biscuits/brioscaí – One of these days…

September 9, 2014

Back to School Banana Porridge Bites

Well how did you all cope? We’ve had tears and recriminations but this was from the child heading into Ranga 5. Nipper 3.0 sailed into Naíonán Bheaga gan stró ar bith uirthi. So that’s it all my children are now “in the system” Our job now is feeding and watering and damage limitation (especially as Nipper 2.0 is in communion year.)

I’ve really noticed in the last couple of years, where I have been with them in the afternoons, that the boys EAT ALL THE TIME. I thought this was some sort of gender stereotyping but so far, so true, the older boy in particular. We feed them porridge everyday. They have a full on lunch at school and then come home expecting a meal circa 3pm and then dinner around 7pm. It’s my imagination that is mostly sapped by this experience. How do I feed them, keeping it healthy AND varied. When I experiment one of them is bound to turn their nose up (“Rocket Pesto? I don’t care that you grew, picked and made it yourself, it’s yuck!”) and I tend to fall back on those childhood staples of fish fingers and waffles or baked beans or scrambled eggs on toast. Soup, if I’m careful about its ingredients and consistency can sometimes gain their royal highnesses’ approval. This tomato and courgette soup was a surprising hit. With tomatoes and courgettes in season around about now I would recommend you give it a whirl.

Not only do my darling children demand lunch they usually expect a dessert with it. I blame the parents. Having a sweet tooth myself I understand the hankering so I was quite happy when I found this recipe for Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies on SkinnyTaste.com. This site is one of my favourite sites for family friendly, health conscious recipes although at times the recipes rely a little too much on products that can only be found in the US.

These bites are great and never last jig time in our gaff. They are NOT flapjacks and are a squishy consistency but are a great energy booster on long days when the kids are rushing hither and yon to after school activities. I have substituted the chocolate chips for raisins and they are still delicious so experiment with dried cranberries, blueberries or chopped dried apricot. While I’m not a big fan of what chocolate they are gorgeous with White Chocolate Chips. Here’s the recipe, Europeanised 🙂

Banana Porridge Bites

Makes 12.(So consider making a double batch!)

2 ripe bananas (I always keep a couple of bananas in the freezer for ripe banana recipes)
80g oat flakes
40g chocolate chips (dark, milk or white or a mixture)

Preheat oven to 180C/ GM4.
Lay a sheet of silicon or baking paper on your tray. These do NOT spread so don’t need a huge amount of space between the cookies. Note in the pics below my silicon paper is completely crumpled. This was an excellent tip I picked up from some TV show to stop your paper rolling up and off your baking tray. Works when lining tins too.
Mash your banana and stir in oats and chocolate chips.
Take bite size portions or tablespoons full, create small balls and flatten onto your prepared baking tray.
Pop them in the over for 12 – 15 mins or until golden brown.
Allow to cool on trays.
Store in an airtight container. I have no idea how long they keep because the Nippers have them shnarfed in no time.

September 30, 2013October 9, 2013

Elvis cakes

My cousin Aoife got in touch last week asking me for my rice crispie cake recipe. You can’t have an kid’s birthday party in Ireland without rice crispie cakes. We call these Elvis cakes in our house because they remind me of the diabolical sandwiches that Elvis was purported to eat. Not flavour-wise, calorie-wise. They are delicious although not terrifically sweet which I think is down to the fact that butter in Ireland is salted. If you find they are not sweet enough for your liking use unsalted butter but we never have any complaints or crispie cakes left. The original recipe is from the Avoca Cafe Cookbook, Book 2
but mine goes something like this:

150g butter
one packet of the funsize faux mars bars from Lidl
150g Rice Crispies or puffed rice equivalent
165g milk chocolate

Melt butter and mars bars together in a bowl over a pot of boiling water. The mars bars never fully melt – I find the nougat stays lumpy-ish.
Take the bowl off the heat and mix in the Rice Cripsies.
Now at this point you can either put the mixture in a lined square tin, pressing down firmly or serve in traditional rice crispie bun style. Either way stick them in the fridge for a couple of hours to harden (like your arteries after eating them.)
If you are making the bar version, melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pot of boiling water and then spread evenly over your chilled bars. Return to the fridge until set, then turn out and cut into squares or bars.
ENJOY!

February 11, 2009August 20, 2013

In your best Oz accent now say Anzac.

No Ainzaaac. I love Anzac biscuits. I made them first just over a year ago when I received a copy of Edmonds Cookery Book, a staple of every New Zealand household, from a good Kiwi friend who knows I love to cook and bake. It’s a no-nonsense publication with some rocking recipes. It also has some weird numbers in it. There’s a yummy Chicken and Apple Hot Pot in it too. It’s also got lots of basic info in it about cooking terminology, methodology, cuts of meat and nutrition. I would recommend it as a good standby in your own cookery library. My copy is spiral bound which is very handy in the kitchen.

I promised one of my twitter posse that I would post this recipe for Anzac Biscuits and really it’s a cinch and you don’t need any fancy bakeware to make them either. The only thing that might be needed that would not be found in every Irish kitchen are standard cup and spoon measures. I would heartily recommend investing in one set of cups and two of spoons made out of stainless steel especially if you are planning to use the internet as a source of tasty recipes. I usually make double of this recipe. It does make stacks but they don’t last too long.

Anzac Biscuits

Makes 20
1/2 cup of plain flour
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup coconut
3/4 cup rolled oats
50g butter
1 tablespoon Golden Syrup
1/2 teaspoon baking or bread soda
2 tablespoons boiling water

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease flat trays (two or three). Mix together flour, sugar, coconut and rolled oats. Melt butter and golden syrup. Dissolve baking soda in the boiling water and add to butter and golden syrup. Stir butter mixture into the dry ingredients. Place level tablespoonsful of mixture onto cold greased trays. Bake for about 15 mins or until golden.
And enjoy! Yum.

I’ll post photos the next time I make some.