Head Chef

No need for ovens with this no bake malteser tray bake recipe that’s ideal for kids. Only a little melting of the chocolate required and then you mix all the ingredients together and leave to cool. Remember to always follow the Kitchen Monsters Code when you’re in the kitchen!

Ingredients: 300g x milk chocolate, 3 tbs x honey or syrup, 250g x digestive biscuits, 230g x maltesers, 100g x butter
Special Equipment: Deep sided baking tray, kitchen scales, mixing bowl

Grease the baking tray with a little butter to stop the tray bake sticking
Break up 200g of the chocolate and melt it with the butter until runny
You can do this in a glass bowl over a saucepan of water over the hob or in the microwave
While you’re waiting for the chocolate to melt crush up the digestive biscuits
When it’s runny add the honey, crushed biscuits and maltesers and mix well
Tip the mixture into the baking tray and push down to the edges until you have a flat top
Set it aside or in the fridge to cool
When it’s set, melt the remaining 100g of chocolate and pour over the top
Leave aside to set for another hour or two and then cut into slices and enjoy!

Get the Kids Involved: Looking out the ingredients and equipment, measuring out the ingredients into the bowl, mixing together, crushing the biscuits

Kitchen Monster Tip: Put the biscuits into a freezer bag and whack with a rolling pin to avoid crumbs everywhere!

Difficulty:

This chocolate banana muffin recipe for kids is a great twist on the traditional choc chip muffins. I mean who doesn’t like chocolate with their bananas?!  Remember to always follow the Kitchen Monsters Code when you’re in the kitchen!

Ingredients: 200g x self raising flour, 1 x egg, 3 x medium or large bananas, 150g x sugar, 75g x butter, pinch of salt, 75g x chocolate chips
Special Equipment: Mixing bowl, kitchen scales, muffin trays, paper cases, spoon, electric mixer (or you could use a spoon)

Pre-heat oven to 180C/350F/G4
Peel the bananas and mash them all with a fork
Weigh out the sugar and butter and add to the mashed bananas
Mix well then crack the egg in too
Add in the flour and 50g of the chocolate chips and combine together
Spoon into the paper cases – we made about 12 from our mix
Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the top of the muffins and bake for about 20-25 minutes
Remove from the oven when they turn golden brown and a knife inserted in the middle of the muffins comes out clean of mixture
Leave to one side to cool then store in a tin until ready to eat!

Get the Kids Involved: Looking out the ingredients and equipment, measuring out the ingredients into the bowl, mixing together, spooning into the paper cases, setting the timer

Kitchen Monster Tip:  About 2/3rds of the way through baking, turn round the tin to ensure an even bake

Difficulty: 

Sometimes we come across a recipe that is so simple even we can’t get it wrong!  This granola recipe is a great one for kids to get involved with because all you need to do is weigh out the ingredients then mix them all together and bake.  And it tastes delicious!

Ingredients: 170g x oats, 70g x brown sugar, 125g x peanut butter, 125g x honey, 90g x M&Ms or Smarties
Special Equipment: Deep edged baking tin, mixing bowl, spoon and kitchen scales

Measure out all your ingredients into the mixing bowl
Coat the baking tin with a little butter or oil to stop the mixture sticking
Pour in your mixture and flatten down with the back of a spoon until it’s right up to the edge
Bake for about 20-25 minutes until the granola turns golden brown
Put to one side for 5 minutes to cool slightly
Cut into squares and remove from the tray to cool completely
They should store well in a tin for a few days if you can stop yourself eating them that long!

Get the Kids Involved: Looking out the ingredients and equipment, measuring out the ingredients, stirring the mixture, pressing it down into the tin, setting the timer

Kitchen Monster Tip: Depending how thick you make them the oven times may vary, check them after 15 minutes or so turning the baking tray round so it bakes evenly

Difficulty:

We love a bit of ketchup at Kitchen Monsters HQ and never thought we’d find an alternative to good old Heinz but this recipe is genuinely great.  It’s not much cheaper to make than buy a bottle but it only has 5 ingredients so you know exactly what’s in it.  We bet you won’t be able to tell the difference either!

