3/5 Difficulty
dApril 9, 2013
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!
Ingredients: 200g x self raising flour, 1 x tsp bicarbonate of soda, 2 x eggs, 175g brown sugar, 150ml x sunflower oil, 200g x carrots (grated), zest of 1 x orange, 100g x butter, 300g x soft cheese, 100g x icing sugar
Special Equipment: Kitchen scales, 2 x mixing bowl, measuring spoon, muffin tins, parchment paper / grease proof paper, large spoon, wire rack
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
Serve and enjoy!
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:
dNovember 21, 2012
Soups are such a great way of getting more vegetables you should try and make a pot of soup as often as you can. Why not start with this courgette and carrot soup recipe for kids? Remember to always follow the Kitchen Monsters Code when you’re in the kitchen!
Ingredients: 50g x butter (or margarine), 450g x courgettes, 225g x carrots, 2 x beef stock cubes, 1 x tbsp tomato purée 1 x bay leaf, 2 x tsp sugar, salt & pepper
Equipment: Large pot, blender, chopping board, knife
Wash the courgettes, cut off their tops and tails and slice thinly
Wash and peel the carrots and chop them into chunks
Place the butter in the pan and add the courgettes and carrots and cook gently for 5 minutes
Add 1 litre of water, the two stock cubes, sugar, tomato purée and bay leaf
Bring the soup to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft
Salt and pepper to taste
Remove (and throw away) the bay leaf, leave the soup to cool and then blend until it’s nice and smooth
Get the Kids Involved: Looking out the ingredients and equipment, measuring out the ingredients, carefully peeling and chopping the veg, stirring it all together
Kitchen Monster Tip: You can serve this soup hot or cold and if you want to make it look a little fancier then add some chopped parsley to the top before you serve it
Difficulty:
dOctober 23, 2012
Want to evoke the party spirit at Halloween but don’t want to go to the hassle of a full sized pumpkin? The you’ll love this recipe for mini jelly pumpkins – the jelly looks like mushed brains! Remember to always follow the Kitchen Monsters Code when you’re in the kitchen!
Ingredients: 4 x large oranges, 1 x packet jelly
Special Equipment: Small sharp knife, spoon, measuring jug
Make up the jelly according to the packet instructions and leave to set in the fridge
Carefully slice the top off each orange to make a lid
Scoop out the flesh of the oranges until you’r left with hollow oranges
Carefully carve a scary Halloween face into the front of the oranges, just like pumpkin lanterns
Remove the jelly from the fridge and give it a good stir round to break it all up
Scoop the mashed up jelly into the oranges – this makes it look like the brains!
Keep in the fridge until ready to eat then stick in a spoon and serve!
Get the Kids Involved: Breaking up the jelly cubes, scooping out the orange flesh, deciding what face to carve, mashing up the jelly and scooping it into the pumpkin heads
Kitchen Monster Tip: Don’t throw the orange flesh away – serve it with yoghurt for your breakfast!
Difficulty: 
dAugust 15, 2012
We love shortbread but this Raspberry Shortcake recipe for kids takes it one step further. It’s a bit fiddly but it will be well worth the extra work when you taste it! Remember to always follow the Kitchen Monsters Code when you’re in the kitchen!
Ingredients: 200g x plain flour, 25g x corn flour, 75g x caster sugar, 3 x tbsp muscovado sugar, pinch of salt, 150g x unsalted butter, 150g x raspberries, 125g x raspberry jam, 50g x oats
Special Equipment: Deep sided baking tray, food processor, mixing bowl, kitchen scales
Add the caster sugar, flour, corn flour, salt and butter to the food processor and pulse into a breadcrumb consistency
Remove and set aside about 100g worth and tip the remaining mixture into the baking tray and spread out to cover the base, pressing down to form a layer of shortcake
Bake for 10 minutes then remove and set aside to cool
Mix the raspberries and jam together and spread over the shortcake layer
Add the muscovado sugar, oats and remaining mixture to a bowl and rub together with your finger tips to forma breadcrumb style mixture
Spread over the layer of jam and return to the oven
Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the topping become a lovely golden brown colour
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool
Get the Kids Involved: Looking out and weighing the ingredients, spreading the shortcake into the tin, mixing the raspberries and jam, setting the timer, spreading on the jam, rubbing the topping
Kitchen Monster Tip: Leave to cool completely before cutting into squares, it’ll make it much easier
Difficulty:
dAugust 1, 2012
This bright green easy pea soup recipe for kids is probably the best coloured soup you’ll ever come across! Remember to always follow the Kitchen Monsters Code when you’re in the kitchen!
Ingredients: 1 x onion, 450g x frozen peas, 1 x litre stock (made up from a stock cube)
Special Equipment: Large soup pan, chopping board, knife, measuring jug, blender
Place the oil in the pan and begin to heat on the hob
Carefully chop the onion, add to the pan and cook for 3 or 4 minutes until they soften
Make up the stock and add to the pan
Pour in your frozen peas
Bring the soup to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes
Leave to cool then blend well until smooth
Heat thoroughly before serving and enjoy!
Get the Kids Involved: Looking out the ingredients, peeling and chopping the onion (supervised?), Measuring out the water for the stock, weighing out the peas, stirring the soup
Kitchen Monster Tip: Never add any salt and pepper until you’ve tasted to see if it needs it – stock cubes can be salty enough on their own
Difficulty:
dJuly 9, 2012
Best served straight from the fridge on hot day – the only thing hard about this homemade lemonade recipe for kids is all the juicing you need to do! Remember to always follow the Kitchen Monsters Code when you’re in the kitchen!
