunks.

Ingredients

• 100g butter, softened
• 150g caster sugar
• 1 large egg
• 200g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 sachet of banana Angel Delight
• 70g fudge, chopped into small pieces

Method

1. Heat oven to 180C (160C fan, Gas 4). Line your baking trays with sheets of greaseproof paper.
2. Now it's time to bring in your budding little chef. You can ask them to help weigh the sugar and butter into a good sized mixing bowl. Make sure the butter is super soft as it will make it so much easier for your helper to work with.
3. When the butter and sugar have combined into a light and fluffy mixture it is time to carefully mix in the egg.
4. Now it is time to turn your attention to the plain flour and baking powder. Carefully add to the mixing bowl to join the rest of the ingredients. You may find it a little less messy if you start off the mixing process. After a minute of mixing, you can let your child take over and they can continue to mix until all the white flour has disappeared into the mixture.
5. Now for the really fun part: collect the packet of banana Angel Delight and pour the entire sachet into the mixing bowl. Your little one can happily mix the Angel Delight powder into the other ingredients while you chop the fudge into small pieces. Carefully add the chunks of fudge to the mixing bowl and give one final mix.
6. The mixture is fairly firm so it's quite easy to shape into cookies with a spoon and fingers. We gathered up spoonfuls and placed heaped piles on to the awaiting trays. Then we used our fingers to press our cookies down a little. Leave a little space between your cookies as they will spread in the oven.
7. Place your baking trays into the pre-heated oven and leave to cook for 12 to 15 minutes. When the cookies are ready they should be lightly golden brown but still soft in the centre. Leave to cool on the trays for a few minutes to firm up and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Top tips for making Angel Delight cookies

Anneliese says: “My son has a fascination for eggs and loves to help crack them. If your helper is keen to get in on the egg action, it might be an idea to crack it into a separate bowl so any stray shell can be easily picked out.”

A sturdy, large mixing bowl is important for any keen baker and we love this classic design from Mason Cash.

Our sugar cookies recipe is another fun bake to make with kids. These vanilla cookies can be cut to whatever shape you like and these Snickerdoodle biscuits are a classic American treat.

Our Maltesers biscuits use seven ingredients and bake in just 15 minutes

If you love our easy chocolate chip cookies, you’ll enjoy this Maltesers alternative. Kids can help weigh the ingredients, crush the Maltesers and shape the dough into balls too. These are the perfect bake for keeping little ones entertained and there’s a tasty reward for their hard work too! 

Ingredients

• 121g Maltesers pouch
• 125g unsalted butter, softened
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g soft light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 250g self-raising flour
• 25g malt drinking powder, such as Horlicks

Method 

1. Heat the oven to 170C (150C fan, Gas 3). Line 2-3 baking trays with baking paper, or you can use one baking tray and bake the cookies in batches.
2. Put the Maltesers into a sandwich bag and remove all the air. Smash into crumbs using a rolling pin. Set aside
3. Put the soft butter into a large mixing bowl; add in the caster sugar and soft light brown sugar. Use an electric whisk to beat the ingredients together. Keep whisking until the butter and sugars combine and the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
4. Add the flour, malt drinking powder and crushed Maltesers to the mixture and this time use a wooden spoon or spatula to mix everything together. The mixture will seem on the dry side to start with but don't worry; it will come together, just keep stirring.
5. Gather up handfuls of cookie dough, each about the size of a golf ball and shape into a rough ball. Place onto the lined baking trays. Don't be tempted to press the dough down; just leave it as it is.
6. Place the baking trays into the oven for 14-16 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies. Smaller cookies will of course cook faster than larger ones. The cookies should remain pale, with only the slightest hint of colour and will still feel soft when you remove them from the oven.
7. Leave them to firm up on the baking tray for about 5 minutes. Once the cookies are firm enough to move, transfer them over to a wire rack to cool completely.

Top tips for making these Maltesers biscuits

You can save time by using a food processor to whizz the Maltesers up. It’s a little extra washing up and not as hands-on for the kids but it is quicker and you get more consistent results. 

If you want to make the process as quick and easy as possible, be sure to use an electric mixer when beating the sugar and butter together. 

Our sugar cookies recipe is perfect for making with kids too. You might also like these vanilla cookies which you could bake ahead and then let them ice them. For another chewy recipe, Millie's cookies are a great choice. 

Flat chocolate eggs decorated with gooey marshmallow and crushed Mini Eggs, these rocky road Easter eggs are cheap to shop for and easy to make. 

You only need four ingredients to make 6-10 eggs (depending how large you cut them). If you have other things in the cupboard to use up - a couple of smashed up digestives or a handful of sultanas - toss them in. This is a great Easter recipe for kids, and we've highlighted all the areas where little chefs can help out. One of the things we love about this recipe is that you make the rocky road, then cut out the egg shapes from it. This means you will have a few off-cuts at the end. They're perfect for little helpers to have a go at tasting.

Ingredients

• 350g white chocolate
• 15g unsalted butter
• 150g marshmallows
• 100g Mini Eggs
• Sprinkles (optional)

Method

1. First line a 12 x 9 inch baking tray with a sheet of baking paper. Place this to one side while you make the rocky road.
2. Place the Mini Eggs into a freezer bag or sandwich bag and seal. Your little helper can now enjoy bashing the Mini Eggs with a rolling pin.
3. Ask your child to help weigh the white chocolate and then break it up into squares. There is quite a lot of chocolate to get through, so you may have to assist.
4. Once the chocolate is all broken up into squares, transfer it to a microwaveable bowl and add the butter. Place the bowl into the microwave and heat in 20 second intervals on high, stirring in between. If preferred, you can melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl placed over a pan of simmering water, making sure that the bowl does not touch the water.
5. Once the chocolate and butter has melted, tip the marshmallows into the bowl. Stir quickly before pouring the mixture straight onto the lined baking tray. Use the back of the spoon to level the surface as best you can, making sure that the mixture is in one thin, even layer. Don't worry if it doesn't quite reach the edges of the tin!
6. Your little helper can now sprinkle the crushed chocolate Mini Eggs over the chocolate and marshmallow mixture. Lightly press in the Mini Eggs. If you are using the sprinkles, now's the time to add them!
7. Place the rocky road straight into the fridge to set for 1 hour or so.
8. Once the rocky road has set, take it from the fridge and allow it to come back to room temperature. This will make it easier to cut into shapes. Cut out the egg shapes with your cutter. There's no reason why you can't use different sizes.

Top tips for making rocky road Easter eggs

These rocky road eggs will easily keep for up to a week... though they are unlikely to last that long.

How can I make it easier to cut these rocky road Easter eggs?

You may find it easier to cut through the rocky road if you wipe a little oil over the edges of the cutter before you cut with it.

Can I use milk chocolate to make these rocky road Easter eggs?

Yes, use any kind of chocolate - even the recently released rose chocolate if you want to make pink eggs. In fact, why not make a selection of different shades of eggs, topped with different colour mini eggs?

Can I use leftover Easter egg chocolate to make these rocky road Easter eggs?

Yes, this is a great way to use up leftover Easter eggs. They melt down well and are even nicer once you've added in the rocky road extras.

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• Rocky road ice cream
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Our Rolo cookies use six ingredients and take 25 minutes to make from start to finish.

This delicious twist on our easy chocolate chip cookies uses Rolos for a moorish, indulgent caramel flavour. To give them a sophisticated finish you could scatter with a pinch of sea salt flakes but they are equally delicious as they are. 

Please note the nutrition for this recipe is based on 16 small cookies. 

Ingredients

• 115g unsalted butter, softened
• 115g light soft brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 225g plain flour
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 12-16 Rolos

Method 

1. First of all, lightly grease your baking tins , we like a 16-hole mini muffin tin. Heat your oven 170C (150C fan, Gas 3).
2. Weigh the softened butter and sugar into your mixing bowl. Beat the ingredients together until light and fluffy.
3. Mix in the egg and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Weigh in the flour and bicarbonate of soda. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to bring everything together.
4. Use your hands to gather up small handfuls of dough. Roll the dough into a ball, between your hands, then place a ball into each hole in your tin.
5. Cook for 10 minutes and just before the cookie cups come out of the oven, open up the packets of Rolos and have them laid out, ready to use. The cookie dough will start to firm up as soon as it comes out of the oven, so you will need to be prepared.
6. Once out of the oven, push a Rolo into the middle of each one, straight away. The cookie cups will be very hot so be careful! Leave the Rolo cookie cups in the tin to cool. If you touch the Rolo centres before they are cold, they will collapse and lose their shape.
7. When the Rolo cookie cups are cold and the centres have set, take out of the tin and enjoy!

Top tips for making Rolo cookies

You can use a 12-hole bun tin but the cookies will be a little larger and the calorie count will be higher. If your hands get sticky during the shaping of the balls, dust them with a little extra flour. 

Whenever you’re baking it’s important to weigh your ingredients accurately. We like these digital scales as they give a clear, near-instant reading.

You might also like this sugar cookies recipe. Our vanilla cookies are delicious decorated with icing and these Snickerdoodle cookies take just 25 minutes to make. 

Five different kinds of fruit in one pancake make up this pretty pancake order for one.

We love a recipe that counts towards your five a day, which these fruit pancakes do. The recipe has a full 80g (about a handful) of each type of fruit - enough to make each on a proper portion. Unlike our classic pancake recipe which serves 6, this whole dish is just for one. Of course you can multiply the ingredients if you're making it for someone else as well, but sometimes it's good to treat yourself.

Ingredients

• 135g self-raising flour
• 25g caster sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 130ml milk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 25g butter, melted and cooled
• 1 small banana (1 of your 5-a-day)
• 80g blueberries (1 of your 5-a-day)
• 80g strawberries (1 of your 5-a-day)
• 80g raspberries (1 of your 5-a-day)
• 80g blackberries (1 of your 5-a-day)
• 25g icing sugar

Method

1. To make the pancakes, place the flour, caster sugar and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir together then make a well in the centre of the mixture. Measure the milk into a measuring jug then pour in the beaten egg and melted butter. Give it a little mix to combine. Slowly pour the wet ingredients from the measuring jug into the well in the centre of the mixing bowl.
2. Beat all of the ingredients together, until you have a smooth, thick batter. Leave the batter to rest while you concentrate on the fruit. Mash the banana until it's a purée consistency and then stir into the pancake batter. Add the blueberries too (see tip).
3. Heat a little knob of butter in a frying pan. When the pan is nice and hot, use a spoon or ladle to add a small amount of pancake batter to the pan. If you are using a large frying pan, you can cook more than one pancake at a time. This batter is quite thick so it will not spread far.
4. Once the top of the pancake starts to bubble (it will look a little bit like a crumpet), flip it over to cook the other side for another minute or two. Place each cooked pancake onto a serving plate in a stack. You should be able to make 6 pancakes from the mixture.
5. To make the mixed berry compote: Simply wash your fruit and slice up any large strawberries. Place the fruit into a saucepan and put over a low heat. Once the juice starts to flow and the berries soften, add the icing sugar and continue to heat until the icing sugar has melted. Your compote will be ready in just 3 to 4 minutes. Decoratively arrange your berry compote on top of your pancake stack, letting the fruit juices flow over the sides of the pancakes. If you are not keen on the seeds in the juice, then pour it through a sieve first.

Top tip for making fruit pancakes

If you want to avoid burst blueberries, which may discolour your pancakes, don't mix them into the batter. Instead, add them while the pancakes cook. Once you've added a dollop of mixture the . However, if you are not fussed, go ahead and add them straight into the batter now!

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Banana pancakes

American pancakes

Vegan pancakes

One of our favourite treats in miniature form, topped with chocolate spread and arranged on sticks like the sweetest kebabs ever.

These mini pancakes are such a treat. They're simple to make but they look so pretty - kids and grown-ups love them. Although they are great for Shrove Tuesday, we especially like making these when British strawberry season has started. This means the fruit is at its sweetest and juiciest. These are great at kids parties, or to have on hand after a barbecue. Children really like helping to put the skewers together, though be warned: it's a messy job. This recipe should make enough for 4 skewers - one per person. It's a good idea to count your pancakes before you start assembling them, so your can make sure the skewers are even. If you prefer thinner and more regularly sized pancakes, try our classic pancake recipe.

Ingredients

• 100g plain flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 100ml milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 300g strawberries
• 100g Nutella

You will need:

• About 4 wooden skewers

Method

1. First make the pancakes. Measure the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Give these dry ingredients a little stir to combine.
2. Measure the milk into a measuring jug. If you have an eager helper, they may want to crack the egg (get them to do it into a bowl first, in case of stray bits of shell). Add the egg to the milk, along with the vegetable oil. Give the wet ingredients a whisk to break up the egg, then pour into the flour.
3. Use a balloon whisk to mix all the ingredients together, until the mixture becomes smooth. Leave to stand for a few minutes.
4. Wash and hull the strawberries, but leave them whole.
5. Grease a frying pan lightly with a little vegetable oil. Preheat the pan over a medium to high heat.
6. Spoon a little pancake batter into the pan - between 1-2 tsp at a time. The batter is thick, so it should hold its shape while cooking. Don't use too much or they will spread and end up too large for the skewers.
7. Cook the pancake batter until tiny bubbles begin to form on the surface of the pancakes. Then flip the pancakes over to cook the other side, for approximately 1 minute, until they turn light golden brown. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
8. Once the pancakes are cool enough to handle, you (or your little helper) can spread a little Nutella on top of each one.
9. To make up the kebabs, alternate between the Nutella-covered pancakes and strawberries as you push them onto the skewers. Keep all the pancakes with the Nutella side facing upwards, so they look pretty. You may wish to snip the sharp end of the skewers if you're serving them to kids.

Top tips for making mini pancakes

Unlike larger pancakes which (though they can be stored) are best eaten straight away, these mini pancakes are so small they don't really get tough, so you can make them a few hours in advance and serve them up as pudding.

If you want your mini pancakes to be all the same size, you can cook them in a small metal cookie cutter, placed in your frying pan. This method does take a while though.

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Banana pancakes

American pancakes

Blueberry pancakes

The kids aren’t always a fan of classic Christmas pudding, but these Christmas pudding muffins are a fun alternative and just as festive. 

Just like a piñata, these muffins contain an exciting surprise for little ones. Packed full of sweets like Smarties, Haribos, or Maltesers. The chocolate flavoured cakes are decorated to look just like Christmas pud. Thankfully they take just a fraction of the time to prepare. This child-friendly recipe is perfect for getting little helpers involved.

Ingredients

• 225g plain flour
• 55g cocoa powder
• 2tsp baking powder
• 115g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 250ml milk
• 6 tbsp sunflower oil or you could use 85g butter, melted and cooled
• Little sweets to fill your pinata cakes
• 75g white chocolate
• Cherries, fondant or writing icing for the red berries and green holly decoration

You will need

• A 12 hole muffin tin. You can either grease the tin or line it with paper cases - don't use your favourite paper cases though, as they will be peeled off after baking.

Method

1. First of all preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6.
2. Pass the muffin tray to your child and ask them to pop a paper case into each hole. Otherwise, to save paper cases, you could get them to grease with a little butter - entirely up to you!
3. Weigh the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder, then sift into a mixing bowl, this will be your dry bowl. My little boy is easily distracted and kept turning to look at things whilst holding on to the sieve. Every time he turned he took the sieve with him; thankfully this a very child friendly recipe and losing a few grams of flour on the floor didn't really matter!
4. Weigh the sugar into the dry bowl and give it a little stir.
5. Now we can move our attention to the wet bowl. If you are feeling brave, you could let your child crack the eggs into a large jug or bowl. My little boy actually did a great job, but I had to grip my hands together to stop myself from interfering!! Pass a fork to your little one so they can give the eggs a bit of a beating, then help them to measure in the milk and oil (or melted butter if using). I think it is best to help at this point, unless you don't mind an oily flood!
6. Mix the wet ingredients together while your child makes a well in the centre of the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon - my little boy loved doing this!
7. After pouring the wet ingredients into the bowl I took a step back and watched my boy gently and very SLOWLY mix everything together. It is unlikely that your child will over mix but keep a keen eye to be sure they are gentle; lumps are good, we want lumps (for a change)!
8. Now for the bowl to muffin tin transfer! This is a very drippy mixture, so blobs are bound to find their way down the sides of the tin and worktop! Try not to help too much at this point as children love to do the last bit as they will feel like they did it ALL by themselves!
9. Now you can take over and place the muffin tin into the oven. Leave the muffins to cook for about 20 minutes, until risen and firm to the touch.
10. Once out of the oven, leave the muffins to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
11. When the muffins are cold you can move on to the decorating part.
12. Weigh out the white chocolate into a microwavable bowl and give short sharp blasts in the microwave until melted. Leave to one side to cool.
13. Now the next part you will have to do, unless your child is sensible with knives. There is no way my three year old can be trusted, so I took over and cut deep circles into each muffin with a sharp knife (a table knife would work just as well). Pull out the thick circles of cake and let your child fill each hole with as many sweeties as they can fit in! You may have to remind them not to eat too many as they go along! Place the cake that you just cut out back over the sweets and push down firmly.
14. Use your white chocolate to drizzle over the top of each muffin, then decorate with your choice of either cherries, sweets or fondant.

Top tips for making Christmas muffins

You can use wrapped and unwrapped sweets in this recipe. As the sweet treats inside the muffins aren't included in the baking process but rather the decorating process afterward, you don't have to worry about melting chocolate or sweets inside the muffins.

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Plum pudding

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No-bake Christmas recipes for kids

These tombstone cookies look and taste great and are sure to go do a storm at any Halloween kids' party.

Rope the kids in to help create these brilliant Halloween cookies that promise to be the showstopper amongst your spooky spread. Our recipe makes 12 golden 'headstone' biscuits in total, which are propped up by some delicious Rice Krispies squares that act as the grassy grave. There's plenty of flavour and textures going on here, providing a real treat for little mouths.