Ingredients: 300g x tomato puree, 1/2 cup x honey, 1/2/ cup x vinegar, 1/2 tsp x onion powder, 1/2 tsp x garlic powder
Special Equipment: Saucepan, measuring cup, measuring spoon, spoon, glass bottle or jar to store the ketchup

Measure out your ingredients into the saucepan and mix well to combine all the ingredients
Simmer on the hob for about 20 minutes and set to one side to cool
Get your bottle or jar sterilised
Pour the ketchup into the bottle and you can store in the fridge for a few weeks
Why not serve with burger and fries?

Get the Kids Involved: Looking out the ingredients and equipment, measuring out the ingredients, stirring the saucepan, pouring the ketchup into the bottle

Kitchen Monster Tip: To sterilise the glass jar or bottle you can use straight out of the dishwasher or bake in the oven for 20 minutes

Difficulty:

We use them quite a lot and most of us have a tub lurking in the back of the cupboard somewhere but did you ever actually wonder what bicarbonate of soda, baking soda, baking powder and cream of tartar actually were and why we need to add them to our baking?  Then wonder no more with our straightforward guide.

Bicarbonate of Soda/Baking Soda
First thing to get out of the way is that Bicarbonate of Soda and Baking Soda are the same thing!  Different countries around the world tend to use one or the other but if you ever have a recipe that calls for baking soda and you only have bicarbonate of soda then you’ll be fine.  But why do we need to add them to our (most often) sponge recipes?  Well, it is a leavening agent which basically means that when it is mixed with acidic moisture it starts to make a chemical reaction and form bubbles of carbon dioxide.  These little bubbles of air help to raise the cake up making it lighter and less dense.  The most common type of acidic liquid that recipes use is lemon juice or vinegar and sometimes even tap water which tends to be ever so slightly acidic.

Cream of Tartar
Cream of tartar is actually a by product of the winemaking process!  It’s an acidic chemical in powder form that on its own is most commonly used when mixing egg whites to make meringues as it can help to increase the volume of the mixture making them lighter.

Baking Powder
Baking powder is a mixture of bicarbonate of soda (or baking soda if you prefer!) and cream of tartar.  As we saw earlier, with baking soda you need to combine it with an acidic liquid to get it working but with baking powder, the acidity comes from the cream of tartar so all you need is any moisture such as milk, water or eggs.  Again it is a leavening agent so it also creates little bubbles of carbon dioxide which helps cakes rise and stay lovely and light.

Top Tip 1: Did you know that self raising flour is just plain flour with added baking powder?  If a recipe calls for self raising flour but you only have plain, just add ½ a tea spoon of baking powder for every 100g flour and you’re good to go!

Top Tip 2: We all have the old tubs hanging around the back of our cupboards but don’t be tempted to use them if they’re out of date – they lose their effectiveness and so you’ll probably end up with a flat dense sponge!

Who would have thought that putting vegetables in your cakes would be so delicious?  It’s maybe not the best way to get a portion of fruit and veg into the kids but every little helps.  This recipe for carrot cake is perfect for little hands to help with.  Remember to always follow the Kitchen Monsters Code when you’re in the kitchen!

Pre-heat oven to 180C/160Fan/4G
Add the flour, sugar and bicarbonate of soda to the bowl and mix
In the second bowl mix the eggs and oil together and add to the dry ingredients along with the grated carrot
Mix well untill all the ingredients are combined and set aside for a moment
Cut out large squares of parchment paper (about 15cm x 15cm although this will depend on the size of your muffin tin)
Grease the inside of the muffin tin with a little butter then push in a square of parchment paper into each section to form a little paper case
Divide the mixture between the muffin tray (we made 12 muffins from our mix)
Transfer to the oven and bake for around 20-22 minutes (times will vary by oven)
Place onto a wire rack to cool for an hour or two
Mix together the icing sugar, butter and soft cheese then spread onto each muffin or use a piping bag to make it look fancier
Grate some orange zest on the top of each one to finish

Get the Kids Involved: Looking out the ingredients and equipment, measuring out the and mixing the ingredients, cutting out the parchment paper, dolloping out the mixture, decorating the icing, licking the bowl!

Kitchen Monster Tip:  You can tell a sponge is cooked when you can insert a skewer or a knife into the middle of the cake and it comes out clean of mixture.  All sticky and it needs a few more minutes.

