Lollipop Valentines

Ingredints

Ours have never quite ended up looking
 like this before they were eaten.

• 12 ice block sticks [or craft sticks] - soaked for one hour before use in a bowl of cold water.
• 1/2 cup chocolate buds [brown / white or a combination of]
• 1/2 cup butter - softened.
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar [brown caster sugar]
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 egg
• 2 cups all purpose [self raising] flour.
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 28 grams [1 oz] white chocolate
• 1 egg white
• 1  1/4 cups icing sugar
• 3 drops red food colouring [ or beetroot juice]

Method

1. Over a low heat stir chocolate chips until melted and smooth;.  
1. Using a double boiler also is a good method.
2. Remove from heat - let cool.
3. In a large bowl beat the butter, brown sugar and vanilla until fluffy.
4. Beat in the egg.
5. Beat in the cooled chocolate.
6. Now slowly beat in the flour, cocoa powder and salt -until smooth.
7. Divide the dough in half.
8. Preheat the over to 190 Deg C [375 Deg F]
9. Grease two large waxed baking papers.
10. Between the two waxed baking sheets roll half the dough out to 0.7cm [1/8 inch].
11. Freeze the dough while it is still in the wax paper for 5 minutes.
12. Peal the top sheet of wax paper off.
13. Using heart shaped 7.5 cm [3 inch] cookies cutters press out as many as the dough will allow.
1. Repeat the procedure with the scraps of dough.
14. With 2.5 cm [1 inch] between them place half the amount of hearts out on a tray.
15. Drain the sticks and pat them dry.
16. Place each stick so that there is a handle of 6.5cm [2.5  inch] sticking out below the cookie dough. 
1. Gently press the stick down on the doughs surface.
17. Now place the other hearts on top of the first set of hearts..
1. press the edges gently down.
18. Bake 12 minutes until firm to touch.
1. cool on wire racks.

Making the covering 

1. Either use a double boiler or a heavy pot that disperses the heat for the next step.
2. Stir in the white chocolate until melted and smooth consistancy is reached.
1. If using two different coloured chocolates then use two different pots.
3. Remove from the heat.
4. Holding each lollipop by the handle dip the heart into the chocolate on both sides.
1. Let the excess drip back into the pan.
5. Place each lollipop onto a wax paper-lined baking sheet and let cool for 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
1. until set.

Making the icing

1. Beat the egg white and icing sugar until this is very smooth.
2. Remove some of this main mix and place it into a small bowl.
1. Drop a drip of colouring into this section of the mixture.
3. Spoon icing into a decorating bag that has a writing tip attached to it.
4. Pipe out the patterns and words that you want to say.
5. Decorate with small cake decorating marzipan shapes.

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References


Lollipop valentine hearts

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Pasta Hearts of Love

Ingredients

• Several packets of heart shaped pasta.
• Water as per instructions on the packet.
• A small dab of oil or margarine
• Parmesan Cheese - grated.

Method

1. Cook pasta as per the instructions on the packet.
2. Cool slightly.
3. Toss in the Parmessan Cheese.
4. Let the cheese melt.
5. Serve with a light salad.

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1. Salad Dressing 
2. Parsley and Mint Salad

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References

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Roll ups as a message

Children are wonderfully creative.

When one thing is done and liked then another excuse will bring about the same recipe with a creative variation.  There are all sorts of add on included as one child follows the thought processes of another.

Ingredients

• Cream Cheese
• Jam or conserve [ Strawberry for Valentines day, Valentine day get apricot and Fathers day a dark red plum or boysenberry]
• 2 flat breads like a tortilla or a roll out and flattened piece of your normal bread. 

Method

1. Spread the cream cheese onto the bread.
2. Now spread a dollop of jam over the cream cheese spread.
3. Roll the bread up.
4. Enjoy the eating.

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3. Easy little bread recipe

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References

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Message on a biscuit

Simple steps great learning make.

Part of the fun with food is that the preparation  all about messages. Even young children enjoy making simple messages look creative when dealing with their emotions.

Try these and see what I mean.

Ingredients
Per child you will need

• Either a Graham cracker or Marie biscuit.
• Pink icing or frosting [ white icing sugar or frosting with a little red added.  Little = very little]
• Little cake decoration balls.
• Alpha Bits or cake decoration hearts.

