FUNtastic recipes!

“Mummy, I’m bored”. They’re the words every mum hates to hear at holiday time, but what better way to pass an afternoon than by spending time with your child making fun food? Happy Easter!

Fruit muffins

The great thing about these muffins is that there isn’t much sugar in them, so they’re fun AND healthy!

Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375º/Gas 5 and grease a 12-hole muffin tine. Alternatively you could line a muffin tin with paper bun cases.

In a large bowl mix together 125g plain flour, 60g wholemeal flour, 60g rolled out, 60g brown sugar, 60g blueberries, 60g peeled and chopped apple and 3 teaspoons baking powder. Add in fresh fruit (you can substitute any piece of fruit for apple) and toss briefly, so that all of the fruit is coated by the flour.

Beat together the eggs, milk and melted butter and pour this over the dry ingredients. Fold together. If the mixture seems slightly dry add a little more milk.

Fill each hole/bun case about two-thirds full with the mixture and bake for 20 minutes until cooked in the middle. Remove from the oven and let rest for ten minutes before taking the muffins out of the tin.

Bunnies on the lawn

These are just the best fun ever! Dissolve a packet of lime jelly according to instructions on packet. Pour the jelly over the base of a large shallow dish and leave to set. Place drained, halved pears, rounded sides up, on the jelly. These are your ‘bunnies’. Pipe thick cream to create fluffy tails at one end of each pear, toasted almonds for ears, small chocolate buttons for eyes and little bits of glacé cherries for tongues. Visually amazing!

Pizza faces

These are designed to bring out the creativity in your child. Cut small rounds out of bought pizza bases or, for speed’s sake, just slice a muffin in two to give you two bases. Spread tomato pizza sauce over each pizza base (or if you have time, make your own – it’s probably healthier!). Arrange some thinly sliced tomatoes and basil over the top. Sprinkle over the cheeses and season with salt and pepper. Allow the kids to make animal faces with a variety of little tomatoes and other small veg.

Have fun cooking! Debbie xx