Other Activities

Recipes

Here are the recipes that we used during the baking club. If you plan on baking, make sure you ask an adult for help.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients

• 450g self-raising flour
• 225g caster sugar
• 1 packet of chocolate chips (or more if you like them extra chocolatey!)
• 225g margarine
• 225ml milk
• 2 large eggs

Method

1. Melt the margarine and allow it to cool a little.
2. Add all the dry ingredients to a clean bowl.
3. Add the liquids and mix until thoroughly combined.
4. Bake at 200 C/180 C (fan) for 15 to 20 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven.

Sponge Cake

Ingredients

• 225g butter
• 225g caster sugar
• 225g self-raising flour
• 4 eggs

Method

• Preheat the oven to 200 C/180 C (fan).
• Line an 20cm (8 inch) tin with baking paper. You could also bake in a deep baking tray lined with baking paper.
• Beat the butter and the sugar together until pale and fluffy.
• Add in one egg at a time and beat well. (If the mixture starts to go lumpy, add in a spoon of the weighed-out flour).
• Once the 4 eggs have been mixed in, add in the flour and mix thoroughly.
• Bake for 20-30 minutes. The finished cake should be golden and shrink away from the edges of the tin. Stick a fork in, if it comes out clean, the cake is ready.

Buttercream Icing

Ingredients

• 250g unsalted butter (softened)
• 500g icing sugar
• A drop of milk

Method

1. Using a mixer, beat the softened butter for a few minutes until pale and fluffy.
2. Gradually add the icing sugar and mix.
3. If the icing is too stiff, add some milk, 1 spoon at a time, until it is the desired consistency.

Fluffy American-Style Pancakes

Ingredients

• 55g butter, cubed
• 275g self–raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp soft light brown sugar
• 300ml whole milk
• 1 large banana, roughly chopped
• 1-2 tbsp sunflower oil

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 110C/90C Fan/Gas ¼.
2. Melt 25g of the butter in a small pan over a low heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
3. Put the melted butter, flour, baking powder, eggs, sugar and milk in a food processor and blend until smooth (or beat together using a whisk). Pour into a large bowl and mash the banana into the batter using a potato masher or fork.
4. Melt a little of the oil with a cube of butter in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Wipe around the base of the pan with a thick wad of kitchen paper.
5. Drop four large serving spoonfuls of the banana pancake mixture into the frying pan, spacing well apart. Cook for 3 minutes, or until the pancakes rise, bubbles appear and the surface appears dry. Flip over and cook on the other side for a further 2-3 minutes, or until pale golden-brown.
6. Transfer to a heatproof plate and keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining eight pancakes in exactly the same way.
7. Pile the pancakes onto warmed plates and serve.

Flapjacks

Ingredients

• 250g jumbo porridge oats
• 125g butter
• 125g light brown sugar
• 2-3 tbsp golden syrup (depending on how gooey you want it)
• Add chocolate drops, desiccated coconut or sultanas, if you like

Method

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
2. Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup.
3. Mix with the oats.
4. Lightly grease a 20x20cm baking tin with butter and spoon in the mixture. Press into the corners with the back of a spoon so the mixture is flat and score into 12 squares.
5. Bake for around 15 minutes until golden brown.