Peanut butter cookies

Today we broke free of the pop cake maker to try out a new cookie recipe. This is one I have modified from a cookbook, replacing the egg with flaxseed. My little one wasn't too sure with the first cookie he tried, but soon decided they were "tasty" as he asked for more and more. This makes 16 cookies.

The final product, the ones bottom left are the ones out of the oven after 10mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 tbsp flaxseed
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 & 1/3 cups plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Method

• Preheat oven to 220C
• Cream together the peanut butter & butter until light and fluffy
• Beat in sugar
• In a small bowl mix the water and flaxseed toget to make a glutinous paste
• Beat in flaxseed mix & vanilla extract to mix - this makes the cookie batter
• Sift together the flour, baking powder & baking soda
• Slowly add the flour mix to the batter mix (mixing slowly) until just combined
• Shape into one inch balls two inches apart on a plain baking tray
  

  

  The balls ready to go in the oven

• Cook for 10 / 12 mins (until brown on edges).
• Put on cooling rack

Notes

I had to help the biscuit 'spread' with a fork in the oven as they cooked as they weren't doing it on their own, I did this after 5 mins. However I think they normally would spread on their own. I cooked these without the use of an electric mixer, allowing my son to do the mixing & adding of ingredients. This meant that the mixing was a bit hit and miss, and we had a small hiccup with the baking soda, he added too much (as in he tipped the entire packet in!) and it is possible I took too much out. He also tipped all the flour straight into the batter, which made it harder to combine and the mix ended up crumbly. I finished it off by almost kneading it together with my hands.
 I left my cookies in for 12 mins as thought they were too crumbly at 10 mins, I kept that batch out and just moved them a bit on the tray & then left them on the tray for a little bit before moving them, they held together ok after they cooled.

Banana cake (in Pop Cake Maker)

Well I was going to make this as a proper cake that can be cut up, however it looks like the pop cake idea is popular with my other half as well as my little one, so once again the pop cake maker was put into action. Once again I enrolled my 2 year old to help with the mixing & mashing!

This recipe made 21 balls.

Ingredients

• 1 & a half medium bananas
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g butter
• 45g light muscovado sugar
• 45g dark brown soft sugar
• 1 tbs ground flaxseed
• 3 tbs water
• 125g self raising flour (I used 50/50 plain & wholemeal)
• Small bag chopped walnuts (optional)

Method

• Mix together the flaxseed & water until the mix goes gelatinous.
• Mash together the banana, flaxseed mix & vanilla extract
• Cream together the butter & sugar
• Add the banana mix & walnuts
• Slowly add the flour. (The mix should be firm - as the picture)
• Add to cake pop maker, fill over the edge by a little bit
• Cook for just under 5 mins 

Notes

The mix just before it went
into the pop cake maker

With the first batch I didn't fill the maker properly, and I didn't cook quite long enough (4 mins) so they were a bit pale & misshapen (oh and raw inside!).

The final 9 balls that I slightly over cooked

The second batch I slightly over cooked (5 mins 30), as you can see.

My little man didn't like the bigger pieces of walnut from my rough chopping of the walnut halves that I bought, so the second batch involved me breaking the pieces up some more with a fork in the mix! It turns out not enough - he still wasn't happy with "the bits" and in fact I noticed after that his arms were red...walnut allergy?? Next time I will split the mix so he can have some walnut free ones.

These were again chrispy on outside but lovely on inside. As I say think I over cooked them the second time. However they did taste lovely.

Choc Chip scones (in Pop Cake Maker)

These have been very popular in our house (a bit too much for our 2yr old who spent the days I made them asking for "one more ball mummy"). The recipe is a sweet mix, as opposed to the savoury one used for the cheese scones I made last week. This mix makes 48, so based on last week's going soft I kept the mix in the fridge and made them as needed over a few days so they always tasted fresh (don't leave the mix in fridge for longer than 3 days). They are chrispy outside, lovely & moist inside. I am now wondering if I can freeze the mix, but will have to hold off on that as it is full of puréed food at the moment for the youngest!

You can see I over filled on my first batch, which was ok as the over spill was biscuity. Nice to pick at!

Ingredients

• 1lb plain flour
• 3oz butter
• 2 heaped tsp baking powder
• Between 1/4 - 1/2 pint of milk
• 2oz caster sugar
• Packet of choc chips

Method

• Mix together baking powder, flour & sugar
• Rub in the butter so it resembles bread crumbs
• Mix in the choc chips
• Make a well in the middle and add the first 1/4 pint of milk. Stir in.
• Gradually add the rest of milk until the mixture is sticky.
• Make sure pop cake maker up to temp & sprayed with oil.
• Add in mix so just over brim.
• Cook for 4 to 5 mins.

The final product, get them quick!

Cooking Cheese Scones (in Pop Cake Maker)

Recently my mum got my son (2 and a half) a pop cake maker (from Gourmet Gadgetry) for Easter, as he is a real fan of baking, which we do once a week. I have been scouting around for egg free recipes for him to try (he was diagnosed allergic at 1). This one, http://britishfood.about.com/od/adrecipes/r/Cheese-Scones-Recipe.htm,  was one I had used before to make scones, but they were a bit hit and miss on rising as I let my lo cut the scones. The recipe was simple enough for me to follow with a 2 year old jumping up and down asking to do it all himself! In fact, this time I let him do a lot more of the mixing & pouring after I did the measuring out than last time. It was good, as I didn't have to worry about the rolling out and cutting bit which caused my last batch to rise unevenly but I also knew it was tasty!

This recipe created 30 scone balls, I have replicated it here. This went very well, normally he will help do the baking but only helps with the eating if it involves chocolate! These he wolfed down, although he only really liked them the first day.

Ingredients

• 225g self raising flour
• 55g stick cold butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 level tsp baking powder
• 1 cup grated cheese (make sure it has a good strong flavour - mild leaves them a bit too 'tasteless')
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 150 ml milk (you might not need all of this)

Steps

1. Add together all the dry ingredients (flour, mustard, baking powder)
2. Rub in the butter (I let my little one do this, telling him to tickle the butter into the flour)
3. Mix in the cheese
4. Make a well in the middle
5. Stir in the milk making sure mixture doesn't get too wet
6. When pop cake maker has reached temp use two teaspoons to fill in the holes, I used just enough to come over the bottom hole (leaving room for them to rise) - about a teaspoon and a bit
7. Leave for 5 mins
8. Put on wire rack to cool
9. Done!

These are lovely on the day, but will go a bit soft if left for a day before eaten (if they last that long)!

I am wondering whether to try and fridge/ freeze half the mixture before cooking so we can have them fresh through the week.