Caitríona Redmond: Pizza and cake for budget-friendly kids' birthdays

Caitríona Redmond: "I’m in charge of feeding the masses with pizza and cake - something I am very comfortable doing, let me tell you!"

Birthday parties around here became a little more ‘extra’ after several Covid lockdowns. 

I’m confident we weren’t the only ones who bargained our kids out of a funk in the height of it. 

In fact, the youngest fella actually caught covid for his birthday two years ago, which put paid to any party plans, even for our close family circle. 

We told him it was okay, that when he was better and we were allowed to socialise again I’d save up for him to have a party in a play centre.

We had that party in the centre and I marvelled at how stress-free it was. 

No food mashed into the floor, no worrying about whether our living room would accommodate 15-odd kids' boisterous play if it was raining. 

No panicked hiding of garden implements for free play in the good weather. Ah sure, it was great.

Until I got the bill, that was. That was a yikes moment. You know the type where you take an inward whistle of breath and feel the bottom falling out of your budget? 

The swoopy feeling where I’d committed to something financially had a sharp edge of regret. I gritted my teeth last year, and vowed that there would be no more out-of-the-house parties. Again, I know that I am not the only one.

It all comes back to that discretionary income; the money we have left over after paying the bills. There is less of it to go around these days, so I have had to become more inventive with our parties.

The head entertainer and chief of chaos is my husband. I am his trusty sidekick. The chaos-maker is responsible for choosing the best movie and adjudicating computer game disputes. 

My decadent Chocolate Brookie

I’m in charge of feeding the masses with pizza and cake - something I am very comfortable doing, let me tell you!

While I may feel like giving out party bags filled with spare rolls of toilet paper bought in the early days of lockdown, I’m not. 

There’s less ‘tat’ and more mindful things in the bag. No more party horns, hats, or whistles that are basically single-use items that will go straight into the bin. 

Bags contain buns and marshmallow slices, and colouring pencils. I’ve not had a complaint yet.

Sometimes we need to embrace simplicity to live on a budget. Saving money doesn’t need to be complicated.

Which is probably just as well. We’ve recently had a change in our work situation and my husband is now caring full-time at home. 

I’ve been telling readers for a long time that living on a budget can help provide for contingencies. 

We have been working towards two years of carers' benefit for a long time. 

It’s going to be a huge challenge but one that we are embracing as a family. 

Having additional needs in the home and working full-time has been very difficult for me so I’m looking forward to adjusting and sharing the load more equally.

None of this would be possible without living on a budget. You can certainly be reassured that any advice I am giving is from lived experience!

Chocolate Brookie

recipe by:Caitriona Redmond 

This decadent treat is a cross between a chewy cookie and a gooey brownie that can be sliced into chunks. This recipe is a crowd-pleaser, particularly for teens, and is extremely Instagrammable.

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 60 mins

Cooking Time

 44 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 44 mins

Course

 Dessert

Ingredients

• For the cookie base:

• 200g caster sugar

• 175g butter at room temperature

• 2 medium eggs

• 325g plain flour

• 100g cocoa powder

• 1 tsp of baking powder

• 1 packet mixed chocolate chips

• For the brownie topping:

• 100g dark chocolate

• 100g butter

• 2 eggs

• 100g caster sugar

• 100g plain flour

• 75g cocoa powder

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. To prepare the cookie base:

2. Cream the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Beat in the 2 eggs until fully combined then add the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder and mix again. Finally stir the chocolate chips into the cookie dough.

3. Press into a deep dish cookie tin. I use a deep 23cm square baking tin. Allow a little of the cookie dough to rise up the sides. Cover the tray and put into the fridge for 30 mins.

4. To prepare the brownie topping:

5. Preheat a fan oven to 170oC.

6. 1/4 fill a pot with hot water and sit a heat proof bowl on top. Turn the pot on low and put the butter and chocolate into the bowl. Leave them to melt.

7. In a second bowl whisk the eggs and sugar until they are light and frothy. Once the chocolate and butter and melted, carefully whisk them in bit by bit. Don’t put it in all at once or you’ll end up with scrambled eggs!

8. Finally, blend in the remaining dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder and baking powder). Then stir in the spoonful of vanilla extract.

9. Remove the baking tin with the cookie dough from the fridge. Uncover and pour the brownie batter directly on top of the dough.

10. Bake the baking tin in the oven for 45 minutes. Then leave to cool completely before slicing and serving.

Kids' Party Pizzas

recipe by:Caitriona Redmond 

Prepare this dough in the morning and when it’s time to cook, divide it into 6 equal-sized pieces and let the guests take it from there.

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 2 hours 30 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 2 hours 45 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 400g Strong White Flour

• 100g Semolina Flour

• 1 heaped tsp of dried yeast

• 1 tsp of sugar

• 325ml water at room temperature

• 3 tbsp of olive oil

• For preparation/cooking:

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 50g of semolina flour to prevent the pizza from sticking

Method

1. Weigh all the main ingredients into a stand mixing bowl (exclude the final 50g of semolina flour). I use a stand mixer with a dough hook so weigh directly into the stand mixer bowl. It takes about 10 minutes on high to get the dough to a smooth texture.

2. Use a little olive oil to grease a large mixing bowl. Lift the dough out of the stand mixer and place into the oiled bowl. Cover cling film and leave in a warm spot to prove. This normally takes me about 2 hours but it depends on how warm your kitchen is.

3. Once proved, preheat your oven to 200oC.

4. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and leave a bowl of toppings like grated cheese, shredded ham, salami, mozzarella, sliced peppers, mushrooms, olives, and whatever else you have to hand.

5. Sprinkle baking trays with semolina flour to stop the pizzas from sticking as they bake.

6. Once prepared place the pizzas onto the baking trays and bake for 10-15 mins until golden.

7. Allow to cool a little before slicing and eating.

Home Economics

The best cakes are homemade with love, right? The act of service of making a cake from scratch for somebody you love marks a special occasion. It makes the event memorable for the recipient and the baker. Which is why many of us strive to make a confection from scratch.

Let us accept that the cake will be appreciated. From a financial and time perspective though I believe it’s not cheaper to make a cake at home.

If you enjoy baking and look forward to creating cakes for someone special, go right ahead. If you dread the kerfuffle then buy a cake off the shelf and save your energy and money to invest elsewhere.