Ingredients

For the biscuits:

• 175g plain flour
• 1tsp ground ginger
• 100g butter, cold
• 50g caster sugar
• 1 tbsp milk

For the Rice Krispie squares:

• 20g butter
• 145g mini marshmallows
• 90g Rice Krispies

For the buttercream:

• 25g butter, softened
• 60g icing sugar

For the decoration:

• 12tsp Nutella/chocolate spread
• 50g desiccated coconut
• Green food colouring
• Green writing icing
• Black food colouring
• Orange fondant
• Black writing icing

Method

1. To make the biscuits: Ask your child to grease a baking tray lightly with butter. Put to one side for later. Weigh the flour and ginger into a mixing bowl. If your child is able to handle a table knife, then they can carefully slice the cold butter into chunks. Add the chunks of butter to the flour and ginger in the mixing bowl.
2. Your little helper can now use their fingertips to rub the butter into the flour. Once the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs it's time to stop and add in the sugar, then pour in the small amount of milk. Bring the mixture together. My little boy enjoyed doing this with his hands but you can use a spoon to start off with. Once the dough has come together to form a smooth ball, you can wrap it in cling film and place in the fridge for at least half an hour.
3. While the biscuit dough firms up in the fridge, you have plenty of time to make the Rice Krispie squares. To make the Rice Krispie squares, find a 9 inch square cake tin and line with a piece of cling film. Make sure that the cling film overhangs the sides of the tin. This stops the very sticky marshmallowy mixture from sticking to the tin and will also make it easy to remove it later.
4. Place the butter into a medium sized microwaveable bowl. Melt the butter in the microwave on high, for around 20 to 30 seconds. Next you can add the marshmallows to the melted butter, sampling a few as you go; it's only sensible to test the quality. Pop the bowl back into the microwave and continue to heat until the marshmallows have melted. You will need to keep stirring the mixture every 15 seconds or so to avoid burnt marshmallows.
5. The marshmallowy mixture will be very hot, so be careful as you take it from the microwave and be sure that your child steps back as you mix in the Rice Krispies. You will need to stir the mixture quickly and transfer it into the tin as fast as possible. The mixture starts to set immediately and is also extremely sticky! I wrapped a piece of lightly oiled cling film around my hand as I pressed the mixture down into the tin.
6. Your Rice Krispie squares are now made but you will need to leave them to set completely. When you take the biscuit dough out of the fridge replace it with the tin of Rice Krispie squares – the cold fridge will make them set quicker.
7. Continue making the biscuits: Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. While the oven heats up, your child can happily roll out the biscuit dough, to about the thickness of a pound coin (roughly 3mm). By all means flour your worktop and rolling pin before rolling out the dough. However, I find it so much easier and far less messy simply to roll it out between two pieces of cling film.
8. Use a table knife or a shaped biscuit cutter to cut your dough into headstone shapes. We got a bit carried away and went for several 'styles’. Place the biscuits onto the greased baking tray and carefully transfer into the oven to cook for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. If you have made varying sizes, bear in mind that the smaller biscuits will cook more quickly than any larger biscuits so do keep a beady eye on them.
9. Once all the biscuits are cooked, place onto a wire rack to cool. For the decoration - pumpkins: Take your orange fondant and knead it for a few seconds to soften it. Divide it into 12 pieces and ask your child to roll each piece into a ball. Use a cocktail stick to press into and around the sides of each ball, to give the distinct pumpkin shape. Take the green writing icing and add squiggles of icing to the top of each 'pumpkin' for the leaves. Leave to one side for a moment.
10. Coconut grass: Simply pour the coconut into a sandwich or freezer bag and carefully add a few drops of the green food colouring. Seal the bag and ask your child to give it a good old shake. My little boy got very carried away at this point. Once you are satisfied that all the coconut is a suitable shade of garish green, place to one side to await its purpose.
11. Buttercream: Place the softened butter into a mixing bowl and add in the icing sugar. I was too lazy to sift my icing sugar. Beat the two ingredients together until smooth. Add the black food colouring a drop or two at a time, whilst whisking, until you get to a dull shade of grey. It's not meant to look pretty.
12. To assemble: Take the Rice Krispie mixture from the fridge, take it out of the tin and remove the cling film. Use an oiled sharp knife to slice carefully into 12 squares. Ask your helper to scoop up a teaspoon of Nutella and spread over a Rice Krispie square. Repeat this for all the Rice Krispie squares. Your child can now squeal with delight as they sprinkle the green coconut 'grass' over the Nutella covered Rice Krispie squares.
13. Use a table knife or palette knife to spread the grey buttercream over the biscuit headstones in a thin layer. Lay the iced biscuits flat on the worktop and carefully use the black writing icing to add a few choice words. Gingerly attach the 'headstones' to the back of each grassy square by gently pushing into the sticky Rice Krispies. Place the cute little pumpkins on the coconut grass as a cute finishing touch.

Top tips for making tombstone cookies:

If you want to save time you could use shop-bought Rice Krispie Squares instead of making your own.

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Halloween food ideas

Halloween biscuits

Halloween cupcakes

It takes just seven ingredients to make these spooky spider cake pops.

The kids are going to love these Halloween cake pops are shaped like spiders. “They’re perfect if you are short on time, as we used shop-bought cake to speed things along,” says mummy blogger Anneliese. “However, please feel free to make your own sponge or make use of any leftovers if time is on your side. Your child can get hands-on when helping to make these creepy-crawly pops; there’s crumbling, stirring, shaping and of course, decorating.”

Ingredients

• 175g white chocolate (use milk chocolate if preferred)
• 285g sponge cake (Madeira, chocolate etc.)
• 15-20g milk chocolate to attach lollipop sticks
• 200g milk chocolate
• 100g black sugar crystals/black sprinkles
• 80g liquorice laces
• Silver balls (dragees)
• You will also need 16 cake pop sticks/lollipop sticks.

Method

1. Ask your child to break the white chocolate into squares and place into a medium sized microwaveable bowl. When baking with my boys I melt the chocolate in the microwave as I find it easier. However, you do need to keep an eye on it as you don't want to end up with burnt chocolate – it doesn't taste good!
2. Place the bowl into the microwave and melt the chocolate on a high heat but be sure to stir every 20 seconds, until the chocolate is melted. Leave the chocolate to cool for a minute or two to avoid burnt fingers!
3. Your helper can now have the fun of crumbling the cake into the bowl of chocolate. I did catch my little boy indulging in a few tasting sessions as he worked, so we had repeatedly to visit the sink to wash his hands!!
4. After all the crumbled cake is in the bowl you can stick your hands in to 'squidge' the cake into the melted chocolate. It might be wise to pop your hands into the mixture before your child, just to be sure that the chocolate is cool enough for them to handle.
5. Your child can now have the fun of gathering up small handfuls of the mixture and rolling and shaping into balls; they will need to be about the size of a golf ball. Children will love using their hands to do this and it's a task they can do all by themselves; be prepared for proud faces!
6. The cake balls can be placed onto a lined baking tray to await their lollipop sticks.
7. You now need to weigh and melt the small amount of milk chocolate in the same way that you melted the white chocolate earlier. This time it won't take long at all for the chocolate to give in to the heat, so watch it closely.
8. Dip each lollipop stick into the melted milk chocolate and then carefully insert into the top of each cake ball. Try not to push the stick all the way in as you may end up with a few casualties; just over half way is perfect!
9. Now the cake pops need to go into the fridge for at least half an hour to firm up. The lollipop sticks are rather long, so make sure that you have plenty of headroom available in your fridge.
10. While the cake pops are chilling in the fridge you can gather up all you need for the all important decoration.
11. Melt the larger quantity of milk chocolate in the microwave in a microwaveable bowl, as before. Leave it to one side to cool down. Too hot and it will melt the chocolate you used to insert the lollipop sticks.
12. Place the black sugar crystals/black sprinkles onto a plate and use scissors to cut the liquorice laces to size – about one and a half inches for each 'leg'. You will need to make eight legs for each of your 16 cake pops so you have 122 legs to snip!
13. After at least half an hour has passed, take just three or four cake pops from the fridge at one time. Leave the rest in the fridge until you are ready for them, as they will be trickier to work with if they are at room temperature.
14. Carefully dip the bottom of a cake pop into the cooled melted chocolate then use a teaspoon to guide the chocolate up and over the sides and top. Gingerly tap the lollipop stick on the side of the bowl, very lightly, to allow the excess chocolate to fall back into the bowl. The cake pops only require a thin layer of chocolate.
15. Roll the chocolaty cake pop through the black sugar crystals/sprinkles, then place onto a lined baking tray. Repeat this process with each cake pop.
16. Use a little spare melted chocolate as a glue to stick on the silver balls for the spiders’ beady eyes.
17. Use a cocktail stick to carefully make eight indentations around each spider’s body; this is where the legs will be attached.
18. Gather up the liquorice legs and gently push into the indentations. Stand back and admire your leggy friends!

Top tips for making spider cake pops:

If you can't find black sprinkles you could always use chocolate sprinkles instead.

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Halloween food ideas

Halloween cookies

Halloween cupcakes

Our mummy blogger, Anneliese, says that kids love these unique baked bean muffins. 

In this baked bean muffins recipe, our creator has used just seven ingredients that any baked bean on toast fan will already have in the cupboard and the fridge. As Anneliese herself says, "Each one of these baked bean muffins is filled to the brim with baked beans and the cheese bursts through in each and every bite! Such a quick recipe to make with children - and they can feel proud to have made their own lunch from scratch."

Ingredients

• 160g self-raising flour
• ½tsp baking powder
• 120ml full-fat milk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 45g butter, melted
• 220g can of baked beans in tomato sauce
• 60g mature cheddar, grated

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
2. You could either ask your child to grease the muffin tray liberally or they could use muffin paper cases instead. If you use paper cases don't use your best ones as they would be wasted on a savoury muffin.
3. Ask your little helper to sift the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl, a little at a time. My boy absolutely loves this job; I think he would happily sift flour all day long!
4. Place the butter into a small microwaveable bowl and heat in the microwave until the butter has melted. Put the bowl to one side while you turn your attention to the milk and egg.
5. It can be quite tricky for young hands to pour milk from a heavy milk bottle, so some assistance will be required here. You can pour the milk into the measuring jug together!
6. If you have a keen egg cracker, then grab a small bowl and let your child crack in the egg. When it comes to picking out the shell, they can revel in the slimy gooey mess. My boy makes lots of “ewww” noise with a big smile on his face! Once any shell has been extracted they can give the egg a quick whisk with a fork.
7. Using a wooden spoon or balloon whisk, make a well in the centre of the flour, then pour in the milk, beaten egg and melted butter. Children will love stirring the muffin mixture and the great thing is that lumps are to be encouraged; it only needs to be mixed until just combined. An overworked mixture will result in a tough, dense muffin.
8. Open the can of baked beans for your helper. They can use a spoon to scoop out the beans and sauce into the mixing bowl. Just take a moment to be sure there are no sharp edges to the tin. While they are busy you can get on with grating the cheese.
9. Stir the baked beans and grated cheese into the mixture, being careful not to over mix. Your little one can now spoon the orange tinted mixture into the awaiting muffin tin.
10. Place the tray into the hot oven and leave the muffins to cook for approximately 20-25 mins. The muffins will not rise a great deal due to the baked beans but should lift to the tops of each muffin hole and turn a rich golden colour.
11. Once cooked take from the oven and tip out on to a wire rack to cool.

Top tips for making baked bean muffins:

The cheese is a real essential in this recipe so if you're looking to vary up the ingredients, use a different cheese each time you make these. While we recommend a Stilton for those with a taste for stronger flavours, Red Leicester cheese is also a great alternative.

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Chocolate muffins

Ideal for packed lunches, picnics, or party food, these corn muffins are so simple to make at home taking just 20 minutes to prep.

These tasty corn muffins are flavoured with Cheddar cheese. Unlike our sweetcorn muffins, these muffins with ham and infused with a hint of Dijon mustard. These corn muffins are also made with quick-cook Polenta grains, also known as cornmeal. This recipe makes 12 muffins.

Ingredients

• 100g mature Cheddar cheese
• 125g quick-cook Polenta grains (cornmeal)
• 175g self-raising flour
• 2tsps baking powder
• 150ml milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 rounded teaspoon of Dijon mustard
• 4tbsps sunflower oil
• 100g sweetcorn, drained
• 1-2 slices of ham, torn into small pieces

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Ask your child to put a paper case into each hole of the muffin tin while you coarsely grate the cheese onto a plate.
2. Grab a large mixing bowl (this will be your dry bowl) and get your child to add the polenta, flour and baking powder into the bowl. (My little boy was a little worried when we added the polenta as we use it in place of sand for indoor play. - I don't think he liked the idea of sandy muffins)!!
3. We want the muffins to be cheesy, so scrape the cheese into the dry bowl and ask your little one to give everything a good old mix to combine!
4. Now for the wet bowl (or you could use a measuring jug). You may need to help with this part, depending on how old your child is. The milk, eggs, mustard and oil have to be measured into the wet bowl. I'm sure the little people won't need any help when it comes to beating the mixture together with a fork! My little boy has been able to whisk with a fork since he was less than 18 months old, so don't be afraid to let even the youngest child have a try (however try to avoid the fork going into the mouth as raw eggs aren't good for their tummies).
5. Pour the milk mixture into the polenta mixture and stir until just mixed. Lumps are fine; in fact they are seen as a positive in a muffin mixture. Add the drained sweetcorn and the ham. If you have a ham lover like me watch your child like a hawk as they tear up the ham and there might not be much left for the muffins.
6. Try to avoid helping your child as they add dripping blobs of mixture to the awaiting paper cases. It will undoubtedly end up all over the tray as well as the cases; just keep smiling! Bake the muffins for 15 to 20 minutes until they are well risen and golden brown.
7. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool down. The muffins are best served warm and spread with butter. They are best eaten the day they are made. However, if you remove the paper cases from any leftovers they freeze really well. I just warm them through before serving.

Top tips for making corn muffins

You can use turkey, beef, or chicken slices instead of ham if your child prefers

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Packed lunch ideas

Omelette muffins

Cheese and ham muffins

Raw brownies are one of the essentials to add to your list if you're following a raw diet or want to incorporate more natural foods into your day-to-day eating plan.

Raw brownies are made up cacao powder and Medjool dates along with sesame seeds, orange juice and maple syrup. This makes them not only entirely made up of natural ingredients but also significantly healthier than regular brownies, which are full of sugar and butter. People often refer to these raw brownies as 'energy balls' and with good reason, as just one of these balls will keep you going for a couple of hours before lunch or dinnertime.

Ingredients

• 120g sesame seeds
• 120g pecan nuts or any nuts of your choice
• 120g Mejdool dates
• 4-5tbsp raw cacao powder (you can substitute the raw cacao powder with cocoa powder but you may need to add a little more. Add to your personal taste).
• 4tbsp freshly-squeezed orange juice
• 1tbsp of maple syrup (optional)

Method

1. First of all you will need to locate your food processor. I found mine at the back of the kitchen cupboard covered in a fine layer of dust. A quick wash and we were ready to go!
2. The food processor does a lot of work in this recipe but we still want our little helpers to do as much as possible. With this in mind, ask your child to weigh all of the ingredients into small bowls, so that they will be easily at hand when required. Weighing the sesame seeds was an interesting experience, I think we will be finding the tiny little seeds in the kitchen for quite some time.
3. When it comes to weighing the dates, we weighed ours before we extracted the stone. It is easy for your child to remove the stone from the middle of the dates. They can do this with their fingers - it's a sticky but a fun job for them to do.
4. Ask your helper to pour the sesame seeds and nuts carefully into the food processor. Pulse your processor until the nuts have turned into a fine crumble, the same size as breadcrumbs. Be sure not to over blitz the mixture or the nuts will form a paste!
5. Next your little assistant can add the stoned dates, cacao powder, orange juice and maple syrup.
6. Give the mixture another good whizz in the food processor. All the ingredients will combine and should form into a sticky but firm mixture.
7. Remove the sharp blade from your food processor and then set your child to work! They can grab small amounts of mixture with their hands then roll them into neat balls. The brownie bites can be rolled in more cacao powder, cinnamon or coconut if liked, but we kept ours plain.
8. The brownie bites look really cute when placed into petit four cases, if you have any going spare.
9. We stored our brownie bites in the fridge because we think they taste even better when chilled but they will keep well in an airtight container for up to a week.

Top tips for making raw brownie:

If you're finding that your raw brownies aren't sticking together quite as well as they should, add 15g of peanut butter to your overall mixture and try to roll up the mixture into balls again. While not a completely natural or raw ingredient, peanut butter is still healthy and full of protein and good fats.

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Chocolate brownie recipe

Raw carrot cake

Raw cookie dough

Love Maltesers and white chocolate? This Maltesers traybake is a must. Crushed Maltesers and Rice Krispies are stirred through smooth melted chocolate then topped with a thick layer of white chocolate - and decorated with even more Maltesers. Perfect for making with children, this easy no-bake recipe is quick to make, easy to slice and all too easy to eat.

Ingredients

• 200g milk chocolate
• 75g unsalted butter
• 2tbsp golden syrup
• 185g Maltesers
• 60g Rice Krispies

For the topping:

• 200g white chocolate
• 45g Maltesers

Method

1. Line a deep 8inch square baking tin with cling film or baking paper. Make sure the edges of the cling film or baking paper hang over the edge of the tin as this will make it easy to remove the Maltesers bars from the tin later on.
2. Weigh the milk chocolate, butter and golden syrup into a medium sized microwaveable mixing bowl. Heat the ingredients on a low setting such as 30% in 20 – 30 second intervals, stirring in between. It will take around 5 minutes in total for the ingredients to melt but it's worth taking things slowly, as chocolate can easily burn. However, if you prefer, you can set the bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure that the base of the bowl does not touch the water.
3. Once the chocolate mixture has melted, leave it to one side while you prepare the other ingredients. To avoid mess and to speed things along, you can use a food processor to blitz the 185g of Maltesers, however, your little helper will probably want to bash them with a rolling pin instead! If crushing the Maltesers by hand, simply place them into a freezer bag (don't forget to seal it!) and use a rolling pin to bash the Maltesers into fine crumbs.
4. Pour the Maltesers crumbs into the melted chocolate mixture and then weigh in the Rice Krispies. Your child can use a wooden spoon to combine everything together.
5. Tip the chocolaty mixture into the awaiting tin. Your helper can now use their hands to press the mixture firmly into the tin. Place the tin into the fridge to set for about 30 mins.
6. Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate in a microwaveable bowl and heat in the microwave, on a low setting, stirring at 15-20 second intervals. Again, you can always heat over a pan of simmering water if you prefer.
7. Once the white chocolate has melted, take the Maltesers mixture out of the fridge. Pour the smooth melted chocolate over the surface and use a table knife to spread it into all the corners. Pick up the tin and drop it, back onto the worktop, not from a great height! This will level the surface and get rid of any air bubbles.
8. If you have managed to resist eating the remaining Maltesers, now’s the time decoratively to dot them into the white chocolate - OR now’s the time to crush them with the rolling pin then sprinkle over the top of the white chocolate. Pop back into the fridge to set for another 30 mins.