Method

1. Frost or ice the biscuits
2. Using the cake decoration balls write a message [try I love you, happy birthday, Merry Christmas or even be my Valentine]
3. Now decorate the edges with hearts or candle.  What ever the occasion warrants that you have the cake decoration bits for.

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3. Fudge frosting

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References

Heart Shaped Candy Coated Heart.

Method

1. Coat a heart shaped cake tin with non - stick spray.
2. Sprinkle candy hearts all over the bottom.  
1. The small marzipan cake decorating ones are a good size.
3. Make the Rice Bubble biscuit mix. 
4. Add a very small amount of red food colouring to the mix in the beginning of the preparations.
5. While hot- tip from the cooking pan into the heart shaped cake pan.
6. Press the  Rice Bubble mix down with a cup - NOT your hands.
7. When set tip out of the heart shaped pan.

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References

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Heart shaped pancakes

Ingredients

• Pancake mix- already made up and filled into a squeeze bottle.

Method

1. Heat the fry pan that the pancakes are to be cooked in.
2. When the butter or marge is sizzling then turn the squeeze bottle upside down and quickly direct the pancake mix into a heart shape.
3. Cook the heart shaped pancake. 
4. Turn the pancake over.
5. Once cooked carefully lift out of the pan and onto a plate.
6. Allow to cool.
7. Top with a squirt of canned whipped cream

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1. Chicken Pox Pancakes
2. Green pancakes and cream cheese
3. Basic waffle recipe

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References

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Heart Shaped Bread Bun

Method

1. Make a batch of bead dough.
2. Place it inside a greased heart shaped cake pan.
1. You may need to stretch the dough to actually fit into the cake pans 'corners'.
3. Bake according to the directions for the bread.
4. Once cooked, leave to sit in pan for a few minutes. 
5. Turn out of pan and let cool.
6. Slice the bread and place in the children's desired fillings.
1. Some suggestions: cold sliced meats, pickles, cheese slices, lettuce, grated carrots, hommas, dips and mayonnaises.  the list just goes on.
7. Serve this heart shaped sandwich with read fruits [apples, strawberries, raspberries] or with apple bugs.

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References

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Asian Pear Pizza

This one is family sized.

Many people may think that a fruit pizza is a strange thing to have in a children's cooking area.  However one of the things with education and children is that children are usually more open to variations in recipes and food from different cultures than adults.  There fore when adults support what could be a healthy diet extra then children will follow suit.  Especially when that same recipe for a big family size pizza is made into child size portions from the beginning.  Making child size portions does take extra dough  though.


Ingredients

• Cover the work area first.
• One amount of pizza dough.
• 2 to 3 Asian Pears - cored and very thinly sliced. [better a more experienced knife handling person do this section] let the slices drain off for a short while.
• 120 gr [1/8 lb] of Pancetta (bacon) -cooked until crisp and drained on paper towels.
• 50 g [2 to 3 oz] of Gorgonzola cheese - crumbled.
• 90 g [ 4 oz] Mozarella cheese - shredded.
• freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220 deg C [425 deg F].
2. Roll out the dough into pieces that are child size. 
1.  I have found the best measurement was from the wrist to the large finger tip.  These may be square or round in shape.  Usually depends on how many children you are cooking for at one time.
3. Pre cook the dough so that the dough is not soggy when the children eat this pizza.
1. Cool this pizza base so that there is less heat for the children to work over.  Also cooler base has the actual oven heat melting the cheeses when placed into the oven again for cooking.
4. Starting from the outside work around the edges and towards the middle covering the Pizza shape with the slices of the Asian Pear.
5.  Since the Pancetta , as well as the Gorgonzola cheese, is relatively strong in flavour go easy on these as they are crumbled onto the top.
6. A sprinkling of shredded Mozarella will hold everything together.
7. bake until the centre has melted completely.
8. Remove from heat and cool.
9. Slice and enjoy 

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References


Unique and delicious

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Chocolate dipped fruit

Microwaving the chocolate is a lot easier than double boiler method when there are plenty of children around.
The main thing to be weary of is overdoing the melting process.


