FUN CHRISTMAS RECIPES FOR KIDS

As Christmas approaches, Ballincollig Tidy Towns is busy finding some fun and easy recipes kids can make with their parents. Keep an eye out for more.

Method

Preheat oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Lightly grease two 12 hole bun trays.

Place flour in a mixing bowl, coarsely rub in the butter/margarine. Add sufficient water (about 150ml/¼ pint) to mix to a soft dough.

Turn onto a lightly floured board and gently knead. Roll out pastry on a floured board and cut out 24 discs and place in the prepared tins. Place in the fridge while making topping.

Using the all-in-one method, beat together the flour, sugar, butter, eggs and the coconut until mixture is creamy.

Put a spoonful of mincemeat into each of the pies and then top with a spoonful of coconut mixture. Sprinkle a little more coconut on top and bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. These can be frozen when cold.

(Odlums)

METHOD

Step 1

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line the base and sides of a 22cm square cake pan with baking paper.

Step 2

Combine the dark chocolate and chopped butter in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 mins or until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. Set aside for 5 mins to cool slightly.

Step 3

Add the brown sugar to the chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Add the eggs and stir to combine. Add the flour, cocoa powder and sour cream and stir to combine. Gently fold in the white choc bits. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 35-40 mins or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Set aside in the pan to cool completely.

Step 4

Meanwhile, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter in a bowl until very pale. Gradually add the icing sugar, in batches, beating well after each addition until pale and creamy. Add the milk and beat to combine.

Step 5

Place the brownie on a clean work surface. Use a large serrated knife to trim outside edges of brownie. Cut in half. Cut each half into 6 triangles, about 10cm long and 6cm wide.

Step 6

Tint half the icing green using green food colouring. Place in a piping bag fitted with a 5mm fluted nozzle. Pipe over half the brownie triangles. Place remaining icing in a piping bag fitted with a 5mm plain nozzle. Pipe over the remaining brownie triangles. Decorate the brownie triangles with M&M’s, sugar stars, sprinkles and 100’s and 1000’s. Remove the round end of each candy cane. Attach the remaining candy cane to the base of each brownie triangle to make a Christmas tree.

Method

STEP 1

Put the rice pops and raisins into a bowl. Put the butter, milk chocolate, peanut butter and marshmallows into a small saucepan. Place on a medium to low heat and stir until the chocolate and butter have melted but the marshmallows are just beginning to melt.

STEP 2

Pour onto the rice pops and stir until well coated. Line an egg cup with cling film. Press about a tablespoon of the mixture into the egg cup. Press firmly and then remove, peel off the cling film and place the pudding into a cake case, flat-side down. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Chill until firm.

STEP 3

Melt the white chocolate in the microwave or in bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Spoon a little chocolate over the top of each pudding. Top with icing holly leaves.

(Valerie Barrett)

Method

Method

Melt the chocolate in the microwave or a bowl over simmering water, then pour into a smaller bowl or shallow cup where the marshmallows can be individually submerged easily (too shallow and they’re harder to dunk). Leave for a few mins to cool slightly.

While the chocolate is cooling, break the candy canes into 4 equal pieces (a few pieces will be slightly hooked but that’s ok). Insert a piece of candy cane (or lollipop stick) into each marshmallow in the wider end. Line 2 boards or trays with baking paper and arrange a cooling rack over one of them. Put your coconut or sprinkles into small bowls.

Dunk the marshmallows into the chocolate – use a spoon to drizzle over the top of them if you need to (the chocolate around the top will help to keep them stuck when set). Let any excess drip off back into the bowl, then transfer to the cooling rack. Repeat with all the marshmallows.

Once the chocolate has stopped dripping and is starting to set, hold the dippers over the coconut or sprinkle bowls and scatter pinches over them, spinning to coat all over (any falling off will go back into the bowl). Once coated, leave to set on the baking paper for at least 1 hour in a cool place. Keep in a cool place for 2 weeks if using lollipop sticks, 2-3 days if using candy canes.

(realfood.tesco.com)

Method

Preheat the oven to gas ½, 120°C, fan 100°C and line 2 baking sheets with nonstick baking paper.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites with a hand-held mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add half the sugar, 1-2 tbsp at a time, whisking well between each addition. Mix in the green food colouring, and then add the remaining sugar and whisk until stiff peaks form and the meringue is glossy.

Spoon the meringue into a large piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe Christmas trees onto the lined baking sheets, sprinkle over a few hundreds and thousands, and then top each tree with a yellow star.

Bake for 1 hour until the meringues are crisp and dry. Turn the oven off, prop the door open a little and leave the meringues inside to cool for an hour – this will prevent them from cracking as they cool. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely before removing from the baking paper.

(realfood.tesco.com)

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C. Place white cases into a muffin tin and prepare the Betty Crocker cake mix (with the oil, eggs and water) according to the packet instructions.

Bake for 20 minutes and remove from the oven. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Melt the dark chocolate buttons in the microwave until they reach the desired consistency. Dip them in the chocolate before placing one on top of each of the cooled cupcakes.

Once the chocolate is set use the white writing icing to create two eyes on top of the marshmallow. Draw on two pupils using the dark chocolate icing and a red nose once the white icing has set.

(kidspot.com.au)

Method

To make the marshmallow snowmen, thread three marshmallows onto a cocktail stick.

Using a spare cocktail stick, make small holes for your pretzel arms and legs and jelly bean nose.

Insert pretzel sticks into the holes for the arms and legs and an orange jelly bean for the nose.

Using a chocolate icing pen draw on the snowman’s buttons, eyes and mouth. Place to one side.

For the hot chocolate, put the milk into a pan. Bring to a simmer and spoon in 4 tablespoons of drinking chocolate, stir until dissolved.

Place the snowmen on top of your mugs and serve (be careful to remove the cocktail stick for little ones before tucking in).

Equipment – Cocktail sticks

(kidspot.com.au)

Method

Make a basic pancake batter by whisking together milk and egg in a large bowl. Sift in the flour and whisk until smooth.

Melt 2 teaspoons butter in a large frypan. Pour in batter to form one large circle, one smaller circle and two triangles for ears.

Cook for a couple of minutes until bubbles form, flip and cook for a further minute until cooked through. Remove and keep warm. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Cut bacon rashers in half and cook until crisp. To arrange Rudolph, place the large pancake on a plate. Place smaller pancake on top. Position rashers for antlers and the triangular pancakes for ears. Decorate with marshmallow eyes and strawberry nose.

Cut marshmallows in half. Press a choc chip into the centre of each half.

(kidspot.com.au)