Top tip for making this Malteser traybake

Swap the white chocolate for dark instead for an extra luxurious twist.

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Malteser cake

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This weetabix cake is an ingenious invention that’ll transform your favourite morning meal into a tasty teatime treat - and is a great way to use up leftover bananas.

This cake is a healthier option than your usual cake recipe thanks to the addition of Weetabix. The fibre-rich cereal is balanced out with a mixture of fruit including apricots, sultanas and mashed banana, which reduces the amount of sugar you need to use. In the video below mummy blogger Anneliese Giggins, shares her tips on making this with children - with the help of her two year old son.  Depending on how thickly you cut the slices, this delicious loaf cake will serve around four to six people.

Please note: the nutritional information provided for this recipe is calculated as a whole recipe and not per portion, jar, or person.

Ingredients

• 2 Weetabix, crushed
• 275ml milk
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 ripe banana
• 300g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 150g caster sugar
• 150g sultanas or raisins
• 50g dried apricots
• 50g glacé cherries, halved

You will also need

• 2lb loaf tin, greased with butter and lined with greaseproof paper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/340°F/Gas mark 3.
2. Locate your loaf tin, then ask your child to grease it with a little butter. Thank your little one for doing such a great job, then turn your back and quickly wipe the butter around the tin a little more evenly. Cut a piece of greaseproof paper to size and line the base of the tin.
3. We shall start with crushing up the Weetabix. I promise that your child will squeal with delight when doing this. Place the Weetabix into a large mixing bowl and ask your little one to crumble them into little pieces. It might be a good idea to be sure that children hold their hands down into the bowl while they do this. My little boy did it with his hands level with his head and bits shot all over the place.
4. Now to add the milk. I know how much my boy likes to say “whoosh”, so I measured the milk into a jug and let him pour it on top of the Weetabix. The mixture looks very runny at this stage but, after just a few moments, you will notice it start to thicken as the Weetabix absorbs the milk.
5. Crack the egg into a small bowl and pass to your child with a fork so they get the joy of lightly beating it. Now they can pour the beaten egg into the mushy mixture.
6. If you are using a particularly large bowl it might be easier for small hands if you ask them to mash the banana before adding to the Weetabix mixture. It won't make any difference which way you choose to do it. I admit that the mixture does NOT look very appetising at this point; I think I can leave it to your imagination as to what it resembles. I promise it gets better!
7. Measure the sugar, flour and mixed spice into the bowl and mix. My little boy started off very enthusiastically but soon his arms grew weary and I was asked to take over... It is a fairly stiff mixture but it can withstand a firm mix.
8. Lastly, add the dried fruit. I used a mixture of sultanas, dried apricots and cherries but you can use whatever dried fruit takes your fancy. Stir in the fruit and mix until combined with the rest of the ingredients.
9. Now the cake is made, all that is left is to transfer it to the tin. I held the bowl above the tin and my boy used a spoon carefully to assist the mixture’s short journey.
10. Place the tin into the oven and leave to cook for 1¼ to 1½ hours, until golden brown firm to the touch and a skewer or knife comes out clean.
11. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool and then sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labour.

Top tips for making weetabix cake:

You could replace the Weetabix with any of your favourite cereals to experiment. Or add some chocolate drops into the mixture for some extra sweetness.

Our porridge oatmeal bars are only 153 calories per portion making them a great breakfast option or if you need a post-workout energy boost. 

These porridge oatmeal bars are a healthier alternative to flapjacks but have lots of the same ingredients. Mummy blogger Anneliese Giggins wrote the recipe for these porridge oatmeal bars and says they are a fabulous option for kids. 

She explains: ‘I find weekday breakfasts a tad stressful. Attempting to get out of the door to pre-school is enough to send my blood pressure sky high. Breakfast cereal or toast is left half eaten and my little boy goes to pre-school with hardly anything in his tummy. Not good! I believe breakfast bars to be the way forward. They are so easy for my boys to eat. Plus, they are packed full of nutritional goodness and provide plenty of energy to get the boys through to snack time. Some homemade breakfast bars tend to fall apart when sliced, so I came up with these porridge bars and they hold together beautifully. The bars have an almost cake-like texture - an added bonus.’

Ingredients

• 130g rolled oats
• 5 dried apricots
• 25g dried cranberries
• 30g raisins or sultanas
• 20g chopped mixed nuts (optional)
• 15g sunflower seeds
• 10g pumpkin seeds
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 300ml milk
• 1 large egg
• 1-2 tbsp runny honey (optional)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan, Gas 4) and line the base and sides of a 23cm x 23cm square baking tin with greaseproof or parchment paper.
2. Combine the oats, apricots, cranberries, raisins, nuts and seeds in a large mixing bowl.
3. Sprinkle over the ground cinnamon, then give everything a good mix.
4. In a jug or bowl, mix the milk with the egg, honey and vanilla extract. Whisk briefly with a fork so that everything is combined.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix thoroughly. Don’t worry if it looks very wet. Leave the mixture to sit for 10 minutes to allow the oats to absorb the liquid.
6. Transfer the mixture to your prepared tin and bake for 45 minutes or until the mixture is set and golden in colour.
7. Leave the porridge oatmeal bars to cool completely then once cold slice into bars.

Top tips for making porridge oatmeal bars

Not only are these oaty porridge bars great for breakfast on the run but they are also very handy for those of us watching our weight as they contain no added sugar or butter. We have lots of advice if you want to get the kids involved when making these bars and can also help if you’re not sure at what age your little ones can eat nuts and seeds. 

We recommend storing the porridge oatmeal bars in an airtight container once baked but to take them on a picnic you might like to use a Beeswax wrap instead of clingfilm. It is better for the environment and less bulky than tupperware. 

Porridge is cheap and easy to make but for a more exciting breakfast, make our healthy flapjack recipe. Alternatively, our granola bar recipe is inspired by the flavours of the popular breakfast cereal but makes a delicious treat which can be enjoyed in the afternoon. 

Our potato peel crisps are simple to make, delicious and cheap. What’s not to love? 

This is a great recipe to make with your kids and can be a good way to teach them about food waste and why it’s important to reduce how much we throw away. The crisps take 15 minutes to make and can be cooked in the oven or an airfryer if you have one.

Potato peels don’t keep very well so it’s best to cook them straight away. When it comes to seasoning, we’d recommend salt and pepper as a minimum but dried herbs and spices like paprika, oregano or mixed herbs are great too. Have fun and experiment to find your favourite combination. 

Ingredients 

• 4 large potatoes (you will only be using the skins for this recipe)
• 1/2tbsp olive oil
• Seasoning of choice

Method 

1. Heat your oven to 200C (180C, Gas 6). Using a vegetable peeler, peel the skin from your potatoes. Ideally in long strips at least 6-8cm in length. Place the peeled potatoes in some cold water and keep in the fridge for up to a day before using for another recipe.
2. Pat the peelings dry with a clean kitchen towel or some sheets of kitchen paper. Put in a bowl and mix in a little olive oil and your choice of seasoning and spices.
3. Toss everything together until evenly coated, then spread on a lined baking tray and cook in a single layer for around 8-10 minutes until golden and crisp. Keep an eye on them and remove any that look ready as you go.

Top tip for making potato peel crisps

If you are cooking these in an air-fryer, the same temperature is fine but they may take less time to cook. Try not to overcrowd the pan as it’s best to keep them in a single layer if possible. 

To peel your potatoes it’s safer and easier to use a peeler rather than a knife. It will also ensure you take off only the very top layer and leave behind as much of the potato flesh as possible. 

If you’d like some more potato-based recipes, check out these jacket potato fillings and Gordon Ramsay’s roast potatoes. You might also like the Hairy Bikers fondant potatoes if you’re feeling fancy. 

Learn how to make these simple low-sugar malt loaf bars in just a few simple steps.

Our low-sugar malt loaf bars are easy to make at home. It's always nice to include a little treat in your child’s school packed lunch. However, cakes and biscuits are a big no-no. Thankfully, these low-sugar malt loaf bars are here to save the day!

Malt extract is used as a natural sweetener, while wholemeal flour adds some extra fibre. The resulting loaves are sticky, squidgy and full of flavour; a perfectly healthy, lunch box treat! Each bar is packed with sultanas and a hint of mixed spice.

If you want to turn these bars into a dessert treat, how about serving them warm with some creamy homemade custard? The family are going to love sharing these malt loaves.

Ingredients

• 100g plain flour
• 100g plain wholemeal flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground mixed spice
• 225g sultanas
• 175g barley malt extract
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 150ml cold black tea

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150C, gas 2. Grease the individual holes of a mini loaf tin, or place greaseproof mini loaf cases onto a baking tray. Alternatively, you can grease and line a 2lb loaf tin.
2. First of all, weigh the plain flour, wholemeal flour, baking powder, mixed spice and sultanas into a large mixing bowl.
3. Measure the malt extract and honey into a small saucepan and place over a low heat. As soon as the mixture becomes runny, take it off the heat. Don't let it boil!
4. Pour the cold black tea, beaten eggs and malt mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon and mix to combine.
5. The mixture will be very runny, but don't panic, that's just how it should be! Spoon the mixture into the mini loaf tins/loaf cases or into a 2lb loaf tin. The mixture will only rise a little as it cooks, so fill your cases or tin ¾ full.
6. Place your malt loaves into the pre-heated oven and leave to cook. The mini loaves will take 45-50 minutes to cook, the 2lb loaf will take between 1 hour 15 minutes and 1 hour 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the loaf, comes out clean.
7. Leave the malt loaves to cool in the tin for around 10 minutes and then turn out to cool completely on a wire rack.
8. Try to resist eating them straight away. Leave them overnight and they will be lovely and sticky by the morning!

This Maltesers mug cake recipe is so easy to make at home. A mug cake is so much fun to make and can be served up in under 5 minutes, perfect for any sudden cake craving  Unlike our classic chocolate cake recipes which take a while to prep and bake, a mug cake can be ready to eat in under 20 minutes. This Maltesers mug cake is surprisingly light and and you can make plenty to share with the family. Why not experiment with other chocolates? Swap the Maltesers for Dairy Milk chopped into bite sized pieces or how about give your mug cake a honeycomb flavour my adding crushed Crunchie bar? Delicious.

Ingredients

• 5 level tbsp self-raising flour
• 5 level tbsp caster sugar
• 1 heaped tbsp malt drink powder
• 2 tbsp milk
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 medium egg
• 2 drops of vanilla extract
• 6-8 Maltesers

Method

1. Find your largest mug. The cake will rise up a lot when it cooks in the microwave!
2. Ask your child to use a tablespoon to measure the flour, sugar, malt drink powder, milk and sunflower oil into the mug. Depending on the age of your child, you may need to help out when it comes to pouring the milk and the oil.
3. It's a good idea to crack the egg into a separate bowl or cup first, just so that you can easily pick out any bits of egg shell! Pour the egg into the mug. Your child can use a fork to whisk all the ingredients together until the mixture becomes smooth.
4. The cake mixture should be halfway up the mug. If your mixture is higher than halfway, it might be wise to pour half the mixture into another mug and make two mug cakes. Pop the Maltesers into the cake mixture.
5. Even if you are using a good size mug, expect some overspill. To avoid a messy microwave, simply place a microwaveable plate under your mug to catch any cake mixture that may spill over the sides!
6. Cook the cake in the microwave (my microwave is 800W. E.) on high, for 3 minutes. Make sure that your child can see into the microwave as it's quite exciting to watch the cake rise up!
7. The cooked cake will be extremely hot when it comes out of the microwave so be ready with the oven gloves and leave it to cool for a good few minutes before digging in!

Top tip for making a Malteser mugs cake

Swap the Maltesers for other chocolate treats like Minstrels, chocolate chips or pieces of Toblerone.

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Malteser cake

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If you're looking to make something different this Easter how about making this impressive Mini Egg wreath.

This Mini Egg wreath is a great way to use pretty, delicious Mini Eggs at Easter time. This is a simple, no-bake recipe to make with the kids. Get those hands sticky while shaping a simple marshmallow and Shredded Wheat wreath and let the kids get creative decorating it with those addictive Mini Eggs. This would make a great table centre piece for Easter lunch and your little helper will be so proud to have had a hand in making it. This recipe uses white chocolate but if you'd like a more rocky road looking wreath, swap for milk or dark chocolate instead. It only takes 5 simple ingredients to make this impressive wreath. This recipe will take 30 mins to make plus setting time. This recipe will serve around 6 people.

Ingredients

For this Easter recipe you will need:

• 300g mini marshmallows
• 45g butter
• 175g Shredded Wheat
• 25g melted white chocolate
• 100g–150g Mini Eggs

Method

1. The first task is to crumble the Shredded Wheat into small pieces. It goes without saying that this is a great job for a little helper! Place the crispy shredded wheat into a mixing bowl and let your child use their hands to break it all up.
2. Weigh the mini marshmallows and butter into a large microwavable mixing bowl. Transfer the mixing bowl into the microwave and heat on high, in 20 second intervals, stirring in between, until the marshmallows and butter have melted. The mixture will be on the warm side so be ready with the oven gloves!
3. Your little helper can now tip the crumbled Shredded Wheat into the marshmallow mixture while you stir. The mixture will be very stiff and sticky!
4. Once the mixture has combined, you will need to tip it out onto a piece of baking paper or cling film. Now you are ready to shape it into a wreath.
5. The mixture will be incredibly sticky; there's no getting away from it! You can wipe some oil over your hands before you start shaping to decrease the stickiness!
6. Once you have created a wreath shape, and wiped your hands clean, it’s time to get decorating. Weigh the white chocolate into a small microwavable bowl and heat in the microwave, on high, for around 20 seconds. It's only a small quantity of chocolate so keep a watchful eye; it won't take long to melt.
7. Now your child can get creative and take the lead. They can decorate the wreath with the mini eggs, using the melted white chocolate as the 'glue'. While they are busy, you may feel inclined to quality control any leftover Mini Eggs!
8. Leave the pretty Mini Egg wreath to set for an hour or so before cutting a tasty slice.

These Marmite Easter bunny buns make the perfect treat for the Easter holidays.

Marmite Easter bunny buns are great fun to make with children. The dough is so easy to make and just a few ingredients are required. Even the youngest child can help to shape the dough into bunny rabbits and there will be lots of giggles when they stick the tails on! You could try making other shapes too like knots and twists too. The Marmite adds a subtle tang to the bread and it's delicious smothered in butter and served with chunks of cheese. This Easter recipe makes a great treat for your kids packed lunch boxes. It will take 20 mins to prep and 15 mins to bake these buns. Leftover bread can be wrapped in baking paper and stored in the bread bin for up to 2 days.

Ingredients

For this Easter recipe you will need:

• 250g strong white bread flour
• 20g butter, softened
• 7g (1 sachet) dried, fast acting yeast
• 1½ tsp sugar
• 2 tsp Marmite
• 150ml warm water

Method

1. Weigh the bread flour and butter into a large mixing bowl. Your little helper can now take over and use their fingers to rub the butter into the flour.
2. Pour the sachet of yeast and the small amount of sugar into the flour and butter mixture.
3. Add the sticky Marmite to the warm water and stir until the Marmite dissolves. The Marmite is used in place of salt, so there is no need to add extra!
4. Pour the Marmite water into the mixing bowl to join the other ingredients. Ask your child if they would like to bring the dough together with their hands. If they are unsure of the sticky mixture, start them off with a wooden spoon!
5. Once the mixture has come together to form a ball of dough, it's time to tip it out onto a worktop. Pour a little oil on your worktop; it will stop your dough from sticking while you knead it. You can of course use flour instead, if you prefer.
6. Take it in turns with your child to pull and knead the dough for 5-10 minutes, until the dough is soft, smooth and springs back when pressed with a finger. Don't worry about technique, as long as you keep the dough moving, all will be well!
7. Place the dough into a clean bowl and cover with a piece of oiled cling film or a clean tea towel and leave to prove/rise for around 1 hour. In that time, it should double in size.
8. Turn the dough back out onto an oiled or floured worktop and push and prod it for a few seconds to get rid of some of the air bubbles. See if your child can listen out for any crackles or pops!
9. Divide the dough up into 10 pieces, but do not worry if they are not all exactly the same size. Real bunny rabbits come in various sizes too!
10. Now it's time to shape the pieces of dough. Take a ball of dough, pinch off a tiny piece, roll into a ball and place to one side; this will become the bunny’s tail. Roll out the remaining dough into a sausage shape, approximately 12 inches long. Twist the two ends together to form the ears of the bunny. Shape the body part to make it round. Use your finger to make an indent where the tail will go and then stick the dough in place with a little water. Use this same method to make all 10 bunnies.
11. Transfer the bunnies to several lightly greased baking trays, cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise for 30-40 minutes for one final rise. Preheat the oven to 220C/gas mark 7.
12. After a quick rest, you can carefully peel the cling film away from bunny rabbits and place the baking trays in the oven for around 15 minutes. If your bunnies are various sizes, then keep an eye on them as the small bunnies will of course cook faster than any larger versions.
13. Leave the bunnies to cool a little on a wire rack before diving in!

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We've challenged our mummy blogger Anneliese to feed her family with no food waste for one month.

Learning how to feed your family with no food waste might seem like a good idea once you know the truth about food waste.

Brace yourselves... a whopping £470 a year is wasted on food we don't eat! Not only is that a lot of money, it's a lot of food too, 700 tonnes of food and drink to be precise.

With that in mind, we've challenged our mummy blogger Anneliese to feed her family with no food waste for one month. She has to use up every inch of leftovers, from potato peel to the last few dregs of milk in the carton.

Anneliesealso has loads of really useful tips on how to use leftovers, what the most wasted foods are and how to only spend £20 in one week on food.

Read for Annaliese's low-down on how the challenge went and her top tips on how to feed a family with no food waste...

What's food waste all about?

Most of us are lucky enough to own a well-stocked fridge and freezer. When I open the door of my own fridge, I'm greeted by all manner of fruit, vegetables, sandwich fillers and the components for several hearty family meals. However, how much is past its sell by date and how many rogue veggies are festering at the back? I dread to think! The freezer is packed full of food but I'm sure some of it has been hiding in there for over a year. I hang my head in shame!

The sad fact is that, as a nation, we may as well be throwing our money straight into our compost bins - quite literally!

