20/02/2010 by D.

Some are fussy about the bacon, some are weird about the banana and some just want that syrup!  I love it all together, a little bit of each in every mouthful.  Either way, it’s all served on the side, so everyone call fill their boots; even the picky eaters.  These oaty little pancakes make a wonderful weekend brunch.  Takes about forty minutes from start to eat, less if you are nifty with the pancakes.

Pancakes
1 1/2 cups white SR flour
1/2 cup oatmeal (I blend whole, rolled oats into a fine flour for this)
2 eggs
2 tbsp greek yoghurt
250ml milk
pinch salt
butter for greasing pan

To Serve
1 pack dry-cure smoked streaky bacon
3 bananas, sliced
Maple syrup for pouring (make sure it’s the real deal and not maple ‘flavoured’

Put the flour, salt and oatmeal in a large bowl.  Whisk together the milk, eggs and yoghurt.  Mix the two together into a thick, smooth batter.

Heat a large frying pan to sizzling, then turn it down a touch, you want about 3/4 of the full ring heat.  Put the bacon under the grill to crisp.  Switch the oven on low and put a plate to warm in there (you are going to keep the pancakes warm as you make them).

Using a piece of kitchen towel, wipe some butter all over the surface of the frying pan.  Ladle a large serving spoon or small ladle full of batter into the pan to make a small pancake.  When the top looks set, flip it over for a minute or two, then check to see if it is done (look for patches of browned spots).  If the bottom is too dark when you flip it over, you need to turn the heat down a bit.  The first pancake is often a dud.  Eat it and make another.  Depending on size, you should be able to fit three palm-sized pancakes into a large pan at the same time, which will speed up production. 

Scoop the finished pancakes onto the plate in the oven and go again, until all the batter has been used.  Butter the pan each time before adding more batter.  You should end up with a pile of dinky little pancakes.

Serve the plate of warm pancakes with a seperate plate piled with crispy bacon, a bowl of sliced bananas and maple syrup to drizzle over.  Sublime.

Any left-over pancakes can be refried briefly with some grated cheese for a quick toddler supper.

Posted in Oats, Flour, Maple Syrup, Banana, Milk, Bacon, Brunch, Yoghurt, Recipe | Print | No Comments »

01/02/2010 by D.

This is a very easy cake I made recently for a child’s birthday party and am posting the recipe as several of you have requested it!  There are no organic veg in here though…

We made a tray of brownies and a tray of flapjack, let them cool, and cut them into small squares.  We then laid the squares out alternately in a snake shape on a low table, and decorated the snake with smarties and candles.

As soon as the last candle had been blown out… the hordes descended and within 20 minutes all that was left were a few crumbs.  Highly popular with parents and babies alike and not a smudge of icing in sight.

Brownies

200g butter
100g cocoa powder (the posher the better)
4 eggs
400g caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
100g wholemeal SR flour
100g choc chips (or cranberries; raisins; dried apricots; dried cherries…)

Preheat oven to 180c.  Line a shallow baking tin with baking paper.

Melt the butter in a pan, then stir in cocoa powder well to remove any lumps.  Beat the eggs in a bowl, then beat in the sugar and vanilla until smooth.  Add cocoa/butter mixture and stir.

Slowly add flour and choc chips until all well combined.  Pour into tray and bake for 20-25mins.  The less time you bake them for, the softer and gooier they will be.  For making this cake, you may need a couple more minutes as they need to be firm enough for little hands to grab. 

NB For more depth of flavour I sometimes substitute 20g of the cocoa for green & blacks drinking chocolate.

Flapjacks

150g butter
150g muscovado sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
450g oats
75g mixed fruit (or raisins etc as above or just add more oats for plain)

Preheat oven to 160c.

Grease a shallow tin.  Melt the butter in a pan, then stir in the sugar, syrup, oats and fruit.

Press mixture into tin until flat using a spoon and bake for 30mins.  Leave to cool before cutting and removing.  Again the timing on this one depends on how crunchy/chewy you like your flapjacks to be.  I’ve given a slightly firmer timing to make them work for the cake.

Posted in Chocolate, Dried Apricot, Vanilla Extract, Cake, Party, Baking, Raisins, Flapjack, Eggs, Recipe, Butter, Oats, Brownie, Sugar, Organic Box | Print | No Comments »

21/01/2010 by D.

1 mug whole rolled porridge oats
2 mugs milk (whichever type you like)
1 apple
1 banana

Heat oats and milk in saucepan (actually we use a small non stick frying pan for this) and let bubble, stirring occasionally for about 5 mins.  The result should be thick and creamy, with texture.  If it is too dry add more milk, if too runny, just let it cook a little longer.

Meanwhile, wash, then grate the apple, skin and all, right down to the core.  Finely slice or mash the banana.  Mix the fruit into the hot cooked porridge.

This will make around 4 small bowls (for us it does 2 adults, 2 toddlers).  Mixing in the cold fruit brings it to the perfect temperature for small people (and Ukranians) to eat immediately.

This is lovely and tangy and sweet.  No sugar needed.  Perfect for a grey January morning when you feel you ought to be eating healthily, but fancy sweet stodge.  It can easily be made in the microwave at work too.

Posted in Banana, Oats, Breakfast, Milk, Brunch, Toddler, Vegetarian, Apple, Weaning | Print | No Comments »