Ingredients: Juice of 6 – 8 lemons (about a cups worth), 1 x cup x sugar, 4 cups x water, plenty of ice
Special Equipment: Knife, chopping board, juicer, measuring cup, small suacepan, jug and glasses to serve
Carefully chop the lemons in half and juice them until you have a full cups worth
Transfer into the saucepan, add the sugar and heat gently on the hob until the sugar has dissolved
Pour into the jug, add the water and your ice and stir well
Add some slices of lemon to the jug to decorate
Serve and enjoy!
Get the Kids Involved: Counting out the lemons, juicing them, measuring the sugar and water, stirring the lemonade, cleaning up after!
Kitchen Monster Tip: Roll the lemons along a table top before cutting – this will help release more of the juice
Difficulty:
dJune 27, 2012
A lovely dinner for kids to help with, this Mini Toad in the Hole recipe looks so cute and are pretty straight forward to make. This recipe will make at least 6. Remember to always follow the Kitchen Monsters Code when you’re in the kitchen!
Ingredients: 125g x plain flour, 2 x eggs, 125ml x water, 125ml x milk, 12 x mini sausages (or 3 large ones cut up), 1/2 tsp x dried thyme, a little cooking oil
Special Equipment: Mixing bowl, fork or whisk, kitchen scales, muffin tray
Pre-heat the oven to 200C / 180F / G6
Coat the muffin tray with a little oil and divide the sausages up in each section
Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, turning the sausages around after 10 minutes
While that’s cooking, add the flour into the mixing bowl and whisk in the eggs
Add the milk and water and mix well until you get a smooth batter
When the sausages are ready pour some of the mixture into each muffin section – not too much, about a third of the way up because it will rise when cooking
Pop the tray back into the oven for another 15 minutes or until the batter has puffed up and is golden brown
Empty the Toad in the Holes out of the muffin tray
Serve with some tasty vegetables and enjoy!
Get the Kids Involved: Measuring out the ingredients, turning on the oven, placing the sausages into the muffin tray, mixing the batter, pouring it into the muffin tray, setting the timer, cleaning up after!
Kitchen Monster Tip: You can play about with these – why not try adding some onion too, or maybe try a different herb instead of thyme?
Difficulty:
dFebruary 10, 2012
Not much can beat a large slice of Victoria Sponge – soft sponge, butter icing and a jam filling. This Victoria Sponge recipe for kids is an ideal Sunday afternoon project. Remember to always follow the Kitchen Monsters Code when you’re in the kitchen!
Ingredients: 200g x caster sugar, 300g x butter, 200g x self raising flour, 4 x eggs, 1tsp x baking powder, 2 x tbsp milk, 140g x icing sugar, 2 x tsp milk, 340g x strawberry jam, 1 x tsp vanilla extract
Special Equipment: Mixing bowl, kitchen scales, spoon, 2 x cake tins
Pre-heat the oven to 190C and grease the cake tins with some baking paper and a little butter
Add 200g of the butter with the flour, baking powder, caster sugar and eggs and beat together until well mixed
Divide between the two tins and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown or until a knife or cocktail stick can be inserted into the middle and come out clean
Remove from the cake tins and set aside to cool completely
Add the remaining butter to a bowl and beat until it becomes soft and creamy
Pour in the icing sugar and vanilla and mix well before spreading onto the top of one of the sponges
Add a layer of jam on top then use the second sponge to create your sandwich
Dust with icing sugar to finish then serve and enjoy!
Kitchen Monster Tip: Instead of making one big cake, why not use paper cases to make mini Victoria Sponge Cup Cakes?
Difficulty:
dDecember 10, 2011
A delicious, warming pudding that’s perfect for winter evenings, our Baked Apple and Raisin recipe for kids is worth a try. Remember to always follow the Kitchen Monsters Code when you’re in the kitchen!
Ingredients: (serves 4) 4 x apples, 6 x ginger biscuits, 1/4 cup x plain flour, 1/4 tsp x cinnamon, 30g x butter, 30g x raisins
Special Equipment: Baking tray, apple corer, knife, mixing bowl
Preheat the oven to 170c
Add the butter and flour to the mixing bowl and rub together until you have crumbs
Crush up the ginger biccies and add them to the flour mixture along with the raisins and mix together
Carefully slice the top off the apple and cut out the core
Place on the baking tray, stuff the empty core and cover the top of the apple with the crumble mixture
Bake for about 20 minutes or until the crumble turns golden brown and the apple softens
Serve and enjoy!
Kitchen Monster Tip: Serve while still warm with custard!
Difficulty:
dDecember 8, 2011
If you’re ill, cold or sad then our chicken soup recipe for kids could cheer you up. Remember to always follow the Kitchen Monsters Code when you’re in the kitchen!
Ingredients: 2 x chicken breasts, 1 x large potato, 1 x clove garlic, 1 x leek, 1 x onion, 2 pints x chicken stock, a little oil
Special Equipment: large saucepan, chopping board, knife, blender
Chop up the onion, leek, and garlic and add to the saucepan with the oil
Heat gently for about 5 minutes to soften them
Chop up the chicken into small pieces
Add the stock and the chicken to the pot with the veg and boil gently for 40 minutes
Blend until smooth, serve and enjoy!
Kitchen Monster Tip: Because there’s meat in the soup, f you save any for later then make sure you bring it back up to the boil before serving
Difficulty:
Cooking for kids