According to the Love Food Hate Waste campaign, the average UK household throws away £470 each year, which rises to £700 for those of us with children. This works out to around £60 a month. What?! That £60 could pay for my children's new winter coats or be saved up for a new TV, the list is endless! If that wasn't bad enough, here's another sobering statistic. Out of the 700 tonnes of food and drink that we throw out from our homes each year, almost half of it was perfectly fine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WZyvy-76sU

These statistics were a big shock to me. I know that I am guilty of food waste but I didn't realise that it was having such a big impact on our finances. Although I write a meal plan every two weeks and feel that my family eats a good and varied diet, I rarely make allowances for any leftovers. If we do have a lot of food left over, I honestly have good intentions to save it for another day. I will go as far as putting it in the fridge or freezer. However, I shall then most likely forget all about it and it will end up in the compost bin anyway. Not really a good idea!!

MORE: Recipes to make in bulk and freeze

I must admit that I often throw away such things as half eaten pots of yogurt or cream which have been left open too long. I also recently discovered a whole bunch of spring onions, hidden under a wilted iceberg lettuce. Let's just say that I shuddered with revulsion as I threw the whole lot away! I always feel a pang of guilt when I find an item of food which has gone past its best. The trouble is that I am a repeat offender. I know that this is a good opportunity for me to make a very important change.

It's time to stop wasting food and save some money at the same time; sounds like a good deal to me! For the next four weeks, we will learn how to feed our family of four with no food waste and we will be eating every last bite, making sure that no leftover food is casually thrown away. Over the course of four weeks I hope to learn new ways to use our leftovers, how to batch cook and to make the most of what we have.

I will carry on with a meal plan but I will have to think more carefully about how I can link meals together. For example, if I have a recipe that calls for half a cauliflower, I need to be thinking about how I can use the rest up later in the week. My biggest problem is that I cook too much food. My poor husband and two young boys often look terrified as I approach them with massive mountains of mashed potato or pasta. Instead of chucking the inevitable leftovers out onto the compost, I shall use them up in other meals and also get into the habit of following recipes and actually weighing the ingredients!

MORE: Find out what Anneliese has got in her freezer before and after her first shop

This first week will be about setting the foundations for a no food waste household. I hope to discover creative ways to use up leftovers and put my fridge and freezer to good use. Do I have to throw all the fruit and veggie peelings away? I'm keen to look for alternatives! I'll also be trying out some of the ideas suggested here by Love Food Hate Waste and hopefully start to see our food waste get smaller and smaller - and my purse get fuller and fuller, each and every day.

How to feed a family with no food waste - Week 1: 'This past week has proved I don't have a clue about portion control'

Here's how I got on with my first week of how to feed a family with no food waste...

For the past seven days, my family and I have been trying to eat every last bite of food. When my children push their dinner plates away, I'm there, ready to gather up any viable leftovers... It certainly makes dinner time more interesting! As I store up leftovers, my mind is ticking, thinking of when and how I can use them. When none of us could manage all of my Bolognese, I gathered up the leftovers and transformed it into a spicy chilli later in the week. An extra tin of chopped tomatoes and some red kidney beans were all that were needed to bulk it out and it provided us with another hearty meal. Almost two meals for the price of one!

MORE: Find out what Anneliese has got in her fridge and freezer end of week one

This past week has certainly proved that I do not have a clue about portion control. I have a strong greedy streak and assume that everyone else is the same. I pile our plates sky high with food and feel confused when my husband and children announce that they are stuffed, just halfway through the meal. I usually leave my own plate clean! This week, I cooked far too much pasta and mashed potato. It's so easy to fall into old habits! However, despite my errors of judgement, I resisted the urge to pile up our plates and recycled the extra food into other meals instead. The extra pasta was made into a very tasty pasta salad, which we enjoyed for lunch the following day. I simply added some cucumber, celery, sweetcorn, grated carrot and salad cream. We eat a lot of sandwiches so it made a nice change. The mashed potato is currently stored away in our freezer, waiting to be made into fish cakes.

So often we only need a small quantity of an ingredient for a meal and I found this when I made my macaroni cheese with butternut squash. I only required half the squash. Instead of leaving the remainder to go bad in the fridge, I incorporated this into my meal plan and used the leftover butternut squash in a yummy soup. The boys loved the soup and are already requesting another batch. This is almost a shame as it took me about half hour to slice through the butternut squash; we had quite a wrestling match! Maybe it is easier to buy it already sliced and frozen. There would surely be less waste that way as you can use exactly how much you need. With this in mind, I have frozen the chopped onion I had going spare after making pizzas. This will save me slicing (and crying) the next time I need onion in a recipe! I've also learnt this week that grapes can be frozen successfully. We weren't eating our fresh grapes fast enough and one or two were starting to go mouldy, so I put the remainder in the freezer and hoped for the best. They turned out to be delicious and they reminded me of boiled sweets. I'm thinking that frozen grapes would also make a nice alternative to ice cubes in drinks. I'll have to test that theory!

Personally, my main concern is throwing out food that has been left in the fridge too long or the forgotten fruit left to wither in the fruit bowl. But I'm also interested to find out if there are any ways to make use of our fruit and vegetable peelings in my journey to learn how to feed a family with no food waste. It's a natural reflex to throw our peelings into the compost bin but it's fun to think of ways to use them instead. This week, I enjoyed making potato and carrot peel crisps. We eat our way through a lot of potatoes and carrots and the peel quickly fills up our little compost bin, so this seemed like a good place to start. It did feel a little odd to use my vegetable peelings to make crisps, but they were so simple to make - I only added a drop of oil and put them in a hot oven. The finished crisps were suitably crunchy and they tasted good. I sprinkled over a little salt but you could season them however you fancy. Another way to use up veggie peelings is to turn them into stock. Find a lot more ideas here too.

It is horrifying to hear from Love Food Hate Waste that we throw away SEVEN TONNES of food and drink from our homes every year in the UK, and more than half of this (4.2 tonnes) would have been perfectly fine to eat or drink. That's one of the many reasons I wanted to begin this journey, to learn how to feed a family (mine in particular) with no food waste!

My family is guilty of playing our part in this food waste but there is one food that we throw away more than most - bread. It appears that we are not the only ones. A shocking 24 million slices of bread are thrown from our homes every DAY! I love bread and could happily eat it all day long, but there are always a few slices of stale bread left over. I wish I remembered to turn them into breadcrumbs; it does seem like the obvious solution! However, in an attempt to redeem myself, I decided to use stale bread in a recipe and made these seriously moreish bread pudding bites. YUM! Not only was it fun to make with my little boy but it also felt good to make use of perfectly decent bread. I'm now thinking of turning future leftover bread into homemade stuffing (and also try to remember to make those breadcrumbs!).

MORE: Download Anneliese's family food diary for week one

When I planned for this week of meals, I was careful to link our meals together, but I also took advice from Love Food Hate Waste and made sure I left one day free, to allow for a leftover meal. This can be something stored in the freezer or fridge. I used my 'free' day to make the chilli and rice. There was no peeling or slicing and no strenuous cooking involved. This is great after a busy day when you really don't feel like getting stuck in the kitchen.

Making use of leftovers not only saves time in the kitchen but is also is less damaging to our bank accounts! I only needed to pop to our local shop to pick up milk, bread and a few extra vegetables during the week. Not many additions were needed. This was due to planning our meals but also because I was more careful with leftovers and making the food stretch further. The contents of our compost bin have been reduced by almost half and I have saved almost £10 this week. I feel certain that the food I have stored in the freezer will have a knock on effect on the weeks to follow; so hoping for even more savings!

Week 2: ‘Life is so busy and cooking can feel like a chore. HelloFresh may have the answer'

Dinner time can be a stressful experience in my house. In between cooking our evening meals, I'm also playing referee to my boys. A cheap plastic toy will suddenly become irresistible to both children when my back is turned! Cooking used to be a leisurely, relaxing experience but those moments are now few and far between. Now my main aim is to prepare a healthy meal and get it on the table as quickly as possible. New recipes are rarely tried in this house, which is a shame, but I keep to meals that I know my children will eat. Spinach pasta bake, tomato risotto and roast dinners are particular favourites and we have yet to tire of them! My boys are only 5 and 3, and not particularly fussy. However, they are highly suspicious of new ingredients, so I do tend to play it safe.

Life is so busy nowadays and cooking can sometimes feel like a bit of a chore. Recipe box scheme HelloFresh may have the answer and it's on a mission to help reclaim our dinner time. The team is passionate about food and aim to encourage us to cook with fresh ingredients and try exciting new recipes. Another top priority is to reduce our food waste. This all seems like a big undertaking, so I wanted to find out if it was really possible. Could they help me to rediscover my love of cooking healthy, fresh family meals? Could they put a stop to unnecessary food waste? There was only one way to find out.

What is HelloFresh?

The first step in this part of learning how to feed a family with no food waste was to pay a visit to the HelloFresh website. The site was easy to navigate and the philosophy and ordering process was easy to grasp. Apparently, I would be sent a box of fresh, local produce, which would enable me to cook the recipes enclosed in the box. The only ingredients not included are butter, oil, salt and pepper.

I usually write my own weekly meal plan. However, HelloFresh has put an end to that. At first, I felt excited about the prospect of scrapping my meal planner but this was swiftly followed by fear. I rely on my planner and I doubted that the boys would appreciate the change and spontaneity! This led me to delve further into my box options. I could choose between a Classic, a Vegetarian or a Family box. The classic box does have the option to choose a few of the recipes but it was also the most expensive, so I decided to go for the family box. I assumed that this would be the most suitable. The family box cost £64 and would provide us with 4 meals; I admit that the price did make me wince. It works out at £4 per person, per meal. I usually try to stretch £4 for an entire meal! However, the website does provide a good breakdown of the costs and a price comparison with several supermarkets. HelloFresh claims that its boxes work out cheaper as you are unable to impulse buy and there is no need to purchase an ingredient that you will only need for one recipe.

HelloFresh sources all produce from independent suppliers and you are given exactly what you need; no more, no less. Instead of visiting a supermarket that is full of tempting special offers, you are able just to pop to your local corner shop to purchase bread, milk and other day-to-day necessities. This sounds great in theory, but surely sometimes it's easier to visit the supermarket when you have to buy breakfast cereal, lunch box fillers and of course, bulky toilet roll and cleaning products. I loved the idea of HelloFresh; I just wasn't sure how it could fit in with everyday living.

One big positive is that there is no delivery charge and you can choose days for delivery. However, you could end up waiting in all day for your box. Unfortunately, there are no time slots available for your delivery. This could cause problems if you work every day. There is, though, the option to leave it in a safe place or with a neighbour, so there are ways around this.

What's in the HelloFresh Family box?

When my box was delivered, I have to admit that it felt like Christmas! The box was big and weighed a tonne; it was quite an effort to drag it into the kitchen! The contents were very well packed and the plentiful vegetables looked extremely fresh. The cheese and meat were tucked inside a thick layer of wool wadding and ice packs kept everything chilled. There was quite a bit of packaging, especially when you see the tiny plastic pots of flour and seasoning, but everything is recyclable.

Every tiny detail of the meal had been considered and catered for. I had pre-measured sachets of peanut butter and mustard, the cleanest potatoes I've ever seen, a huge quantity of cherry tomatoes, masses of lettuce, fresh pizza dough, mozzarella cheese and pork belly; the list is almost endless! I didn't have to think of anything, which felt a bit odd. The colour printed recipe cards made the meals look very tempting and were helpful. Step-by-step photo guides were also included. Surely I couldn't go wrong?!

What's on the menu?

The chicken Fajitas were the first meal I put to the test. The recipe card states that this should take 45 minutes to prepare. As this was a completely new recipe, I waited until my husband was home from work so he could watch the boys while I got on with it. I chopped my way through lots of tomatoes and red peppers, sliced a never-ending supply of gem lettuce and even mashed an avocado for homemade guacamole. I was also frying chicken and warming the tortilla wraps; I had quite a lot of things on the go, all at once.

I started to feel a little stressed, especially when I looked at the clock. The meal actually took me an hour and a half to complete and that was with the boys in the living room with Daddy! Neil, my husband, loved the wraps, declaring them to be delicious. However, he wasn't sure if he'd class wraps as an evening meal. My 5-year-old did eat some of his chicken and wrap, after de-constructing it! My younger boy really struggled with this meal as he was unable to eat his wrap like Mummy and Daddy, and all the filling fell out. It ended in tears and he barely touched it. This meant I had to make him something else, which isn't really the idea!

The following day we looked forward to a vegetable-packed calzone, which was a more child-friendly recipe. Again, this took me almost double the suggested time, despite using the readymade pizza dough. Maybe I'm just a very slow cook?! I had lots of bowls and frying pans on the go and yet again, I was left feeling frazzled and yearning for my own simple recipes. Thankfully, the boys did enjoy their calzone but they barely managed half. The portion sizes were far too big. The family boxes seem to cater for families with older children. We were left with a lot of leftovers, but Neil enjoyed them for lunch the next day!

The third meal, the Thai massaman rice with chicken and chestnut mushrooms looked delicious and we had high hopes for it. I didn't add all of the spicy sauce but the meal still tasted good and had a subtle kick to it. At first, the boys were deeply troubled by the mushrooms; my younger son sat shaking his head for some time! Thankfully, after some persuasion, the boys did give it a try and ended up tucking in happily. Again, they couldn't manage all of it but at least they had eaten well.

The final meal of roasted pork belly with honey mustard glaze, mash and green beans had mixed reactions. The boys seemed to enjoy this, perhaps because they are used to this kind of meal. However, Neil wasn't convinced by the pork belly; he thought it was very fatty. I was just happy to have made a fairly straightforward and familiar meal!

My thoughts

I thought all the meals were tasty in their own right. They looked almost as good as the photos on the recipe cards and I felt as though I had produced restaurant-quality food. However, as a mum with two young children, I don't have any urge or requirement to cook restaurant food. It's nice, every now and again, but I want the food to be easy for my children to handle and eat. It's also no fun when you are chopping vegetables for nearly an hour, with 3 or 4 things on the go at once. However, it was fantastic to mix up our usual samey meals and made me attempt new recipes.

It was also great for the boys to try new flavours and to decide that mushrooms are actually quite tasty! I'm lucky that my boys are pretty good eaters but not all children will eat green beans, thick slices of leek or spicy food etc. The meals need to be attractive to children, but the recipes also need to be creative when it comes to sneaking in the veggies, which is sometimes necessary with young children!

No food waste - at all!

The best part about the HelloFresh boxes is the reduction in waste. Our compost bin remained almost empty over the 4 days I used their recipes. Yes, we did have the boys' leftovers to contend with but Neil happily ate them for his lunches! After using Hello Fresh, I have realised just how much I waste ingredients. I often buy more veggies and fruit than I actually need and then it's a race against time to eat them before they go bad. I don't always win the race!

HelloFresh boxes are absolutely perfect for professionals who love to cook but have limited time to plan meals or shop for ingredients. Busy families with older children would probably enjoy these boxes too. I think HelloFresh is on to a winner but I don't believe it is aimed at those of us with pre-school age or very young children.

I would certainly consider using HelloFresh again; I do like the overall concept. It's a great way to keep waste to a minimum, eat healthy, good quality meals and try new recipes. However, all of this does come at a price, so I couldn't afford to do it on a regular basis - but perhaps every once in a while when I want to liven up our meals!

How to feed a family with no food waste - Week 3: 'Three weeks into my #eateverybite challenge and it already feels like a new way of life!'

This week we're continuing to learn how to feed a family with no food waste and it's all about batch cooking! I have found that there is great satisfaction to be had in storing homemade meals in the freezer. I'm a woman obsessed; quite literally! Three weeks into this challenge and it already feels like a new way of life.

It's now second nature to pre-cook tired old potatoes in one big saucepan, then to pop them into the freezer. The next time I come to make a roast dinner, I can simply cook the potatoes straight from frozen and save myself time in the kitchen. Result! I seriously can't believe that I'd never tried doing this before. It's so simple and seems so obvious; now I know how!

I've never been very good with labelling food that goes into the freezer. However, I'm turning over a new leaf. I'm remembering to stick labels on all the food I'm freezing and to add the date it was made. This is so important as, although some foods will last a few months in the freezer, they can spoil after a certain length of time, as I've learned the hard way. I have found some old plastic takeaway containers; they are great for filling with food and fit nicely into the freezer. I've also used some cleaned out ice cream containers and simple freezer bags too. The only problem I have now is that our freezer is jammed packed! We had better start eating it all...

MORE: Find out what Anneliese has got in her fridge and freezer end of week 3

At the beginning of the week, we enjoyed a hearty sausage hotpot. I added whatever vegetables were going spare, such as a few limp parsnips, half a sweet potato, new potatoes, red peppers and onions. The new potatoes had been lurking in our fridge for weeks and weeks. I gingerly plucked the potatoes from the fridge, fully expecting them to be rotten. However, I was relieved to find that they were still in perfect condition! It felt good to make use of them at last. To the vegetables I added chopped tomatoes and a tin of baked beans, along with the sausages. I dished up half the meal and kept half back to put in the freezer. I expected the boys to be suspicious of the vegetable medley but they ended up asking for more. Normally, I would have been delighted to hear my children ask for seconds but I admit that I reluctantly added more to their plates; I think this shows just how obsessed I've become with batch cooking! I'm now left with just under half of the sausage hotpot for the freezer. I will have to remember to serve it with some crusty bread to bulk it out a bit more!

This week, we have also eaten our way through a lot of pumpkin. When it comes to Halloween, we always carve a pumpkin; it's tradition. In the past, I usually go on to make a pumpkin soup. However, we often only use half and throw the rest on the compost without a second thought! Things are different this year and to make things even harder, my husband went and bought TWO pumpkins, one each for the boys! I made a massive batch of soup. We had enough to eat on the day and two bags of soup for the freezer.

To my frustration, we were still left with just over half a pumpkin. I decided to make a pumpkin cake. I had never made one before but it turned out to be absolutely delicious. It was very similar to carrot cake and in my book, that's no bad thing! I could have easily gobbled the lot but I was good and put half the cake into the freezer. I felt very virtuous to have used both pumpkins to make yummy things; in fact, I even went as far as roasting the seeds. I can't say I will have the urge to do this again though. They did not taste good.

MORE: Download Anneliese's family food diary for week 3

When making my kids' favourite spinach pasta bake this week, I made my own tomato sauce. At first I was going to make a double batch, one to go in the pasta bake and the other portion for the freezer. However, I ended up adding more and more onions and as many tins of chopped tomatoes as I could find. I only allowed myself to stop once my saucepan was in danger of overfilling! I gleefully filled 4 containers with sauce for the freezer and felt an overwhelming sense of contentment.