Difficulty:

This bread recipe is the easiest one you’ll find – no kneading is required, just mix, shape and bake!  Remember to always follow the Kitchen Monsters Code when you’re in the kitchen!

Ingredients: 500g x plain flour, 2 x tsp bicarbinate of soda, 1 x tsp salt, 400g x live natural yoghurt
Special Equipment: Mixing bowl, measuring spoon, kitchen scales, baking tray, wire rack for cooling

Pre-heat oven to 200C/180F
Weigh out the flour, bicarb and salt into the mixing bowl
Make a well in the middle and add the yoghurt
Get your hand in and mix it all together until it forms a sticky ball – you may need a little milk to help it on its way
Pour a little oil onto the worktop and shape the dough into your desired shape – we prefer a nice round loaf!
Transfer to the baking tray and into the oven for about 40 minutes – the bread should be golden brown and sound hollow when you tap the base
Leave on a wire rack to cool then pull apart to serve!

Get the Kids Involved: Looking out the ingredients and equipment, measuring out the ingredients, mixing into the dough, shaping and baking

Kitchen Monster Tip:  before you pop it into the oven use the side of your hand to mark out section – this will make it easier to separate when baked

Difficulty: 

Kitchen Monsters HQ is based just outside Edinburgh in the lovely County of East Lothian.  We recently met with a bunch of Media students from nearby Queen Margaret University about working with them on a course project.  They are looking to do a practical film project using Kitchen Monsters as a case study.

They have decided to produce a very short film about the Kitchen Monsters and have asked if there are any local kids that would be happy to join in and be the star of the show.  They are looking for a parent and child (around 4-8 years old – both parent and child would be involved with filming!) who are available on either the afternoon of the 25th or 27th March for a couple of hours filming (at a location around Edinburgh to be specified).

Because it’s a student project there’s no fee involved but we will provide a £25 amazon voucher for anyone that can help us out. Interested or know someone that might be?  Email al@kitchenmonsters.co.uk

Can there be any better way to celebrate Christmas than munching on some Reindeer Poo?!  This easy no-bake recipe for kids is a great little kitchen project.  Remember to always follow the Kitchen Monsters Code when you’re in the kitchen!

Ingredients: 270g oats, 6 x tbsp cocoa powder, 100g x coconut flakes, 115g x butter, 400g x sugar, 120ml x milk, 1 x tsp vanilla essence
Special Equipment: Sauce pan, large mixing bowl, parchment paper

Put the butter, sugar and vanilla into the sauce pan and melt until liquid
Weigh out the oats, cocoa powder and coconut into the mixing bowl
When the mixture has melted pour over the dry ingredients in the bowl
Mix together well until it starts looking like reindeer poo then lay out the parchment paper
Spoon out clumps of the poo mixture onto the paper then leave to set
Keep in the fridge until ready to enjoy the reindeer poo!

Get the Kids Involved: Ensure you supervise the melting process but the kids can get involved in the weighing, mixing and spooning out

Kitchen Monster Tip:  These are pretty sweet so don’t make the poos too big!
Difficulty: 

Tablet is a traditional Scottish sweetie, not as soft as fudge but not as hard as candy.  This tablet recipe for kids is delicious but you might want to limit how many pieces you have as it has rather a lot of sugar in it!      Remember to always follow the Kitchen Monsters Code when you’re in the kitchen!

Ingredients: 1 x small tin of evaporated milk, 113g x butter, 454g c caster sugar, a few drops of vanilla essence
Special Equipment: Microwave, large glass bowl, baking tray, knife

Add all the ingredients into the glass bowl and microwave for 6 minutes
Stir well then return to the microwave for another 6 minutes
Remove, stir well again and pour into the greased baking tray
Cool in the fridge for about 5 minutes
Take it out the fridge and score the top of the mixture with a knife into square portions
leave for another couple of hours for it to set through
Cut into squares then serve and enjoy!

Get the Kids Involved: the mixture gets very hot and can be dangerous if spilled or touched so never leave the child alone and supervise at all times – they may just be able to help weigh out the ingredients and cut the tablet up once it’s set

Kitchen Monster Tip:  Scoring the top of the tablet will make it much easier to cut once cooled
Difficulty: