Make your own playdate treats

CHEESE AND CHIVE MUFFINS

Prep 15 mins Cook 15-20 mins Makes 10

Allergens Dairy (cheese, butter and yogurt), Egg

Tasty tip Gram flour is made from ground chickpeas making it super high in fibre!. We need fibre to feed the bacteria in our gut (microbiome) which are essential for nearly all aspects of our health.

Ingredients

40g coconut flour
80g gram flour (oat flour would also work well)
100g grated cheese
2 spring onions finely chopped
Handful of chives finely chopped
Handful of spinach finely chopped
50g Greek yogurt
40g melted butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder

Implements

2 mixing bowls
Wooden spoon
12 hole cake tray
Sieve
Grater
Chopping board
Knife
Saucepan

Cooking instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 170c.
2. Sieve the flours into a large mixing bowl and mix in the cheese, chives, spring onion, spinach and baking powder.
3. Separately mix the yogurt, eggs and melted butter and then add it to the dry mix and combine it all.
4. It should be quite a thick mix that you can handle - roll into balls, place in a greased 12 hole cake tray, squish the balls down a bit and then bake for 15-20 mins until golden.

SAMOSAS

Prep 30 mins Cook 20 mins Makes 4 (or more in making smaller samosas

Tasty tip Turmeric is used to support skin and digestive issues. It contains the active ingredient curcumin which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Ingredients

1 potato
150g green beans
100g peas
Handful of spinach
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon chutney
1 teaspoon curry powder/turmeric/cumin
Filo pastry

Implements

Saucepan for potatoes
Frylng pan
Wooden spoon
Pastry brush
Knife to chop veg
Baking tray
Chopping board
Masher

Cooking instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 170c.
2. Boil the potato and mash it.
3. Chop all the other veggies, fry the onion and garlic for a few minutes and then add the rest of the veg for 5 mins.
4. Add the mash, chutney and spice, mix thoroughly and then remove from the heat.
5. Fold a piece of filo in half lengthways, use a pastry brush to cover in oil, heap a large tbsp of mix at the bottom and then fold up in a triangle shape to the top, brushing with oil when finished to keep it in shape and to help them crisp up.
6. Repeat until no mix is left and the bake for 20 mins till golden and crispy

JAMMY CHIA SLICE

Prep 30 minutes Cook 10-15 minutes Serves 20 portions

Allergens Nuts

Tasty tip You can use any berries you like for the jam

Ingredients

300g strawberries
225g oats
130g coconut oil
100g honey
60g almond butter
50g quinoa flakes
25g ground almonds
15g milled flaxseed
10g chia seeds
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Implements

2 saucepans
Mixing bowl
Spatula
Wooden spoon
Square or rectangular baking dish (approx 20cm by 20cm)

Cooking instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan assisted / gas mark 4).
2. Chop your strawberries into small chunks and gently heat in a saucepan - use a wooden spoon to mix and mash until they are all mushy.
3. Mix in the chia seeds and 1 tablespoon of honey and then leave to one side (off the heat).
4. Now mix the oats, ground almonds, quinoa flakes, flaxseeds and cinnamon in a bowl.
5. Melt the coconut oil, almond butter and remaining honey in another saucepan.
6. Pour the runny mixture into your oat mix and stir really well.
7. Line your baking dish with parchment paper and squish half your oat mixture into the bottom of it.
8. Make sure it’s squished down really well (this will stop it being too crumbly after it’s cooked) and then spread your jam over the top.
9. Now add the other half of the oat mixture on top, making sure it covers all the jam and gently squish it down.
10.Bake in the oven for 10 - 15 minutes until slightly golden. Leave it to cool before slicing into yummy squares.

Did you know?

Quinoa is known as ‘grain of the Gods’. It is packed full of nutrients which help keep your body strong, such as manganese, copper and iron!

BRILLIANT BANANA BREAD

Prep 15 minutes Cook 30-40 minutes Serves one loaf (around 15 slices)

Allergens Egg

Tasty tip Gram flour is chickpeas ground into flour, available in big supermarkets

Ingredients

180g gram flour
60g honey
50g cacao nibs
50g raisins
40g desiccated coconut
30g butter or coconut oil
3 ripe bananas (+ 1 extra for decorating - optional)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon bicarb of soda

Implements

2 mixing bowls
Sieve
Wooden spoon Fork/masher
Loaf tin – approx 20cm long/ 10cm wide/ 7cm high
(or a small cake tin works well if you don’t have one

Cooking instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 170c fan assisted (180c if not fan assisted).
2. Peel the bananas and mash them in a bowl until there are no big chunks left.
3. Add the eggs, butter/coconut oil (gently heat it if it’s too hard to mix), vanilla essence and honey to the mashed banana and stir thoroughly.
4. In a separate bowl sieve the gram flour, bicarb of soda and cinnamon.
5. Add the raisins, cacao nibs and desiccated coconut to the flour and mix thoroughly.
6. Next, poor the wet banana mix into the flour mix and stir thoroughly until fully combined.
7. Line your loaf/cake tin with parchment paper
8. Pour the mix into it. You can decorate the top of it with slices of banana if you want to.
9. Pop it in the oven for 40 minutes but check it after 30 minutes – you want it to be golden on top but not too brown.
10. Allow to cool before slicing. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Did you know?
We share around 50 per cent of the same DNA as bananas! Bananas can help us to feel happy because they contain tryptophan and vitamin B6 that helps the body produce a hormone which lifts your mood!‘

BAKEWELL TARTS

Prep 30-40 minutes Cook 20 minutes Serves 12 Bakewell Tarts

Allergens Nuts, egg (optional)

Tasty tip Store in the fridge in a closed container for up to 5 days - if they last that long!

Ingredients

200g raspberries or strawberries

100g almond flour
80g pitted dates
75g hazelnuts
50g sunflower seeds
50g honey (in total)

20g butter or coconut oil
10g chia seeds

2 eggs or 10g milled flax

Implements

Saucepan

Wooden spoon
Measuring scales

Food processor/blender
Small bowl
Mixing bowl
12 hole muffin tray
Teaspoon and fork

Cooking instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 170c fan assisted (180c if not fan assisted). If you are making a flax egg, mix 10g of flax with 3 tbsp of water.
2. Soak the dates in a small bowl of hot water to soften them and leave to one side .
3. Make the jam by placing the berries, chia seeds and 20g of honey into a saucepan on a low heat.
4. Stir constantly and use a wooden spoon to break the fruit into smaller chunks if needed - after 5 minutes take it off the heat and leave to one side to cool.
5. To make the base of your bakewell tarts first place the hazelnuts and sunflower seeds in a food processor/blender and blitz until to crumbs.
6. Next, strain the dates and add them and the butter/coconut oil to your blended nuts and continue to blitz until the mixture looks like dough.
7. Divide the dough equally into a greased 12 hole muffin tray and use your fingers to firmly push the mixture down into the bottom of the tray.
8. Now spoon a teaspoon of the jam on top.
9. Next make your frangipane topping by mixing the almond flour, eggs (or flax mix) and 30g of honey in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly until it thickens.
10.Add a teaspoon of the frangipane on top of the jam and use a fork to carefully spread it out if needed. Pop in the oven for 15-20 minutes and allow to cool before eating.

Did you know?
Nuts and seeds are packed full of healthy stuff – protein, fibre and healthy fats to name but a few. Almonds are one of the world’s best sources of vitamin E which helps to protect your body’s cells from damage.