My absolute favourite meal this week was homemade veggie burgers. For these, I grated up some tired vegetables and simply added oats and lentils. They were a great way of using up leftover vegetables and were yummy. Of course, I made double so that I could freeze half! I served the veggie burgers in some bread rolls that had been found at the back of the freezer and some homemade potato wedges. The boys loved this meal and had no idea that they were eating 4 different vegetables. Winner!

My husband loves shepherd's pie so this was another great excuse to make a big batch. Sadly, as I'd been so careful to use up the potatoes, I only had enough for the one meal so I just had the meaty sauce to freeze. Oh well, it will still make an easier meal for next time as I shall only have the potatoes to contend with.

Apart from all this batch cooking, I did calm down long enough to think of a way to cut back on all the peelings that end up in the compost bin. A lot of orange peel goes to waste in our house so I thought I'd try my hand at making some candied peel. Oh my, it's addictive! Candied peel makes a lovely gift as it looks pretty and is even more special when dipped in dark chocolate, mmm! Honestly, they are impossible to resist and well worth giving a go. You could try it with lemon or lime peel too!

I've really enjoyed this week and feel as though I've turned a corner in my mission to feed a family with no food waste. We no longer have stray slices of stale bread in our bread bin as it's now made into breadcrumbs or bread pudding. The freezer is stocked full of homemade food and the fridge is pretty empty; no mouldy veggies in sight! By stopping food waste, I'm definitely saving money. I ordered just over a week's worth of shopping online and struggled to reach the minimum order for delivery! To save just over £10 this week feels amazing! Next week, I'm pretty sure that I'll save more money as I'll take a day off from the kitchen and use up a meal from the freezer. Next week, I want to use up the tortilla wraps and pastry, which have been left in the freezer for far too long. Hopefully, they can help to liven up our lunches and allow more room for all my batch cooking...

Week 4: 'It's also a great feeling to have saved almost £50 from making such simple and easy changes'

Cooking at the end of a long day is the last thing you want to do and last week was no exception. After a hectic few days with my children, I was lacking the time and energy to cook. I felt very grateful to be able to pluck a homemade meal from the freezer. I was able to reap the benefits of the batch cooking I'd done the previous week and it felt great!

During the final week of this no waste challenge, we enjoyed several meals from our freezer. We were glad to revisit the sausage hotpot and later in the week, I defrosted my meat sauce so that I could use it for a shepherd's pie.

MORE: Download Anneliese's family food diary for week four

Despite enjoying a few days off from the kitchen, it was impossible to avoid it for an entire week and I was also keen to keep our freezer stocked up! Batch cooking is my new obsession and I recognised a great opportunity when I decided to make chicken nuggets this week. My boys love chicken nuggets, but I worry about the quality we buy. It's a bit messy to make your own but it's worth it when you can freeze half. So I bought enough chicken for a double batch, rolled up my sleeves and set to work. It turned out to be one of the best discoveries I've made on this journey of how to feed a family with no food waste! I had some stale cornflakes going to be binned, so I used them to coat the pieces of chicken in the hope that the nuggets would end up nice and crunchy. The boys were most impressed with the cornflake chicken nuggets so it's a good job I have more in the freezer!

Of course, I'm still busy using up our leftovers but we now have far less to contend with. Over the past few weeks I have been careful to weigh the correct amount of pasta, rice and potatoes instead of just making wild guesses! I still managed to make too much porridge at the weekend but as it turned out, this was no bad thing. I stirred natural yogurt and frozen fruit into the leftover porridge and my elder son happily took it to school in his lunchbox. The frozen fruit defrosted throughout the morning and kept his little pudding nice and cool. He adored it and insists that I make too much porridge next time!

This week, I also ended up making smoothies for myself and my 3-year-old. When checking the contents of our fridge, I'd discovered that some of the kids' yogurts were 2 days past their sell by date. Whoops! Normally, I would have thrown them away but on this occasion, I decided to perform the 'sniff test' - after all we're trying to learn how to feed a family without any food waste - and it's going well so far! After acknowledging that the yogurts smelt fine, I added them to some frozen fruit and made smoothies. Although my son and I both shivered while we drank the ice cold smoothies, we both lived to tell the tale, despite the out of date yogurts!

What did Annalise learn about her family's food habits?

This challenge of how to feed a family with no food waste has also drawn my attention to the food that's been stored in our freezer for way too long. This week I pulled some long forgotten tortilla wraps out from under a bag of frozen peas, which must have been in there for over a year! The wraps were so brittle that they broke into multiple pieces. I also discovered another packet of tortilla wraps, which were still edible (yes, I had two packets!) so I made them into pizzas with my younger boy. I had some leftover passata in the freezer which I used to make a great tomato sauce. We then sprinkled over some onion, sweetcorn and cheese. They were so quick to make and we all loved them. In an effort to use up all the abandoned food in our freezer, I also turned a packet of puff pastry into cheese and pickle pinwheels for lunch. They were demolished in less than 5 minutes! Why hadn't I thought to do this sooner?!

This challenge has been such a learning curve. I had thought my family might struggle to eat every bite, but it is actually fairly easy to achieve. Once I was aware that food waste costs the average household in the UK £470 a year, I knew I had to take action. Realising that I could save at least £10 each week was a big incentive to make a change. We have cut down our food waste to the minimum and our compost bin is no longer overflowing!

Over the past 4 weeks I've figured out how to feed a family with no food waste: stale bread has been made into bread pudding and breadcrumbs, potato and carrot peel have been transformed into delicious crisps, tired vegetables have gone into homemade burgers, leftover Bolognese turned into a warming chilli, orange peel into addictive candied peel and SO much more. There is such a sense of satisfaction when every last scrap of food is eaten. It's also a great feeling to have saved almost £50 from making such simple and easy changes. I used to be guilty of throwing fruit and vegetables away when they looked a bit sad or for forgetting to use up the yogurt or cream that had been pushed to the back of the fridge. Now I know that, with just a little bit of planning and thought, there is no reason for throwing away perfectly edible food. With just a little bit of thinking power, we can make a change.

Tips for how to feed a family with no food waste:

• Freeze leftover mashed potato: Make fish cakes or bubble and squeak!
• Don't throw away stale bread: Make it into breadcrumbs, bread pudding or make your own stuffing.
• When you cook a meal, make double and freeze half: It's so handy to have a homemade meal in the freezer for those busy days!
• If you find some tired-looking potatoes, don't throw them away: Pre-cook them for 5-10 mins in boiling water, then freeze them. You will have almost instant roast potatoes for your next Sunday lunch!
• If you have leftover pasta: make a pasta salad and enjoy it for lunch the next day.
• Check your fruit bowl, vegetables, fridge and freezer before shopping: Use up what you already have before you add more!

MORE: Find out what Anneliese has got in her fridge and freezer end of the challenge

If you've enjoyed learning all about Anneliese's journey to feed a family with no food waste, you can find so many fantastic ideas and interesting recipes on the GoodtoKnow site, from easy and cheap family meals to healthy alternatives to all your favourite foods.

Want to know how to feed a family of 4 for £20 a week? Mummy blogger Anneliese Giggins gave it her best shot!

Mummy blogger Anneliese Giggins shows how to feed a family of 4 for £20 a week! She just loves a challenge.

Last time it was homemade food, this time she's trying to feed her family of 4 for only £20 a week - yes, really! Read our exclusive blog to see how she got on. Over to you Anneliese...

How to feed a family of 4 for £20 a week - what's it all about Anneliese?

I think it's fair to say I like a challenge but I'm wondering if I may have set the bar too high this time. For 30 days I will be scrutinising every single price label, my calculator will be dusted off and put to daily use. Each potato, piece of pasta, smear of margarine, in fact every item of food which passes my family's lips will be calculated and I will be keeping a very beady eye on the shopping receipts.

Yes, yes, YES, this may seem rather a boring activity but it's all for a good reason, I promise! I think we are all aware that food prices are sky high nowadays and they continue to rise. An average family of four will spend at least £225 a month on food (according to Office for National Statistics) and I'm sure some of us spend even more, especially when celebrating special occasions such as birthdays and Christmas.

Anneliese, husband Neil and her two little boys, Isaac and Oliver

A fair few of us now prefer to carry out the weekly or monthly shop online, however some still prefer to be the one to choose and pick out food at the supermarket or local grocery and butcher. Whichever way we choose, most of us feel our heart sink when we see the grand total and begrudgingly reach into our wallet. We are left wondering if we have enough money in the bank to cover the monthly utility bills, will there be any cash left over to treat the kids to a day out?

I admit that I've become guilty of just shoving food into our shopping trolley without always searching the shelves for a cheaper alternative. Before the children came along, I had more time to look for bargains but, when the boys are arguing in the shopping trolley, all I want is to make a hasty exit from the overcrowded supermarket and get the hell out of there! Once I get home and unpack the food, I can't believe how much money was spent and how little food we have to show for it.

See Anneliese's first food shop receipt here and this week's grand total

On that note I want to carry out a little experiment to see if our family of four can survive on spending just £20 a week on food. Can we get to the end of the 30 days well fed on such a small budget? I don't think it would be good parenting to feed my children gruel for breakfast, lunch and dinner, so I will be hunting out the cheapest but also the most nutritious recipes I can find. And in terms of the food shop I will be doing one bulk shop at the beginning of the challenge and smaller shops over the 4 weeks. My budget it £80 for the month levelling out as £20 per week.

So here's to 30 days of analysing every till receipt, counting out grains of rice and making every carrot count! There will be no room for waste; every morsel of food we buy MUST be eaten. Hopefully along the way I can find easy ways to make savings, crafty recipes which don't rely on expensive ingredients. We might even save enough money to replace our very old TV!

Total of money spent so far = £49.94

 Week 1: The good, the bad and the 'what was I thinking?'

The first week of my challenge has come to a close. For the past seven days I have been counting my pennies and making sure that I make them go as far as possible. When shopping, I no longer notice the branded tins of baked beans or chopped tomatoes and my hand automatically reaches for the cheaper value option instead. Although I am only at the end of week one, I already feel I have learned so much. It's almost as if I am learning a new language, but instead I'm educating myself on how to make savings on food. It certainly is a big learning curve!

Get the recipe: Tomato risotto and garlic bread = £2.10

When I think about what has challenged me and my family most this first week, I immediately think of the boredom! The food is so repetitive. It doesn't take long to go off Cornflakes and I'm not sure that porridge in August is such a great idea! The daily snacks like biscuits and malt loaf are also wearing thin but, funnily enough, my boys seem perfectly content with what they are given. Maybe it's just Neil and I that are being fussy! The evening meal is a saving grace as we don't feel as though we are doing without. We've been making risotto, spag Bol, pasta salads and more! I'm preparing our usual fare and simply making deductions, choosing cheaper ingredients and shopping in a budget supermarket.

Despite the monotony of some of the food, the buzz of saving money at the cash till more than compensates! After our first bulk buy we still needed to stock up on things such as sausages, pasta and rice but, by choosing the cheaper alternatives, we managed to walk away from the cash till with a spring in our step rather than a heavy heart! Of course it was hard to resist grabbing a packet of burgers or a pizza but we found ourselves tutting at the expensive price labels and walking away!

Get the recipe: Penne Bolognese = £1.60

Although my week was lacking in food excitement, things were livened up with an interview for BBC Radio Oxford. I went along to the studio to talk about my new challenge and to chat on the phone to a member of the BBC Good Food Magazine team and to none other than Jack Monroe. And I must say I was rather star struck to get to talk to Jack Monroe and to hear her great hints and tips.

Even though she no longer lives on a harsh budget of £10 per week, she can still recite the price of a tin of kidney beans and chopped tomatoes etc. I felt humbled to hear how Jack had to survive for 18 months on such a repetitive menu and an incredibly small amount of money. I know for a fact that there are many others who just manage to scrape by.

See Anneliese's second food shop receipts here and this week's grand total

From my time at the radio station I learned that there are cheaper protein alternatives to meat, meals can be bulked out with beans and lentils or even tofu and great bargains are to be had at local farmers' markets; just go at the end of the day when things are being sold off cheap. I also learnt that frozen vegetables and fruit are often cheaper, last longer and are just as nutritious as the fresh version. And if there's the possibility of growing your own fruit and vegetables - go for it! I don't know what I would have done without my father-in-law's home grown cucumbers...

Week one round up

• Best thing we ate this week: We really enjoyed hummus with pitta bread and vegetable sticks. My younger son was particularly keen!
• Cheapest meal of the week: Homemade tuna fishcakes (I made enough fishcakes for three meals) with potato wedges and baked beans. £1.45 for the meal.
• Kids' favourite dish of the week: Tomato risotto with garlic bread. Clean plates all round!
• Failure of the week: Running out of milk and having to buy some from our village shop. Two pints of milk cost 89p instead of 95p for FOUR pints of milk at Aldi. That was painful and will not be repeated!
• Best thing I learned this week: When making risotto save a lot of pennies by using basic white rice. I used 'normal' rice for my tomato risotto and no one could tell the difference. Thanks to Jack Monroe for such a great tip!
• Thrifty trick of the week: I usually throw away pastry offcuts but not this time! There was a bit of leftover pastry from my quiche this week and I managed to make eight mini jam tarts out of it. A great treat for the kids (and Mummy and Daddy) and they only cost a few pence - result!

Quiche (£2.60 for 10inch) and jam tarts (15p) - made with the same pastry! Get the recipe: Broccoli quiche

Total of money spent so far = £69.62

 Week 2: Bargain hunting and lots of hummus

I'm now at the halfway point of the challenge. It's very probable that, from now on, I'll be counting down the days in anticipation of the end! We are not going hungry and are eating well, but I find myself hankering for the little extras I usually take for granted. Treats like a scoop of ice cream at the end of a warm summer's day or even fruit salad are off the menu. Instead we settle for a slice of slightly stale malt loaf or a Rich Tea biscuit, which sadly do little to fill the void!

Get the recipe: Hummus and carrot wraps = 24p each

This week, our breakfasts were either crunchy cornflakes or porridge with honey. I don't usually eat cooked breakfasts, but now all I want is a poached egg, baked beans, mushrooms, toast and lashings of ketchup. When it comes to lunchtime we embrace hummus and use it on anything and everything. My youngest, Oliver, loves it on toast, while the rest of us enjoy it in wraps with grated carrot, or as a dip with pitta bread and vegetable sticks. Unfortunately, I doubt it will be long before I'm sick of it!

Making pizzas with Isaac - Get the recipe: Cheese and onion pizza

We are still enjoying dinners, as we are managing to eat the same sort of meals we normally have, such as sausage hotpot, chilli with rice, and homemade pizza (now made with tomatoes from my father-in-law's garden). When I started this challenge my biggest worry was hunger. We have big appetites and I was obviously anxious that my children might not have enough to eat. However, we all go to bed with full tummies so we really can't complain. I just wish we could have a little more variety!

Chilli and rice = £1.90

At the weekend we went into town to compare prices at several £1 and 99p stores. I found some good deals on branded products, but they still worked out a little dearer than the value brands at a bargain supermarket. There might be only a few pence difference, but every penny adds up. After leaving empty-handed, we drove a few miles to our local farm shop on a hunt for potatoes. The shop was beautiful and there was plenty of delicious food on display. It broke my heart to only buy a bag of muddy potatoes! However, we were pleased with the price as we managed to buy twenty for £2.50. This meant we have enough money to buy some hummus for next week. Hurrah!

Our supermarket shop was very small this week - just a few essentials, like milk and bread. I had to control an urge to throw packets of fresh pasta and tubs of ice cream into my basket. I feel increasingly grateful that I don't have to continue living on such a rigid budget once the challenge is over.

See Anneliese's third food shop receipt here and this week's grand total

Week two round up

Best thing we ate this week: Homemade pizza. I love making pizza when I get the time, but this challenge made it a necessity. We thoroughly enjoyed preparing and scoffing it!

Cheapest meal of the week: Jack Monroe's carrot, cumin and kidney bean burgers with potato wedges and baked beans. £1.03 for the meal.

Kids' favourite dish of the week: Homemade gnocchi in a homemade tomato sauce, with a sprinkle of grated cheese on top, plus garlic bread. My children barely came up for air as they polished it all off!

Failure of the week: Maybe the boys are hungrier than I thought, as I found them sitting on the kitchen floor eating breadsticks. Now we only have four left to last for two weeks. Eeek!

Best thing I learned this week: Cheese is expensive and I'm trying to use as little as possible. Previously I would add as much as a recipe stated but now I add it to taste. Making a cheese sauce, I added half of what I would usually just by ignoring the scales, adding it little by little and having a taste.

Thrifty trick of the week: Instead of adding a whole tin of sweetcorn to my sausage hotpot, I kept half back and used the remainder in a pasta salad. You can do the same with a tin of tuna or beans, saving half for another meal.

 Week 3: Blackberries to the rescue!

It's the end of week three. Our fridge is looking bare and the fruit bowl now sits empty on our dining room table. Our boys prefer vegetables to fruit, but we normally fill the bowl with bananas, oranges and apples to eat as a snack or after dinner. Thankfully we are eating nutritious, homemade meals every day and no ready meals or jars of sauce have passed our lips. However, I am aware that, in this third week, our five-a-day fruit and veg can't be reached. Most days we manage three or even four, but not five. When looking at the price of fruit in the supermarkets and at the farmers' market, it's easy to see how difficult it is to include fruit in your daily diet if you are on a tight budget.

To overcome our current predicament, a friend suggested we search hedgerows for blackberries, as they are currently in season. We donned our waterproofs and welly boots and headed for the field behind our house. We got decidedly soggy in the pouring rain but had fun as a family picking the blackberries and came back with a generous bounty, which we devoured with rice pudding!

Blackberry rice pudding = 15p for 4 servings

We are getting used to having the same lunches day in and day out. My youngest, Oliver, was delighted to have another tub of hummus to enjoy this week. He loves it on toast but enjoys dipping carrot and cucumber sticks into it, too. My elder son, Isaac, has never been keen on sandwiches but adores pitta breads filled with cucumber and a little mayonnaise and he tucks into his lunch without any fuss - hurrah!

As for snack time, the boys are still happily tucking into malt loaf. However, I can't face it anymore and neither can my husband - we would rather go without. My sweet tooth has been longing for something chocolatey so I made some chocolate cornflake cakes with Isaac at the beginning of the week. I was very glad that I'd bought some value chocolate at the start of the challenge, ready for such a moment! The sweet crunchy cakes were delicious and we are going to make another batch next week.

