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Odlums: Keep the kids busy with this quick and easy Queen Cakes recipe. Decorating them is the really fun part!

odlums queen cakes for kids

Queen Cakes, Fairy Cakes or Buns

CategoryBaking with Kids

Cook Time15 mins

What you need:

  • 175g/6oz Odlums Self Raising Flour
  • 125g/4oz Shamrock Golden Caster Sugar
  • 125g/4oz Butter or Margarine (half a block)
  • 2 Eggs
  • 2 tablespoons Cold Water

To decorate

  • Glacรฉ Icing or Chocolate Spread
  • Hundreds and Thousands
  • Glacรฉ Cherries
  • Sweets

How to:

  1. Ensure oven is fully preheated to 200ยฐC/400ยฐF/Gas 6.
  2. Next, put bun paper cases into bun tins.
  3. Put the flour, sugar, butter/margarine, eggs and water into a bowl. Beat all the ingredients together with an electric mixer or wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth.
  4. Put heaped teaspoons of the mixture into each bun case.
  5. Place in the oven on the top shelf and bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown.
  6. Cool on a wire tray. When cold, decorate as liked with your favourite toppings.

https://www.odlums.ie/recipes/queen-cakes-fairy-cakes-or-bun

 

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Neven Maguire’s Brown Scones are full of roughage and great for breakfast

Brown scones are full of roughage and great for breakfast. And here is a good tip: you can make this mixture, shape the scones and freeze them. You can then cook the scones straight from the freezer to the oven – just give them an extra 5 minutes and make sure the scones are golden brown and well-risen.

Ingredients

  • Rapeseed or sunflower oil, for greasing
  • 225g (8oz) self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 225g (8oz) coarse wholemeal flour
  • ยฝ tsp baking soda
  • ยฝ tsp salt
  • 50g (2oz) wheat bran
  • 25g (1oz) butter, diced and at room temperature
  • 1 tsp light muscovado sugar
  • 300ml (ยฝ pint) buttermilk, plus a little extra if necessary

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 220ยฐC (425ยฐF/gas mark 7). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and grease the paper with a little oil.
  2. Sift the flours, baking soda and salt into a bowl. Tip in the bran left in the sieve and stir it in with the wheat bran. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until it is evenly dispersed. Stir in the sugar.
  3. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk and golden syrup. Using a large spoon, mix gently and quickly until you have achieved a smooth, not-too-sticky dough. Add a little more buttermilk if necessary, until the dough binds together without being sloppy.
  4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 2.5cm (1in) thickness and cut into rounds with a 6cm (2ยฝin) plain cutter. Arrange on the lined baking sheets and bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown and well-risen.
  5. Serve with butter or lightly whipped cream and strawberry jam.


By Neven Maguire

Celebrity Chef

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Neven Maguire: Home Chef

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Rachel Allen’s Strawberry Muesli

rachel strawberry muesli

This recipe comes from the original Swiss Bircher muesli, where porridge oats are soaked in a little water, then sweetened with delicious seasonal or dried fruit, and sometimes nuts and seeds too. Strawberries and raspberries work particularly well in this muesli recipe, as does grated apple, to which you could also add a smidgen of ground cinnamon.

The recipe was created in the early 1900s by the Swiss physician Dr Maximillian Bircher-Benner, who knew that a diet rich in nutrients was essential for the recuperation of the patients in his hospital.

Place the porridge oats in a bowl with the water. Allow the oats to sit for 10 minutes, then add in the strawberries. Mash with a fork before adding enough light agave syrup or honey, whichever youโ€™re using, to sweeten the mixture.

Serve the muesli on its own, or with cream and brown sugar; or topped with natural yoghurt and toasted, chopped hazelnuts or almonds.

Serves 2-3.

You will need:

  • 75g (3oz) porridge oats
  • 150ml (5fl oz) water
  • 110g (4oz) strawberries
  • 2-3 teaspoons light agave syrup or honey

To serve, you will need:

  • Cream and brown sugar (optional)
  • Natural yoghurt and toasted chopped hazlenuts or almonds (optional)
  • Place the porridge oats in a bowl with the water. Allow the oats to sit for 10 minutes, then add in the strawberries. Mash with a fork before adding enough light agave syrup or honey, whichever youโ€™re using, to sweeten the mixture.
  • Serve the muesli on its own, or with cream and brown sugar; or topped with natural yoghurt and toasted, chopped hazelnuts or almonds.