Cookies, peanut butter cups and more: 5 recipes to bake with the kids on a rainy day

Plus vanilla stars and raspberry loaf cake 

Recipes to make on a rainy day

Chocolate-Chip Cookies

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

There is an enduring love for a chocolate chip cookie; their popularity never seems to wane, not since their invention in 1930’s America.

Servings

30

Preparation Time

 1 hours 20 mins

Cooking Time

 12 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 32 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 200g cold butter, cubed

• 140g light muscovado sugar

• 120g granulated sugar

• 240g plain flour

• 1 tsp bread soda

• 1 tsp fine sea salt

• 1 egg

• 2 tsp vanilla

• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

• 340g dark chocolate chips

Method

1. Cream the butter and both types of sugar until light and creamy.

2. Sieve the flour with the bread soda and salt and set it aside.

3. Lightly beat the egg with the vanilla and vinegar.

4. Gently beat the egg mixture into the creamed butter mixture. Use a spatula to scrape any of the mixture from the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure everything gets mixed well.

5. Add in the flour mixture with a wooden spoon and then stir in the chocolate chips.

6. Put the dough into a bowl and cover it with baking parchment and then place it into the fridge so the dough can firm up for at least an hour.

7. Line two large flat baking trays with parchment. Preheat your oven to 190ºC/gas mark 5.

8. I tend to use a small ice cream scoop to scoop the cookie dough into 30 balls. You can dip the scoop into hot water to help prevent it sticking to the dough. Place the balls of dough onto the trays, leaving quite a bit of space so they can spread as they bake.

9. Place the trays into the centre of your oven and bake for about 12 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are golden. They will still be a little soft and will firm up as they cool.

10. Allow the cookies cool on the baking tray for about fifteen minutes until they have firmed up enough to be moved. After this time gently place them onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Raspberry Loaf Cake

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

This loaf cake recipe is good for introducing young people to baking as it is not very technical.

Servings

10

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 45 mins

Total Time

 60 mins

Course

 Dessert

Ingredients

• 200g soft butter

• 180g golden caster sugar

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 200g self-raising flour

• 3 eggs

• 3 tbs milk

• 100g raspberries

• Icing:

• 2 tbs lemon juice

• ½ tbs water

• 100g icing sugar

Method

1. Line a 2-pound loaf tin with baking parchment. Pre heat your oven to 180ºC/gas mark 4.

2. Add the soft butter and the sugar to a mixer. Beat the butter and sugar together until they start to go light in colour and fluffy looking.

3. Put the flour into a bowl and sieve in the baking powder. Stir it into the flour.

4. Take the mixer bowl off the mixer and add the flour and baking powder, the eggs and the milk into the butter and sugar mixture. Beat everything together with a wooden spoon until it is all mixed.

5. Gently stir in the raspberries. You do not want to break them up too much.

6. Scoop the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth it out on the top with the back of the spoon.

7. Ask an adult to put the tin into the warm oven. Bake the cake for about 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when you stick it into the centre. Ask an adult to do this for you. Allow the cake to cool in the tin.

8. Make the icing by stirring the lemon juice with the icing sugar and water. You might need a little more or a little less juice, the icing should spread easily but not be too runny. Spread the icing over the top of the cold cake and dot some raspberries on top.

9. Once the icing has hardened gently remove the cake from the tin and cut it into slices when you need them.

Banana Coconut Pancakes

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Fruity, flavoursome and perfect for small handies!

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 11 mins

Total Time

 26 mins

Course

 Dessert

Cuisine

 American

Ingredients

• 1 egg

• 1 tbsp plain flour

• ½ tbsp desiccated coconut

• ½ tbsp milk

• ¾ of a banana

Method

1. Put the egg, flour, coconut and milk into a large bowl and use a whisk to combine them all. It is good to be gentle at first until the flour mixes in then you can give it a good whisk until it is smooth.

2. Mash the banana well. Add this to the batter and whisk it again until the banana is mixed in.

3. Get an adult to heat a little butter or sunflower oil on a large flat pan.

4. An adult can also help you with the next step. Use a ladle to scoop about a quarter of the mixture onto the pan. It will spread about once you pour it. Allow it to go golden underneath them flip it over until both sides are golden.

Vanilla Stars

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

An ideal recipe for beginner chefs - and a way to introduce them to dough and cutters!

Servings

8

Preparation Time

 30 mins

Cooking Time

 8 mins

Total Time

 38 mins

Course

 Dessert

Ingredients

• 200g butter

• 190g caster sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp of vanilla extract

• 400g of plain flour

Method

1. Line a large flat baking tray with parchment, an adult can cut it to size for you. Also ask an adult to turn on the oven to 200 degrees.

2. Weight and measure all of your ingredients so they are all ready to go. You can put the vanilla in with the egg in a cup and give the egg a stir with a fork, so the yolk is broken up.

3. You will need a mixer for the next bit so ask an adult for some help. Beat the butter and sugar until they are turning pale and fluffy. You can either use the mixer on low or use a wooden spoon to add in the egg, vanilla and flour. It should form a smooth dough. If it is very sticky you can pop it into the fridge for about a half an hour for firm up.

4. Sprinkle flour onto a clean work surface and with a rolling pin roll out some of the dough to about 5 mm thick, then cut out your stars. You might need a flat spatula or butter knife to gently remove the stars from the counter onto the prepared baking tray.

5. Bake for about 8 minutes until turning golden. When they have cooled enough so you can lift them up gently place them onto a wire rack to let them cool completely.

Chocolate peanut butter cups

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

A time-tested fave - thick with salty, nutty, gooey goodness!

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 30 mins

Cooking Time

 20 mins

Total Time

 50 mins

Course

 Dessert

Ingredients

• 200g of chocolate

• 12 tsp of thick peanut butter

Method

1. Put twelve mini bun cases into a mini bun tin with 12 holes.

2. Break your chocolate into small pieces that are all around the same size. Ask an adult to help you melt half of the chocolate in a microwave. Let it cool slightly.

3. Spoon the melted chocolate carefully into the twelve bun cases to make the base of your chocolate cups. Put the bun tin into the fridge so that the little chocolate cups cool and become firm.

4. Ask for help melting the other half of the chocolate. Let it cool slightly.

5. Take the tin out of the fridge and spoon a teaspoon of peanut butter on top of each of the cooled chocolate cups. Spoon the rest of the melted chocolate over the peanut butter and put the tray back into the fridge until they are cool.