Chocolate cereal cakes = 38p total This third week also proved to be a social week. First, the boys and I were invited to a friend's house for a play date; lunch would be made for us. At first I wasn't sure if we should go as I was unable to contribute, but I realised that I couldn't stop my children from having fun and seeing their little friends. We were treated to delicious homemade carrot soup and Oliver couldn't get enough. I look forward to returning the favour once this challenge is finished!

On Saturday we had friends over to our house for lunch and I had a massive panic about what I could feed them. Neil suggested homemade pizzas. It worked out perfectly - Isaac helped me and there was plenty of pizza to go round so no one starved, as I had originally feared. This challenge doesn't exactly lend itself to social occasions but we managed to scrape through!

Sausage and mash = £2.24 total

There are still no complaints at dinnertime. We have been enjoying things such as sausages with mash and vegetables, a potato and chickpea curry, and spicy mixed bean tortillas. Sadly I only have a small piece of cheese left for the last week of the challenge. I will have to be very, very sparing as I simply have no money left for more!

See Anneliese's fourth food shop receipt here and this week's grand total

Week three round up

Best thing we ate this week: We love our weekly pasta salad. I chop up some boiled eggs, slice up cucumber and tomatoes and stir in some mayonnaise. Yum!

Cheapest meal of the week: Homemade tomato pasta sauce with pasta and garlic bread. £1.25

Kids' favourite dish of the week: Sausages with mashed potato, carrots, peas and gravy. £2.24

Failure of the week: Finding a mouldy onion and having to throw it away. I bought two bags of onions at the beginning of the challenge; I should have purchased one at a time to avoid waste.

Best thing I learned this week: It's worth getting outdoors and scrimping for fruit. I can't believe I never thought of doing this before!

Thrifty trick of the week: For a cheap tomato pasta sauce, I gently fry a chopped onion in a little oil then pour in two tins of chopped tomatoes and gently simmer for around 20 minutes until the tomatoes turn to a thick pulpy consistency. It's then ready to eat with pasta and a grating of cheese!

Total of money spent so far = £79.92

 Week 4: Done and dusted

The challenge is now over and I am breathing a sigh of relief. This final week was the toughest yet and I honestly wasn't sure if we could scrape by with what little food we had. We didn't go over our budget but the last few meals were far from exciting. My boys really enjoy my tomato risotto and have come to expect an obligatory slice of garlic bread to be served alongside. Imagine their disappointment when not only did I leave the cheese out of the risotto but also that there was no garlic bread to accompany their meal. I was out of money and we had to make do with what we had. I simply added more rice to the risotto so we still had full tummies; I think I was just about forgiven!

There was also no money to buy bread so I made my own this week. I enjoyed venting my frustrations as I kneaded the dough. However the loaves I produced were not as big as the loaves you can buy. They also do not keep well. This made me question what is added to shop bought bread to make it keep for longer, not a nice thought.

Carrot soup and homemade bread = 50p for 4 servings

We had lots of carrots in stock this week and I was keen to use them up so I decided to make a big batch of carrot soup. I admit that it wasn't the most flavoursome of soups, but it was packed full of vitamin A and there was enough for two lunches. Obviously soup wasn't enough to keep us going until dinnertime so it was served with some of my homemade bread. I felt very virtuous to know that I had made both with my own two hands. I have made a mental note to try to make my own soup in future!

This week Isaac was keen to help me in the kitchen again. We made chocolate cornflake cakes which helped to satisfy my chocolate cravings and we also made a small batch of ice lollies. A friend of mine makes lollies with just banana and milk and they are surprisingly tasty. Isaac was perfectly content chopping up a banana and pushing the button on the blender. He then thoroughly enjoyed his refreshing banana ice lolly.

Ice lollies = 35p for 4

Although a few of our meals this week were disappointing, mostly due to the lack of cheese, we did manage to enjoy a roast dinner. We had to opt for sausages. However I pushed the boat out and made some Yorkshire puddings, which felt like a real luxury! On our last day we were completely out of food apart from a tin of baked beans and some stale bread but, instead of finishing off the challenge with beans on toast, I made a baked bean 'pie' as suggested by Donna, who has been following the blog. It made a more interesting alternative and was much enjoyed. The baked bean pie was followed by a tin of peaches. What a classy way to finish the challenge!

Sausage roast dinner with homemade Yorkshires = £2.60 for 4 servings

Week four round up

Best thing we ate this week: Sausages with homemade Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, broccoli, carrots, peas and gravy.

Cheapest meal of the week: It has to be the baked bean pie!

Kids' favourite dish of the week: Tuna pasta bake

Failure of the week: Discovering that I have an unopened bag of rice and pasta left over. Had I planned better I could have used that money on some fruit. I'm SO cross with myself!

Best thing I learned this week: It's amazing how much soup can be made from just a few veggies. It only costs a few pence to make a simple soup. I cooked up a big batch and put half in the fridge for another day.

Thrifty trick of the week: It's better to buy loose vegetables so you can weigh them on the scales and buy exactly what you need. No waste and will save a little money.

Grand total of money spent = £79.92 - in budget!

*Download Anneliese's meal list and prices here*

 Week five: Looking back...

My challenge has come to an end and in all honesty it couldn't have come soon enough! We have been eating either cornflakes or porridge for breakfast for 30 days but I may as well have been chewing on cardboard. I do not rate the value cornflakes and will be glad to be rid of them! On the other hand the lunches have been more varied and we will happily continue to eat salad sandwiches, pasta salad, pitta breads and hummus. I was surprised by how I could slightly modify our evening meals and still put filling and nutritious meals on the table. No one felt unsatisfied and we never felt hungry. If I'm honest I wondered if might have lost some weight during the challenge but no, I didn't lose an ounce! I think this shows that we ate well and didn't go without.

I believe we saved a lot of money by simply switching our usual supermarket to a bargain supermarket and I am sure that this was the key to getting through to the end of the challenge. However, when you only pay 15p for a tin of rice pudding or 29p for a jar of jam you start to question the quality. I checked labels and was surprised to see that the value jam contained the same amount of fruit as a far more expensive brand and had less added sugar! Sadly, my euphoria was soon dashed when I discovered that the tins of baked beans I'd been using contained 7g more sugar than the beans we usually buy. When it came to salt I couldn't see much variation between brands so that helped me to feel a little more positive!

Get the recipe: Spicy mixed bean tortillas = 68p per portion

I required a lot of chopped tomatoes for the challenge and, after eating our way through 15 value tins, I have no complaints at all and will definitely buy them again. The one thing I will never buy again was the sunflower oil spread; it was horrible. When spread on hot toast or a jacket potato it left an oily layer and never really melted.

The meat was a fair quality but the sausages were 'watery' and lacked flavour. My husband feels strongly about only using local and well reared meat so I'm sure we will go back to visiting the butchers. No one wants to spend ages checking labels but I do think you get what you pay for when it comes to such things as baked beans, bread and meat. However, don't be put off, as you can make great savings on many other products such as dried pasta, milk, eggs, flour, chopped tomatoes, fruit and vegetables. The list goes on!

This challenge was to try to find out if it really is possible to feed a family of four for just £20 a week. I realise it would be harder with teenagers but my children are still small; maybe I'll have to repeat the process in 10 years time - or maybe not! Yes, the challenge is just about possible, most things are, if you really set your mind to it or you are without choice BUT is it an enjoyable experience? No.

After the first week, I could already see where I had previously wasted money, by the end of week two I was very grateful that I did not have to do this for longer than 30 days and by the end of the challenge I knew I wouldn't want to do this again. We managed to eat well but this tight budget does not allow for much variety or the ability to regularly meet your 5-a-day target. Fresh fruit and vegetables come at a high cost, so cheap carrots, broccoli, apples and bananas are the order of the day. I don't know if I could have managed without my father-in-law's home-grown cucumbers and tomatoes. It is definitely worth trying to grow a few vegetables and fruit if there is space in your garden. We have strawberry plants but they were sadly out of season during the challenge!

Get the recipe: Pasta salad = 17p per portion (with homegrown veg)

If you are in a position where you only have a small amount of money to spend on food you have to make choices. Would you be able to worry about added sugar? Do you buy a punnet of grapes for £1.25 or do you use the money to buy ingredients for a main meal? The answer is that you have to make do and, as long as you are making the most of what you have and are putting food on the table, you are doing well.

I have learned so much throughout these 30 days. I'm able to buy certain foods far cheaper at a bargain supermarket. I know that using white rice instead of risotto rice makes no difference and I realise that I can make satisfying family meals that don't cost the earth. You can usually take things out of a recipe or make substitutions and not notice the difference. It is certainly far cheaper to make meals from scratch than it is to buy a ready meal, jar of sauce or a takeaway, not to mention healthier!

I walk away from this challenge grateful that I can indulge in a tub of ice cream tonight and feel lucky to be able to stop living on such little money. However, I am aware that we still have a budget for our food shopping and I am determined to continue to make savings on what we buy. Certainly not £20 a week; £30 would be far more achievable!

Budget recipes from the challenge

How to feed a family of 4 for £20 a week - our favourite budget recipes the challenge...

Tomato risotto               Broccoli quiche

Penne Bolognese                  Cheese and onion pizza

Spicy mixed bean tortillas              Cucumber and tomato pasta salad

Feeling inspired to the challenge? Do you have any tips on how to feed a family of 4 for £20 a week you'd like to share? Head over to our Facebook page to join the conversation! 

These lovely and fun jazzy biscuits are a great one to whip up for little ones. Bright, colourful and delicious, they'll go down a treat at kids' parties - or as a special after-school treat.

Our mummy blogger Anneliese says: 'I love these buttery shortbread biscuits smothered in melted white chocolate and covered in a generous layer of colourful sprinkles! They're so easy and fun to make with young children - and only a few ingredients are needed. My little boy and his daddy share a love for Jazzy sweets and I adore shortbread, so I thought it only natural to put the two together! They make a great combination. I hope you enjoy making these jazzy shortbread biscuits as much as we did.'

Ingredients

• 100g butter, softened
• 50g caster sugar
• 150g plain flour
• 100g white chocolate, melted
• Lots and lots of sprinkles!

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2.
2. Dig out your largest baking tray. If it is a good size you will be able to fit on all of your biscuits, which equals less washing up - always a good thing! Pass a little piece of butter to your child and ask if they can grease the tray.
3. Place your mixing bowl onto the scales and carefully measure in the soft butter and caster sugar. Break up the butter a little so that it is easier for your helper to combine it with the sugar. With a wooden spoon they can mix the two ingredients together until there are no lumps and the mixture looks creamy and smooth.
4. Help your child weigh in the plain flour and stir into the buttery mixture. If you try to bring the mixture together with the spoon you may be there for some time. It is so much easier and quicker to use your hands. The children will love sticking their hands in and getting sticky! As soon as your mixture has transformed into a smooth ball of dough place it onto a lightly floured worktop. Dab a little flour onto a rolling pin and, with the assistance of your helper, roll the dough out to approximately ¼ inch thick.
5. Spend ten minutes searching through your kitchen drawers for a smooth edged 2½ inch round cutter (or is that just me?). Your child will no doubt want to cut out all of the biscuits, without any help. However, be prepared to be called upon to re-roll the dough in between! It might be an idea to get your little one to dip their cutter in flour to make it easier to pull the dough away.
6. Once all of the biscuits are on the baking tray, place them into the warm oven. The biscuits should take between 15 and 20 minutes to cook, but do keep a keen eye on them. Biscuits are notorious for turning from anaemic white to dark brown very quickly!
7. When the shortbread is a very pale golden colour and firm to the touch, they are done. Leave on the baking tray to cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. While the biscuits are cooling, you can melt the chocolate. If your child has strong fingers they can break up the bar of white chocolate and place it into a microwavable bowl. Place the bowl into the microwave and melt the chocolate on a moderate to high heat in short, sharp blasts.
9. Once the biscuits are cold it is time for the decorating. Your little helper could spoon a little chocolate on top of each biscuit or dip the top of each biscuit into the bowl of chocolate. Liberally sprinkle your sprinkles!! Try to ignore the sound of sprinkles merrily bouncing off the edge of the worktop and onto the floor.
10. Leave the chocolate to set (if you are able to wait) then tuck in.

Our mummy blogger Anneliese says: 'Young children can be fickle creatures. Offer them a sandwich sliced into squares and be prepared for upturned noses. Use the same bread and filling but roll it up and you'll encounter eager smiles and full tummies. This is such an easy activity to carry out with your child and even the youngest helper can join in. Let them choose their own fillings and you may find that even the fussiest eater will be more willing to try new flavours and textures. Your child will love to put these cute roll up sandwiches in their school lunch box and tell all their friends that they made their own lunch!'

Ingredients

• 2 slices of bread per person
• Margarine or butter for spreading

A selection of fillings such as:

• Cream cheese and pickle
• Grated cheese and ham
• Grated carrot and hummus
• Peanut butter and strawberry/raspberry jam (omit peanut butter if taking into school)
• Nutella
• Mashed banana

Method

1. First of all, carefully slice the crusts from the bread. The leftover crusts can be put into a food processor to make breadcrumbs, or you could toast them and use for 'croutons' in soup.
2. Now it's time for your child to get involved. Pass your helper a rolling pin and ask them to roll each slice of bread as thin as possible. Keep a watchful eye so that they don't get too carried away and make gaping holes!
3. Once the slices of bread are suitably flat and thin, your little helper can use a table knife to spread on the filling, starting with the margarine or butter.
4. If you choose to use grated cheese or carrot in your roll ups then it's best for you to do the grating, but children will love the job of sprinkling it over the bread.
5. Mashed banana is a great filling as your little helper can use the back of a fork to mash the banana. There will be a great level of satisfaction to have mastered every step by themselves!
6. Whatever filling you decide to use, now is the time to roll up the bread. Make sure that the shortest edge is closest to you and firmly roll the bread up into a spiral.
7. If you have time, wrap the rolled sandwich in a piece of cling film, store in the fridge for a little while and then slice into three or four pieces - or eat straight away!

Homemade iced gems are a wonderful childhood favourite - here's how to make your own! This simple recipe is perfect for young helpers to get involved in the entire process. They can roll and cut out the biscuit dough, transform the icing into pretty colours and practise their piping skills. These homemade iced gem biscuits are great fun for a child's party or for a lovely homemade treat.

Love baking? We've got loads more delicious biscuit recipe ideas right here.

Ingredients

• 35g unsalted butter, softened
• 15g caster sugar
• 50g plain flour
• 150g royal icing sugar
• 25-30ml water
• your choice of food colouring gels

Method

1. First of all, line a baking tray with a piece of baking paper. Place to one side.
2. Place the softened butter and caster sugar into a medium-sized mixing bowl. You can either use an electric hand whisk or a wooden spoon to cream the two ingredients together. If you are using a wooden spoon, make sure the butter is super soft to make it easier for your child to mix.
3. Weigh the flour into the creamed butter and sugar and stir to combine. The mixture may look dry and crumbly at first. Use your hands to bring the mixture together and form it into a ball.
4. To avoid a mess, roll out the dough between two pieces of cling film. This means that you will not need to flour the worktop or add unnecessary flour to the dough as you roll it out.
5. Your little helper can now roll the dough to around the thickness of a pound coin. Use either a cake corer or the round end of a piping nozzle to cut out the small circles. A cake corer is ideal for the job as the plunger makes it easy to push out the dough. If using a piping nozzle, you may need to use a cocktail stick to carefully extract the dough from the nozzle.
6. Place the circles of dough onto the lined baking tray and place into the fridge to chill for around 30 minutes. This will help to stop the dough spreading or losing its shape in the oven later on.
7. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Take the tray of dough from the fridge and place the tray straight into the preheated oven. Cook the biscuits for 8-10 minutes. They should stay a pale colour, so keep a keen eye on them! Once the tiny biscuits are cooked, place onto a wire rack to cool.
8. Meanwhile, make the royal icing for the pretty finishing touch. Place the royal icing sugar into a mixing bowl; there's no need to sieve, hurrah! Carefully measure the water and pour into the bowl.
9. Start to whisk the royal icing sugar and water together with an electric whisk, on low speed. Slowly increase the speed once the water has been incorporated into the icing sugar. Keep whisking for around 3 minutes, until the mixture starts to form stiff peaks. It will need to hold its shape when piped.
10. Separate the royal icing between little bowls. How many bowls depends on how many colours you use. Your child can stir the gel food colouring into the icing. You only need a little to make a bold colour.
11. As you will only have a small amount of icing for each colour, you can use small piping bags or sandwich bags, fitted with a small flower nozzle.
12. Simply squeeze a little icing onto each biscuit in a mixture of colours, otherwise keep things simple and use just one colour. Leave the royal icing to set for a few hours before tucking in. The biscuits will keep in an airtight container for 2 days.

Make a cheap cucumber and tomato pasta salad like our mummy blogger Anneliese, who says: 'We eat a lot of pasta in our house, so thank goodness you can buy it at a very reasonable price. We tend to buy a big bag at the beginning of the month and eat it in a variety of meals. Sometimes it makes a nice change to have a simple pasta salad for lunch or perhaps for an evening meal during the warm summer months. I often make a big batch before I head up to bed. I then separate it out, so that there is some for my husband to take to work, a helping for my son's lunchbox and enough for me and my toddler to eat at home. I just have to remember to take them out of the fridge in the morning!'

Ingredients

• 250g pasta, such as penne
• 2 eggs
• Half a cucumber, chopped
• 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3-4tbsp mayonnaise

Method

1. First of all place your pasta and eggs in a large saucepan and cover in water from the tap. This means you can cook your pasta and eggs together and save on a bit on your gas or electricity bill!
2. Place the saucepan on the hob over a moderate heat and bring to a rolling boil. Follow the instructions on the packet of pasta to predict cooking time but both the pasta and eggs should be cooked in about 10 minutes.
3. Once both ingredients are cooked through, it's time to drain the pasta and eggs into a colander, then pour over some cold water to cool things down. The cold water will help stop the pasta sticking together. Tip the cold pasta back into the saucepan.
4. When the eggs are cool enough to touch, peel away the shell then slice into chunks and add to the pasta in the pan.
5. Now add the chopped cucumber and halved cherry tomatoes.
6. Measure in the mayonnaise and give the mixture a good stir. Tuck in straight away or store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Make your own Penguin bars with this biscuit recipe from mummy blogger Anneliese, who says: 'Children will love finding one of these chocolate homemade Penguin bars tucked into their lunchbox or when they arrive home from school. Crisp chocolate biscuits sandwiched with Nutella and coated in smooth milk chocolate.'