Ingredients

• 400 grams [14.5 oz] bag of dried fruit pieces
•  These may be in the form of Dried mango, peach, guava, pineapple, apple or even banana chips.
• about 1/3 rd a cup of dark chocolate drops.
• about 1/3rd a cup of white chocolate drops.

Method

1. Cover the work area first.  Lay down some grease proof paper.
2. Into a microwave bowl place the white or brown chocolate pieces
3. Melt the chocolate for 30 seconds .
4. Stir.
5. Melt again.
6. Stir...
7. When the Chocolate has melted enough dip the fruit pieces into the chocolate.
1. Best done with a small pair of tongs or the children's fingers may find the chocolate hot to touch.
8. Lay each piece of fruit out onto the wax paper.
9. Allow to set.
10. Use cellophane to wrap each piece up with.
11. Place each piece into what ever you are going to use as a gift basket.

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References

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Marshmallow bunnies

A few years ago a friend made some children I know bunnies similar to these.    The children enjoyed receiving them. A major challenge with these bunnies was to then get the children eating them.  Most thought that they wanted to save them for later. Sometimes they actually got the bunnies home.  Other times there was no way that was going to happen.

Ingredients

• Marshmallows.
• Scissors
• Tooth pick
• Food Colouring
• A little icing sugar if needed.

Method

1. Hold the marshmallow in your fingers so that while you are using the scissors the Marshmallow will have less chance of moving.
2. To make the ears:
1. Using the scissors make a diagonal cut towards the rim edge of the Marshmallow .
2. Stop before you get too near the top end of the Marshmallow.
3. Gently lift the corner that you have snipped.
4. Now snip along the middle of this piece. 
5. Rub a little of icing sugar between your fingers.
6. Separate the ears and angle them both outwards.
3. To make the tail.
1. Starting at the point of the first cut you made for the ears.
2. Snip down towards the back [away from the face direction] until you are about half way down the back of the Marshmallow. 
3. Pinch the end of this segment so that a cute little tail is made.
4. For the bunnies face [ and feet]
1. Starting about midway between the face and the where the front feet will be - snip about 0.7 cm [1/4 inch] towards the middle /bottom part of the body.
2. The upper side of the cut has become the lower jaw line of the face.
3. Snip the flap of the marshmallow in half. 
1. There are you two front feet.
5. Using a toothpick and a little food colouring - dip the end of the tooth pick into the dye.
1.  'Paint' a face on the bunny.

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References


Fluffier Bunnies

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Edible Jelly Bean Basket of goodies.

As a gift or as part of a place setting these cup cakes are glorious fun to make.   Made in a two part basis the older children make up the cupcakes.  Once these are all cold to touch the next step begins. 

Ingredients

• 12 cupcakes - in the paper jackets they are baked with.
• 2 cups white icing
• 12 pieces of red or black licorice.[ about the sized of a pipe cleaner in width]
• Sweetened coconut - coloured green with green food coloring.
• 1 bag jelly beans
• 1 small amount of M & M's
• 1 x small amount of silver or gold marzipan cake decorating shapes.
• 12 ribbons

Method 

1. Place a cover on the creating area.
2. Place a drop of green colouring [if using it] into a bowl. 
1. Place the shredded coconut in the bowl.
2. Cover with cling wrap or seal the container.
3. Shake the coconut around in this colouring.
4. Take out the coconut and 'towel' the excess moisture off the coconut.
3. Ice the cupcakes first.
1. If using a  icing pipe try to layer the icing around the edges just a little.
4. Place both ends of the licorice into the cupcake.  Slide the ends down the side of the cup cake to the bottom.
5. On top of the icing mixture place a small amount of dry green coconut.
6. Place three jelly beans into the shredded coconut.
7. Add a few of the M& M's and Cake decoration pieces. 
1. Less is best in this cake decorating exercise.
2. Gently press the smaller pieces a little down into the green coconut.  A gentle pressure allows the icing sugar to be taken up and possibly stick the lollies onto the coconut.
8. Tie a small ribbon on the licorice.

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References


Edible Easter Basket Cupcakes

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Palm Tree pud

Although this base is in a 'tub' it may also be served in a pudding bowl.  The trick is to make a thick base  [say custard] the day before and set in the fridge. Very easy on the eye.  A load of fun to eat.