Ingredients

For the biscuits:

• 50g unsalted butter, softened
• 50g light brown sugar
• 1tbsp golden syrup
• 100g plain flour
• 25g cocoa powder
• 1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 to 3tsp milk

For the filling:

• 75g Nutella

For the chocolate coating:

• 125g milk chocolate

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 3. Cut to size a piece of greaseproof paper/baking parchment and use it to line a baking tray.
2. Now the soft butter and light brown sugar can be weighed into your mixing bowl. Your little helper can get busy creaming the two together until light and fluffy. It does take a little bit of muscle, so don't be surprised if your biceps are called to the rescue!
3. Once the butter and sugar are beautifully combined, beat in the golden syrup. Not only will it add more sweetness but it will loosen up the mixture a little bit too.
4. It's time to weigh out the dry ingredients. Grab another mixing bowl and weigh in the plain flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda. Your child will no doubt be keen to get sifting, so let them sift the dry ingredients in to join the butter, sugar and golden syrup. Help them out by adding the floury mixture to their sieve a spoonful at a time.
5. Give the mixture a bit of a mix and then add the little bit of milk. The mixture will look dry and you may doubt it will ever come together; don't panic! Your child can get stuck in with their little hands; they will love to pretend it's mud! It will take about a minute before it comes together and forms into a smooth ball of dough.
6. Dig out your trusty rolling pin. If you have baking paper or cling film going spare use that to line your worktop. This will save you using too much flour, which can make the biscuits a little dry.
7. Ask your little one if they would like to roll out the dough. It needs to be rolled out to about a ¼ inch thick so you can use a ruler to show them how thick it needs to be.
8. I don't have a rectangular cutter, so I used my ruler once more to mark out the rectangle shapes that measured approximately 1¼ in across and 3in long, then cut to size with a table knife. You could of course use a sharp knife if your child isn't around!
9. Carefully transfer from worktop to the lined baking tray. This could be a stressful experience if your little helper is keen to grab up the dough and shove it on the tray. My three year old (bless him) picks his biscuit dough up in a precarious fashion and they can end up a bit squished! I quickly put the dough onto the tray, but he has his own few to do and it doesn't matter if those end up in interesting shapes!
10. Leave the biscuits to cook in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Once cooked, place onto a wire rack to cool. They will still feel soft when you take them from the oven. Do not fear they crisp up whilst they cool!
11. When the biscuits are cold, they can be sandwiched together with the Nutella. You could warm the Nutella in the microwave for a few seconds to make it easier for your child to spread on the biscuits.
12. Find a microwaveable bowl, one that isn't too deep for children to reach into. Ask your helper to break up the bar of milk chocolate into it. Place into the microwave and melt on a medium to high heat in a short blast of about 10 to 20 seconds. Keep a close eye as burnt chocolate is vile!
13. Carefully roll each sandwiched biscuit around in the melted chocolate. Prepare yourself for an almost unrecognisable child as chocolate appears over not only their hands but also all over their face, arms and quite probably hair!
14. Leave the biscuits to dry on a sheet of greaseproof paper/baking parchment. Enjoy!

No bake Snickers bars can be prepared in under an hour and there's no need for a long list of ingredients or a sugar thermometer. These treats are made with layers of melted chocolate, peanut butter and marshmallow, along with a seriously easy cheat's caramel. Children will be able to help weigh the ingredients, add the layers to the tin and older children can help with stirring duty. There's lots of fun to be had with these bars but, be warned, they are dangerously addictive!

Ingredients

For the chocolate and peanut butter mixture:

• 300g milk chocolate
• 125g smooth peanut butter

For the marshmallow mixture:

• 275g white mini marshmallows
• 25g butter
• 100g smooth peanut butter

For the ‘caramel’ layer:

• 400g toffees
• 60ml double cream
• 75g salted peanuts

Method

1. The first task is to weigh the milk chocolate. Ask your child to help break it up into squares and place into a medium-sized microwaveable bowl. Add125g smooth peanut butter to the chocolate and melt them together in the microwave. Heat in 20 second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate and peanut butter are melted, smooth and combined.
2. Take an 8 inch square, deep baking tin and line it with cling film. Pour half the melted chocolate and peanut butter mixture into the base of the tin. Use the back of a spoon to guide the chocolate mixture across the tin in an even layer. Place into the fridge to set, for around 15 minutes, while you get on with the next layer.
3. Find another medium-sized microwaveable mixing bowl and ask your child to weigh in the marshmallows and butter. Place into the microwave and heat on high, in 20 second intervals, stirring in between, until the marshmallows and butter have melted. Your little helper can now weigh in 100g smooth peanut butter. Give it a stir and then place back into the microwave for 15 seconds. This will help the peanut butter to combine into the marshmallow mixture.
4. Take the baking tin out of the fridge and check to see if the chocolate mixture has set. If it hasn't, return the fridge for a few more minutes. If it has, pour the melted marshmallow mixture over the set chocolate base. Place the tin back into the fridge.
5. Now it's time to make the 'caramel' layer. If you have individually wrapped toffees, pass them to your little helper as they will love opening up the wrappers! Place the toffees into a saucepan and add the double cream. Heat the toffees and cream over a low heat and keep stirring until the toffees have melted - young children will need to stand back at this point, as the toffee mixture will become extremely hot!
6. Stir the peanuts into the melted toffee mixture.
7. Once the toffee mixture has cooled down for a few minutes, it's time to retrieve the baking tin from the fridge. Pour the melted toffees over the marshmallow layer and smooth over with the back of a spoon or a palette knife. Place the tin back into the fridge again, for about 15 minutes.
8. Once the toffee mixture has set, take the tin out of the fridge and pour the remaining melted chocolate and peanut butter mixture over the 'caramel' layer. Place it back into the fridge for its final visit, and leave until set! This will take 1- 2 hours.
9. Once set, take the tin from the fridge and let your bars come up to room temperature. You will need a sharp knife to slice through all the delicious, chewy layers and cut into bars.

These spicy mixed bean tortillas are especially great if you've got to get somewhere in a hurry as they're quick and so easy to make. 

Mummy blogger Anneliese, who created these, says: "Evening meals can easily become repetitive, so I am always trying to think of new ideas to keep the kids interested. Wraps are a big hit in our house so I set about incorporating them into a meal. The kidney beans and mixed beans are a great source of protein and are very good value. This really is a quick dinner to put together so is perfect for a busy weekday when time is limited." Using mainly store cupboard ingredients, this is a great budget dinner, one of our best cheap family meals.

Ingredients

• 1tbsp oil for cooking and extra for greasing
• 8 garlic and coriander tortilla wraps, or plain if preferred
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 400g can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 400g can of mixed beans in a mild chilli sauce
• 100g mature cheddar cheese, grated

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas mark 5. Use a little oil to grease a large ovenproof dish.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan to fry the diced onion and carrot gently. Cook over a moderate heat for 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Don't forget to give it a stir from time to time!
3. Now add your can of chopped tomatoes, kidney beans and mixed beans to the frying pan and give all the ingredients a good mix. Continue to cook for approximately 5 minutes.
4. Divide half the grated cheese between each of the eight wraps, and then divide the bean mixture between them.
5. When the wraps are filled they are ready to be rolled up and placed in to the ovenproof dish, seam side down.
6. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the wraps and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Top tip for making spicy mixed bean tortillas

If you don't have wraps you could always serve this spicy bean mix with rice instead like a veggie chilli.

Make a budget cheese and onion pizza like our mummy blogger Anneliese, who says: 'I am a real fan of homemade pizza. Not only is it healthier to make your own but it is also far cheaper. Flour and yeast can be purchased for just a few pence and, if you choose your toppings carefully, you can enjoy two homemade pizzas for just £1. Another bonus is that the children can get involved by helping to knead the dough and by adding toppings to the pizza. I think that when children help in the kitchen then they are more inclined to try what they have produced. The only trouble is that my four year old now wants to make pizza every day!'

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 225g plain flour
• 2tsp fast action yeast
• 1tsp sugar
• 1tsp salt
• 150ml tepid water
• Olive oil, for greasing

For the topping:

• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 onion, diced
• 2-3 tomatoes, sliced
• 50-75g Cheddar cheese, grated

Method

1. To make the dough: Weigh the flour, yeast, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. As you measure the ingredients into the bowl, try to avoid the salt and yeast touching as the salt inhibits the yeast.
2. Add the tepid water to the floury mixture and bring the ingredients together with your hands until you have a ball of dough.
3. Turn the dough out on to a floured worktop and knead for at least 8-10 minutes. It can get tedious after a while but it really is worth the effort!
4. When the ball of dough is smooth and springs back to the touch, place into a clean and oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with either a clean tea towel or a piece of oiled cling film. Leave the dough to rise for an hour; by then it should have doubled in size.
5. Just before your dough is ready to roll out, start to prepare the topping.
6. Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas mark 8.
7. Open up the tin of chopped tomatoes. If you have time, pour the chopped tomatoes into a microwavable bowl and heat in the microwave for a few minutes before using. This isn't necessary, but it does make the sauce slightly thicker and easier to spread.
8. Have your chopped onion, tomatoes and grated cheese by your side, ready to use.
9. Now it's time to roll out your dough. I tend to make two thin bases with my dough but you can make one large thicker pizza base. It's up to you! Just bear in mind that a thicker pizza base will take a little longer to cook.
10. Once your dough is rolled out cover it in a thin layer of chopped tomatoes. Spread too thickly and it could make for a soggy pizza and it will be tricky to eat. Less is more.
11. Sprinkle over the diced onions and sliced tomatoes before covering with a sprinkle of cheese.
12. Place your pizza into the preheated oven and cook for approximately 20 minutes, until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Slice and serve.

Make a budget broccoli quiche like our mummy blogger Anneliese, who says: 'A quiche is such a great frugal meal as you can make one large quiche and get two meals out of it. Perhaps any leftovers could be put into lunchboxes too. It's far cheaper to make your own pastry but, if time is limited, simply use readymade shortcrust pastry to speed up the process! This is a very simple recipe.'

Ingredients

For the shortcrust pastry:

• 125g unsalted butter, plus a little more for greasing
• 250g plain flour
• 3tbsp cold water to bind

(or approximately 250g readymade pastry)

For the filling:

• Oil or butter, for frying
• 1 small onion, finely sliced
• 1 large head of broccoli, florets only
• 120ml full-fat milk
• 3 large eggs
• 85g cheese, grated

You will also need:

• 10inch tin or pie dish

Method

1. Lightly grease your tin or pie dish. Weigh the flour into the bowl and add the butter (sliced into small cubes), then use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Use a blunt knife to stir in the water, a few drops at a time. Stop when the mixture starts to clump together. Gather the dough up into a ball and knead lightly for a few seconds.
3. Place the pastry between two pieces of cling film (this means you won’t risk adding more flour to the dough). Roll the dough out until it is about 3mm (1/8in) thick, then carefully transfer the pastry to your tin. Be sure to peel away the cling film! Shape the pastry to fit the tin and gently press into the corners.
4. To avoid a dreaded soggy bottom, blind bake the pastry case before adding the filling. Simply place a piece of greaseproof paper on top of the pastry case and fill with baking beans, uncooked rice or beans. Cook in the oven, at 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6 for around 20-30 minutes. Remove the baking beans and greaseproof paper before adding the filling.
5. Now it's time to turn your attention to the filling! First of all you will need to heat a little oil in a frying pan and gently cook the onion until soft, around 10 minutes.
6. While the onion cooks, chop up the broccoli; be sure to use just the florets and to slice into tiny pieces. This means you won’t need to pre-cook it, yay!
7. Spread the onion in the bottom of the pastry case, add the broccoli and sprinkle half of the cheese over it.
8. Beat together the eggs and milk. Pour the egg mixture over the onion, broccoli and cheese, then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
9. Turn the oven down to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4, place the quiche into the oven and cook for around 45 to 50 minutes, or until the filling has set and the cheese is golden brown.

Make these cheap carrot and hummus pinwheels like our mummy blogger Anneliese, who says: 'I love bread and could happily eat sandwiches until they come out of my ears, so I will never understand why both my boys turn their noses up in disgust. I suppose sandwiches can become boring to children if served up every single day! After a little experimentation, I struck gold when I presented my bread haters with wraps! They are perfect as they are easy to fill, roll and slice into pinwheels - or “wheels” as my four year old car enthusiast calls them.'

Ingredients

• 4 tortilla wraps
• 100g -125g hummus
• 2 carrots, grated

Method

1. Place your wraps on to a microwaveable plate and warm them in the microwave for a few seconds, each side - or follow the instructions provided on the packet.
2. Grab a table knife and evenly spread some of the hummus over each wrap. Be sure to spread the hummus right to the edge of the wrap.
3. Sprinkle the grated carrot over the hummus; you will need more carrot than you think!
4. Firmly roll up the wrap starting from the side closest to you, until you have created a tight roll.
5. You can now slice your rolled wrap into circles and eat straight away or, if time permits, you may wish to wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for a few hours or overnight before slicing.

These classic Bourbon biscuits make the perfect teatime treat. Intensely chocolatey biscuits are sandwiched with a delicious layer of Bourbon biscuit spread. You can whip up a batch in next to no time and they are so easy to make with little helpers! Keep the kids busy with weighing, mixing, rolling, spreading and of course, eating! These Bourbon biscuits would also look great packaged up as a gift for a loved one.

Ingredients

• 50g unsalted butter, softened
• 50g caster sugar
• 1tbsp golden syrup
• 100g plain flour
• 25g cocoa powder
• ½tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2-3tsp milk
• 200-250g Bourbon biscuit spread

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 150C, gas 2. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
2. Ask your child to help weigh the softened butter and sugar into a mixing bowl. You can use either an electric whisk or a wooden spoon to cream the two ingredients together. Obviously, an electric whisk will be quicker but some children may prefer to do it the old fashioned way!
3. Once the butter and sugar have combined into a light and fluffy mixture, it's time to add the golden syrup. Use your whisk or wooden spoon to beat the golden syrup into the buttery mixture.
4. Your little helper can now help to tip the flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda into the mixing bowl. Pass them a wooden spoon or spatula and let them gently fold the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture, until everything combines.
5. The mixture may seem on the dry side, so add in the few teaspoonfuls of milk and give the mixture one last mix. Your child can then put their clean hands into the bowl to bring all the dough together and form it into a smooth ball.
6. If you have some cling film, lay a piece out on your worktop; place the ball of dough on top, then lay another piece of cling film over the top of the dough. The cling film stops the dough from sticking to the worktop and rolling pin but, most importantly, it saves you from using flour when rolling out. Too much flour means dry biscuits!
7. Dig out your rolling pin and ask your child if they would like to roll out the biscuit dough. It needs to be rolled out to about 3mm thick.
8. If you do not own a suitable rectangular cutter, you can cut out the biscuits using a handmade stencil, measuring around 5cm x 3cm.
9. Carefully transfer the cut out dough to the lined baking tray and cook in the preheated oven for approximately 8-10 minutes. It's hard to tell when a chocolate biscuit is cooked, so don't leave them for any longer than 10 minutes!
10. Take the biscuits from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking tray for a few moments. They need time to firm up before you attempt to move them. Transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool completely.
11. Once the biscuits are cold, they can be sandwiched together with the Bourbon biscuit spread. This is a great job for your child. They can simply use a table knife or teaspoon to smooth the spread over a biscuit, then press another biscuit on top.

Fruit Winders are always popular with children and now you can make your own! Gather up a few natural ingredients, and then cook them slowly to make fruit 'leather'. It's great fun to roll the fruit 'leather' up into spirals and your child will enjoy unravelling them to gobble them up! These homemade Fruit Winders are the perfect healthy treat for any lunchbox.

Ingredients

• 500g strawberries
• 1 banana
• 1 tbsp honey (optional)
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (optional)

Method

1. Wash and hull the strawberries and slice up the banana into chunks. Place the strawberries and banana into a food processor or blender. Blend the strawberries and banana together until they turn into a smooth purée.
2. Have a little taste of the purée. If it tastes a little tart, then add the honey and lemon juice. Alternatively, you can leave them out altogether if you prefer.
3. Place a sieve over a medium-sized saucepan; pour the purée through the sieve and into the pan. This will remove most of the seeds, but not all. You can skip this step if you don't mind the seeds!
4. Heat the purée over a low heat until it reduces by almost half. Stir continuously to avoid burning. It should take around 20 minutes until the purée is the correct consistency. To test, draw the spoon down the middle of the saucepan; it should take about 3 seconds before the purée refills the gap.
5. Preheat the oven to 70C. Line a 9x13 inch shallow baking tray with non-stick foil. It's very, very important that it's non-stick! Make sure that the dull side of the foil is facing up; this is the non-stick part.
6. Carefully pour the hot fruit purée onto the lined baking tray. Use the back of spoon to smooth the purée over the foil in a smooth even layer. The layer must be as level as possible, otherwise it will cook unevenly. Thin parts will burn and become brittle, while thick patches will be undercooked and too soft.
7. Place the purée into the oven to cook for between 3hrs - 3hrs 30 mins. It is ready when the purée is firm but slightly tacky to the touch. Turn off the oven and if possible, leave the tray in the oven as it cools.
8. Once the fruit leather is cold, very carefully peel it away from the non-stick foil. You can tip the fruit leather out onto a sheet of baking paper, cut through the paper and fruit leather, trim into strips then roll up. This is great if placing into a lunchbox. Otherwise, simply cut through the leather with a pizza wheel and roll up.

Oreo Christmas cookies are the perfect recipe to make when you've been asked to bake for the school Christmas fayre or party as they contain just a few ingredients, no oven is needed but they have the necessary WOW factor. Delicious and easy to make, these Oreo Christmas cookies have been created by our mummy blogger Anneliese Giggins.

Ingredients

• 12 Oreo cookies
• 200g milk chocolate (or dark/plain, if preferred)
• 100g white chocolate
• 20g green fondant
• 10g red fondant

You will also need 12 lollipop sticks (flat lolly sticks) and a small holly leaf cutter

Method

1. First of all, you need to melt the milk chocolate. Your child can break the chocolate into pieces and place into a microwaveable bowl. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 10-15 second bursts, stirring in between. If you prefer, you can melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
2. Lay a piece of baking paper onto your worktop. It will be put to good use later.
3. Open the packet of Oreos (and try to resist sampling a few. Stay strong!)
4. Your little helper can now adhere the lolly sticks to the back of each Oreo. To do this, dip the top of the stick genrously into the chocolate and then place it onto the 'back' of the biscuit. Place the Oreos onto the baking paper to set. Do not worry in the slightest if it looks messy as it will be covered with more chocolate later! Repeat this process 11 more times, until all the Oreos have lolly sticks attached. Leave them to set for 15-20 minutes.
5. Check that the lolly sticks have successfully attached to the Oreos before proceeding. They may need another few minutes to firm up.
6. Reheat the bowl of milk chocolate in the microwave for 10 seconds to loosen it, if need be.
7. Use a teaspoon to spoon the melted milk chocolate over each Oreo. Make sure the Oreos are completely coated in chocolate.
8. Place the chocolately Oreos back onto the baking paper to set. They should set very quickly so use the time to melt the white chocolate in the same way you melted the milk chocolate.
9. Once the milk chocolate has set, you can spoon the white chocolate over the top half of each Oreo, so it remembles white icing sliding down the sides of a Christmas pudding. Leave the white chocolate to set while you make the holly decorations.
10. Simply roll out the green fondant and use your tiny holly cutter to cut out the shapes, or cut the shapes yourself. You will need to make 24 holly leaves.
11. The berries are really easy as you just need to roll the red fondant into 24 teeny tiny balls!
12. You can press the holly and berries onto the set white chocolate and they should stay firmly in place. However, you can always use a little left over melted white chocolate to 'glue' them into place.

You might also like...

Oreo birthday cake

Oreo no bake cheesecake 

Mary Berry's chocolate cake

'I really enjoy making fun, novelty treats with my young boys at Christmas time. I love to see their little faces light up as we create a magical masterpiece and these skiing teddies are certainly no exception! The recipe is deceptively easy; a buttery ginger teddy sits bravely upon candy cane skis. They are guaranteed to make your child squeal with delight.'

Ingredients

For the teddy bear biscuits:

• 90g plain flour
• 1tsp ground ginger (you could try using ground cinnamon instead or omit the spice)
• 50g butter, chilled
• 25g caster sugar
• 2–3tsp milk

For decoration:

• 20g icing sugar
• 175g white fondant
• 10 raisins or sultanas
• 20 candy canes
• 10 chocolate chips
• 5 Matchmakers or Mikado sticks, broken in half

You will also need a teddy bear-shaped cutter – our cutter measured 3 inches tall.

Method

1. Ask your child to grease a baking tray with butter. Place the tray to one side for later.
2. Weigh the flour into a mixing bowl. Help your child to measure the ginger onto the teaspoon. They may feel inclined to add more – I speak from experience!
3. Take the butter from the fridge then weigh it before slicing into chunks. If your child is old enough to use a table knife then they might like to tackle this task. Add the chunks of cold butter to your mixing bowl.
4. Your child can now use their fingertips to rub the butter into the flour.
5. When the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, it's time to add in the sugar, then measure in the milk.
6. Now all of your ingredients are in the bowl, you can bring the mixture together to form a ball. You can use your hands for this but I recommend starting off with a spoon, otherwise things could get messy!
7. Once you have transformed your dough into a smooth ball, it's time to wrap it in cling film and place in the fridge for at least half an hour to firm up. Meanwhile, you can try to convince your child not to eat scraps of leftover dough, or is that just me?!
8. Preheat your oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4. While the oven heats up, it's time to gather up the dough from the fridge and roll it out with a rolling pin.
9. You can dust your worktop with flour or roll the dough out between two pieces of cling film. I find the second option a lot easier and far less messy! Your child can be in charge of rolling out the dough but just be sure that it is rolled out to about the thickness of a £1 coin (approximately 3mm).
10. Make your teddy bears with your teddy-shaped cutter. No doubt your child will love this. We found ourselves “ooohing and ahhhing” as each teddy was 'born'.
11. Place your teddy bears onto the greased baking tray and deposit them into the oven. The biscuits will need to cook for 15- 20 minutes. If you have used a smaller or larger cutter, you will need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
12. Take the cooked biscuits from the oven and lay them on a wire rack to cool. Once the biscuits are cold, you can turn them into skiing teddies!
13. First of all, make a tiny amount of icing 'glue' to hold your lovely creations together. To do this, simply sift the icing sugar into a small bowl, add a few drops of water at a time and mix to form a stiff icing.
14. Lay your teddies flat on the worktop and use a small amount of fondant to create each nose. You will only need a little for each teddy, roughly the size of a pea. Roll the fondant between your hands, dip in the icing glue and press into the middle of each head. Add a chocolate chip for the tip of each nose.
15. To make the eyes and buttons, simply take one raisin and slice into four pieces. Two pieces form the eyes and the other two become buttons. Stick in place with icing.
16. Before attaching the teddy bears to the candy canes, you will need to make the candy canes shorter (unless you are using mini ones). I found it easiest to snap them in half with my hands.
17. Use a tiny amount of fondant to stick the underside of the candy canes to whatever you wish to display them on. I used a sheet of tinfoil.
18. Use small pieces of fondant to press onto the teddy's little feet, and then very gently press the teddy onto the candy canes. I took over at this point as my little boy, who is only four, was rather forceful and we suffered a few casualties! An older child should manage with just a little assistance. Use more fondant to attach the Matchmaker poles to the teddy's hands.
19. When you have created all of the teddy bear skiers, you can shower them with a dusting of icing sugar and if you have any leftover fondant, roll into snow balls to complete the snowy scene!

'It feels as though time is speeding along faster than Santa's sleigh; Christmas will be here before we know it! With small children around, the excitement starts long before the traditional festivities begin. My four year old has been considering what he'd like in his Christmas stocking for at least 6 months! With this in mind, we thought we would practise these simple cornflake wreaths before the big event. The wreaths are so quick to make and satisfied my little boy’s urge to hurry Christmas along – for the moment at least!' says our mummy blogger Anneliese.

Ingredients

• 12g butter
• 45g mini marshmallows (preferably white)
• 45g cornflakes
• Green gel food colouring
• Red Skittles/sweets or large red sprinkles for the berries.
• 10g white chocolate, melted (optional)

Method

1. Ask your child to line a baking tray with a piece of baking paper. Although no oven is involved, you will need a place to shape your cornflake wreaths.
2. Your helper can now help you to weigh the butter and mini marshmallows into a microwavable mixing bowl. Turn your back for a moment to snaffle a few marshmallows while your child is occupied!
3. It's time for you to take over and put the microwavable bowl into the microwave. Melt the butter and marshmallows on a high heat. Stir the mixture in 10-15 second intervals. The mixture tends to puff up once melted.
4. Carefully transfer the bowl from the microwave and give it a good stir to be sure that the butter and marshmallows are combined.
5. Use a cocktail stick or spoon to add a tiny dollop of green food colouring to the mixture. You won't need much! Give it a good mix.
6. I find it easier to leave the mixture a minute or two to firm up. This also means that it will have time to cool down before your child sticks their hands in.
7. Use a tablespoon to scoop up the mixture and place onto the baking paper. Use your fingers to shape them into wreaths. You may find it easier to put a little vegetable/sunflower oil or butter on your fingertips as this will help avoid a sticky mess! We actually found it only took a few minutes to shape the wreaths using this method and no big clean-up was required!
8. Now you can stick the Skittles or sprinkles straight onto your wreaths in a decorative manner. If you find that the 'berries' won't stay put, then use the optional melted white chocolate to glue to the wreaths.
9. Leave the pretty Christmassy cornflake wreaths to set for around an hour if you can resist!

Our mummy blogger Anneliese says: 'These cute snowmen are the perfect treat to make with your children while we wait for the rain to turn to snow! The lack of snow is a daily disappointment for my four-year-old but the promise of making these sweet, chewy snowmen soon has him jumping up and down with excitement. There is so much fun to be had, stirring the mixture, shaping the snowmen and adding detail with sweeties. Who needs real snow when you can make your very own edible snowmen?!'

Ingredients

For the snowmen:

• 200g white, mini marshmallows
• 100g Rice Krispies
• 25g butter

For decoration:

A variety of sweets, such as:

• Broken up chocolate or chocolate chips for eyes and buttons
• Tic-tacs for carrot noses
• Smarties and ’shoelace’ sweets for ear muffs
• Multi-colour sweet belts for scarves
• 20g white chocolate

Method

1. First of all, gather up the mini marshmallows and butter and ask your child to help weigh them into a large microwaveable mixing bowl. Place the bowl into the microwave and heat on high in 15-20 second intervals, stirring in between. Be careful as the mixture will get hot!
2. Once the marshmallows and butter have melted, your child can pour in the Rice Krispies. Stir quickly and make sure that the Rice Krispies are evenly coated in the marshmallow mixture.
3. The next stage of this recipe is when things can get a little sticky. However, you can put a stop to mess if you wipe a little butter, vegetable oil or even cake release spray over your hands. Once you have 'greased' your hands, it is time to dig into the marshmallow mixture!
4. Take a handful of the mixture and carefully roll into a ball with your hands, then place onto a piece of baking paper or a serving dish. This is your snowman’s body. Next you can make the head by simply making a smaller sized ball.
5. Place the head onto the body of your snowman and press down gently. As the mixture is so sticky, it should happily stay in place.
6. Keep making your army of snowmen until all of the mixture has been used up. Now it's time to decorate your snowmen...
7. Melt the small quantity of white chocolate in the microwave and use this to attach the sweeties to your snowmen. Your child can have great fun sticking on the broken chocolate or chocolate chips for the eyes, the Smarties and 'shoelace’ sweets for ear muffs, the tic-tacs for the carrot nose and the brightly coloured 'belts' for scarves. You can make each snowman look different and give them their own personalities. They are almost too cute to eat! You can eat these snowmen straight away or if you'd prefer them a little harder or more set pop into the fridge.

Make this budget tomato risotto if you're strapped for cash, time or inspiration - it's quick, easy, cheap and tasty. 

This recipe is one of our best value cheap family meals. Our mummy blogger Anneliese, says: 'This tomato risotto is my children's favourite meal. My four year old son is rather fussy when it comes to food but always scrapes his plate clean when I serve up this favoured dish! I used to make risotto with expensive risotto rice, believing that there was no alternative. However, I have since discovered that basic white rice works just as well, thanks to Jack Monroe! It really has to be tried to be believed. I now use affordable basic white rice in place of risotto rice and no one can tell the difference; it works perfectly.'

Ingredients

• 300g basic white rice
• 1 onion, diced
• 30g butter
• 300ml water
• 500ml passata
• 250g salad tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
• 75g -100g mature cheddar cheese

Method

1. First of all, place the rice, diced onion and butter into your large bowl, cover the bowl with cling film and place into your microwave. Cook on high for 3 minutes.
2. Carefully remove the bowl from the microwave and peel off the cling film. It's a good idea to use oven gloves as you do this as the steam is very, very hot!
3. Stir in the passata and water, and then place the bowl back into the microwave and cook for a further 10 minutes, this time uncovered.
4. Meanwhile, chop your tomatoes and thinly slice the cheese; I am too lazy to grate the cheese but it's up to you!
5. Add the tomatoes and cheese to the bowl and give the mixture a good old stir. You will see that the cheese will start to melt immediately.
6. Place the bowl back into the microwave one final time and continue to cook for another 8 minutes; by then the rice and tomatoes should be cooked through.
7. Give the risotto a stir before serving, to avoid any rice sticking to the bowl. You can sprinkle over a little grated cheese, if you have any spare!

Top tip for making tomato risotto

There is no need to stand over a hot stove, continuously stirring your risotto. It is made in the microwave so you can put your feet up while it cooks.

White chocolate rocky road is simple and delicious way to get your little ones started in the kitchen. 

With this easy recipe, you can make this creamy white chocolate rocky road with your kids in just one hour. To make this treat that you delight any sweet tooth, you will need dried apricots, cranberries and crushed shortbread. This simple recipe is a great way to teach your child how to mix and combine ingredients, and start them off gently. Tried and tested by our mummy blogger, Anneliese, who baked this as part of her goodtoknow blog Mummy's Little Helpers, we can guarantee it will be a fun experience for the children, and you will also have a good time with them! As a reward for their help, why not let them take it as a treat in their packed lunches for school? They deserve it (well, probably...)

Ingredients

• 250g white chocolate
• 100g shortbread biscuits
• 30g mini marshmallows
• 5 dried apricots - approximately 35g
• 35g dried cranberries

Method

1. First of all you will need to find your long forgotten 1lb loaf tin! My own tin had been shoved to the back of the cupboard and required a hasty wash as a spider had taken up residence.
2. Ask your child to help break up all the white chocolate and add to the weighing scales. If a few squares happen to find their way to your mouths, then so be it!
3. After the chocolate has been weighed place it into a microwavable bowl then into the microwave. Give the chocolate 15 to 20 second bursts of heat (on high), being sure to stir in between until it is melted.
4. The first time I made this rocky road I was worried that my little boy might burn himself on the chocolate. However, it comes out of the microwave at a pleasantly warm temperature. Just to be on the safe side though, leave the chocolate to cool while you focus on the other parts of the recipe.
5. Breaking up the shortbread is rather fun. Let your child enjoy crumbling up the biscuits with their fingers into bite sized chunks and place into a good sized mixing bowl. From experience it is best not to turn your back on your child at this point. My little boy discovered a love of shortbread; I couldn't share this rocky road with friends as some of the broken biscuits were suspiciously soggy!
6. After prising your little one away from the shortbread, ask them to count out five dried apricots. If they are old enough to handle scissors they can even snip each apricot into about four pieces.
7. The dried cranberries can be added next. Perhaps you could ask your child to dig into the bag of cranberries with a spoon and see if they can transfer them over to the scales without dropping any. My little boy enjoyed the challenge and we only lost a few to the floor!
8. Lastly we can weigh in the mini marshmallows. You will need more than you think as they are as light as a feather.
9. Now for the really fun part of mixing everything together, Ask your child to tip or spoon the mix, (whichever is safer), into the bowl of melted white chocolate and stir it all together. My little boy loved this part!
10. When it comes to putting the mixture into the awaiting tin you don't have to grease it. However, to be completely sure that it won't stick, you may wish to line the tin with cling film. Make sure you leave some cling film hanging over the edge of the sides of the tin so you can easily pull it out. I should also point out that you don't have to use a loaf tin; you could use a simple baking tray and slice the rocky road into squares.
11. Place it into the fridge for a couple of hours to set, then tip out, cut into pretty slices and enjoy.

Top tip for making white chocolate rocky road

Other dried fruits would work just as well in this recipe - just choose yours and your childs favourite.

Can I use white chocolate in any rocky road recipe?

Yes - there's not very far you can go wrong with chocolate, marshmallows and biscuity crunch. However, white chocolate is sweeter and milder in flavour than dark or milk chocolate, so it really benefits from the cranberries and apricots bringing a balancing flavour in this version.

You might also like...

• Rocky road ice cream
• Rocky road brownies
• Rocky road cake

Our mummy blogger Anneliese says: 'When the sun is shining and the temperatures rise, a selection of refreshing fruit becomes increasingly tempting, especially when served with ice cream! My boys love fruit and we always have a ready supply but I wanted to create something visually exciting as a special treat. I also wanted my elder boy to get involved and take on some of the prep. Scooping out the watermelon and slicing soft fruit are not only great fun but they also help to develop fine motor skills. It's an all-round winner!

Ingredients

• 1/2 large watermelon
• 2 apples
• 2 kiwi fruit, skin removed
• Handful of grapes
• 50g strawberries, hulled
• 50g cherries, stones removed

Method

1. First of all make sure your watermelon is ripe. The flesh of the watermelon should have a little give when you press it with your thumb.
2. Slicing the watermelon in half is definitely a job for a grown up. My little boy watched in awe as I 'sawed' the very large fruit in half. It was quite hard work cutting the watermelon in half, so make sure you use a sharp knife.
3. You only need half of your watermelon. Place the other half in the fridge for another day or perhaps use it to make a thirst-quenching drink or even watermelon ice lollies.
4. The next part is so much fun for children. Pass your child a spoon and ask them to help scoop out the pink flesh from the half of the watermelon you are using for your fruit bowl. My son stuffed his face with watermelon as he worked - it was a good job there was so much of it!
5. Move the watermelon pieces to a chopping board, then your helper can use a blunt table knife to slice it up into small wedges. They can then move on to the kiwi fruit and strawberries.
6. While your child is busy slicing you can use a sharp knife to chop any harder fruit, such as the apples.
7. Once all the fruit is prepared, your helper can simply pile all of the fruit back into the bowl. They can do this in layers or mix all the fruit up - they can be as creative as they wish.
8. The finished watermelon looks rather elegant but, to make it a little more fun and appealing to children, you can make 'fruit kebabs' by pushing skewers/kebab sticks down into the watermelon and then pushing more fruit down the sticks for an explosion of fruit!

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Mini Oreo cheesecakes are so easy to make with this no-bake cheesecake recipe made with that classic American biscuit as a base and crushed throughout. These are everyone's favourite chocolate biscuit, and they taste even better in the form of a cheesecake - super indulgent, this recipe will be loved by grown-ups and by kids alike. This recipe serves 12 but if your guests keep going back for more, it may end up serving a smaller group.

Ingredients

• 2 x 154g packets Oreo cookies
• 280g full fat cream cheese
• 284ml double cream
• 75g caster sugar
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 drop vanilla extract

Method

1. Ask your child to line a 12 hole muffin tray with paper cases.
2. Count out 12 Oreo cookies to use as the base of your cheesecakes. Your little helper can have the task of placing a cookie into the base of each paper case.
3. Count out 6 more Oreo cookies and place to one side, as they will be used later for decoration.
4. For the creamy cheesecake topping, pour the double cream into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Whisk the cream with an electric whisk or a balloon whisk until the cream starts to thicken up. To test if it's ready, lift the whisk above the bowl; the cream that drips off should leave a trail on the rest. This is the perfect consistency!
5. Add the cream cheese, lemon juice, caster sugar and drop of vanilla extract to the cream. Whisk all the ingredients together until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
6. You should be left with approximately 7 Oreo cookies, which will be added to the cheesecake topping. Place the Oreos into a freezer bag or sandwich bag and seal shut, making sure that all the air is out of the bag. Your child can then crush the Oreos with a rolling pin, until they turn into crumbs.
7. Tip the Oreo crumbs into the cheesecake mixture and stir to combine.
8. Ask your little helper to spoon the cheesecake mixture into the paper cases, covering up the Oreo bases.
9. Place the cheesecakes into the fridge for 2-3 hours to firm up.
10. When ready to serve, decorate your cheesecakes by breaking the 6 remaining Oreo cookies in half and pushing a half into each cheesecake.

Top tip for making mini Oreo cheesecake

You could try this recipe using other biscuits too - how about Digestives, HobNobs or even Party Rings.

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