Ingredients

Palm tree on deserted island

• 1 tub of children's yoghurt or pudding -with some of the contents removed.
• Marie biscuits -crushed
• 11 per cup of Chocolate covered biscuit fingers.
• Icing sugar [thick] or melted chocolate bud.
• Sour or fruit strap.
• Brown M & Ms

Method

1. Cover the work area.
2. Place a little of the Marie biscuits on the top of the yoghurt or pudding. [You have just created the sand]
3. At this point either 
1. Melt the chocolate button 
2. or make the icing mix.
4. Along the length of the fruit strap or sour strap. Then make these into 8 cm [3 in] lengths.
5. Turn the end upside down and place of the joined.
6. Join these pieces together with the Melted chocolate or icing sugar.
7. Onto one of the ends of the Chocolate Coated finger take a dab of icing sugar or chocolate mix.
8. Place two brown M & Ms near what will be the top end of the tree.
9. Now place both the stick and the 'palm leaves' together.  
10. Wait for the chocolate or icing mix to set.
11. Carefully turn the tree up the other way.
12. Place the base of the tree in through the 'sand'.
13. Add a few more brown M & M's on the sand.

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References
The ramblings of a crazy women

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The bugs that bite

Ingredients

• Snow balls
• 1 lollipop
• two licorice twist sticks.
• 2 mini M&Ms
• Dab of white icing

Method

1. Set out the plate the Love Bugs are going to go on first.
2. Mix up the icing sugar.
3. Cut the licorice twists in half.
4. Place the twist sticks into the Marshmallow puffs.  Two per puff.
5. Unwrap the lolly pop and vertically place the stick end into the head area -like it is an antenna.
6. With a careful hand cover the back of the M&M [eyes] with some icing sugar mix.  Now place the eyes onto the marshmallow.

There you have a rather fetching Love Bug for Valentines day.  However different colours of coconut and the same bug can take on a Halloween look even.

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3. Butterfly cup cakes

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References
Altered from Ramblings of a crazy women



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Raspberry Bars

Every time we have made these bars we seem to change the jam around.  However when Valentine day is close by the selected jam used is usually a red one.

• 
  
• 1 cup butter or Margarine - softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 cups flour
• 2/3 cup raspberry jam
• 1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
• 1 and 1/3 cups coconut
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 1 tsp sugar.

Method

1. Cream together 1 cup of butter or margarine and 1 cup of sugar.
2. Add the flour.
3. Blend well.
4. Pat the crust mixture into a greased 7.75 x 33 x 5cm [9 x 13x2 inch] baking pan.
5. Spread the raspberry jam over crust layer.
6. Mix together the remaining ingredients.
7. Spread this mixture evenly over the crust and jam mixture.
8. Bake at 175 deg C [350 Deg F] for 25 to 30 minutes.
9. Cool in the pan on the rack.
10. When cool cut into bars.

Safety measures to insist on are that the bars are stored out of the way of little fingers until the hot jam mixture has cooled down well enough to place the finger anywhere near.  Also the use of beaters is something that requires closer than normal supervision and updating of indtuctions.

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Chocolate and Banana Cresents

From the early preparation to the eating these chocolate and banana crescents are ideal to adventure with as a team - with only your children participating or the added of friends that have descended into your back door for the day..  Small groups doing different things, supervised by more than one adult makes the creations a living experience.

However the crescents are prepared the end taste is light weight and enjoyable.  Eaten when light a fluffy having cooled down a little with topping such as home made yoghurt they are still very tasty when served chilled as a finger food dessert.

Makes 10

• 3/4 cup of milk
• 1/2 medium banana - very finely chopped.
• 1/4 cup dark brown chocolate bits.
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 cups self raising flour
• pinch of baking powder
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• milk, for extra, for glazing.
• cinnamon sugar - for sprinkling.

1. Mix the banana, chocolate bits, brown sugar and ground cinnamon.
1. Set this aside, cover the bowl and allow the mixture to 'age'.
2. Line a baking try and turn on the oven to heat it up. 200 deg C is the cooking temp.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and castor sugar together.
3. Rub the butter into sifted dry ingredients, until the mixture resembles fine like breadcrumbs.
4. Make a well into the centre.
5. Add most of the milk.
6. Mix lightly to form a soft dough.
• Add the remaining milk if necessary.
7. Turn onto a lightly floured surface.
8. Knead briefly until smooth.
9. Roll out the dough to form a large circle
• About 30 cm [12 inches] round.
10. Cut the dough into ten even-sized wedges.
• You will be rolling up each base piece from the widest end so take the time now to position the wedges so that as you are rolling the wedges up the base and the contents are not 'flopping' over the other pieces of 'base'.. 
11. With the mixture of the banana, chocolate bits, brown sugar and ground cinnamon place a small amount at the widest end of each of the wedges. 
12. Enclose the filling as you begin to roll the widest side of the wedge in towards the apex.
13. Place these crescents onto your lined baking tray.
14. Brush the crescent top with milk.
15. Sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on top of each crescent.
16. bake in the upper half of the oven at 200deg C for about 15 minutes [less if oven is fan forced] - or until golden brown.
17. Top with thickened cream ,ice cream, home made custard or even yoghurt.
18. Serve immediately.

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References

Lasagna

Ingredients:

• Brown mince
• Beef soup
• Italian cooking sauce
• Shredded tasty cheese

Directions:

• Place brown mince in a wok or frying pan
• Add 1 cup of hearty beef soup made up
• Stir in bottle of Italian cooking sauce. Basil or other dried herbs improves the flavour
• Put the sauce on the bottom of a baking dish then place sheets on, then sauce until all the mixture is used
• For the top layer cover with shredded tasty cheese
• Cover with foil and cook at 180* in oven for about half an hour.

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Bleeding eye balls.

• 20 marshmallows
• 20 cranberries
• red icing water.

1. Into every marshmallow place one cranberry.
2. Tittle the liquid blood over the top and a little down the side.
3. Allow to dry before the guests arrive!

Witches Brooms

• Fruit wrap
• Thin pretzel sticks
• water

1. Cut the fruit wrap into 5 cm [2 in] lengths.
1. 1 piece per pretzel stick.
2. Fringe one side of this fruit wrap by nearly cutting all the way across the wrap
1. to about 0.5 away from the edge.. 
3. Wet the top edge of the wrap. roll this onto the pretzel.
4. Flare the fringe out a little.

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Chocolate-Filled Witch Hats

• 3.5 oz semi-sweet chocolate 
• 1/2 chopped
• 1/3 heavy cream
• 12 [pointy-tipped ice cream cones
• 12 thin, round cookies
• 12 oz  or 2 cups chocolate buttons
• 1 fruit roll-up (optional)

Method

1. To make the ganache
1. Finely chop semi-sweet chocolate placed in a small bowl.
2. Into pot put in the cream and simmer on a low heat.
3. Combine the cream and chocolate.
4. Whisk gently.
5. Place in the fridge for about 1 hour.
2. With the cones cut them until they are about 6 to 7 cm [2.5 in] tall.
3. Once cool pipe the ganache into the cones..
4. Center the ganache onto a round biscuit.  
1. Glue the biscuit to the cone by using the pipe ganache.
2. Refrigerated for 1 more hour. 
5. Microwave the chocolate buttons until they are soft [about 30 seconds]
1. Dip the hat into the liquidy chocolate. cover well with chocolate. 
2. Place the hat on grease paper.
6. The fruit roll gets cut into ribbons - 0.5cm wide.
1. Place the ribbons at the base of the peak .
7. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.

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Lady bug apples

Lady bug apples are great talking points.
Add lettuce underneath
 so they have a bed to sit upon.

 Ingredients

• 2 red or green apples
• 1/4 cup raisins /cherry pieces
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter or nut free spread
• 8 thin pretzel sticks 

Method:
1. Slice apples in half from top to bottom and scoop out the cores using a knife, melon baller or better still use a  corer before cutting the apples. Place each apple half flat down on a plate.
2. Dab peanut butter or spread on the back of the 'lady bug', then stick raisins onto the dabs for spots. Use this
     method to make eyes too. Stick one end of each pretzel stick into a raisin, then press the other end into the apple to make antennae.


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Reference: Allrecipes.com