Cook Bake Teach

There something a bit special about making pancakes with the kids, on a weekend morning in our pyjamas. We probably do it about once a month, because the kids looooove them. I make thick fluffy pancakes, with a recipe my Mum gave me from when we lived in Australia aeons ago. They are called pikelets and are super easy to make. Our recipe is here . For today though, Miss L decided we should try something a bit different. Nadiya Hussain is a bit of a hero in our house, and Miss L has really been getting into watching her most recent programme - Time to Eat . It's full of quick delicious recipes, and Miss L's ears pricked up when she heard the word 'pancake'. This is different though, because instead of making pancakes and having to laboriously stand over the stove, with this recipe, you just chuck it in a baking pan, stick it in the oven and let the magic happen. From Nadiya's suggestion we made a peanut butter and strawberry jam pancake bake, but once you have the b...

I personally love banana bread, but not everyone is a fan in our household. So I thought I'd mix up my favourite recipe to try and make it a bit of a bigger hit is our house. Enter chocolate and peanut butter! Sadly, there was still only me and Miss L that loved it, but c'est la vie! Banana bread isn't for everyone :) Though it wasn't my biggest hit I thought I'd still post the recipe, because if you love banana bread, then this is a winner. The combination of cocoa and peanut butter works anyway, but I was surprised at how well it worked with banana.  

This is my go-to recipe for a different and tasty breakfast for the kids. Obviously we don't do it often because it's not as quick and easy as toast, but they love them, and they make a great snack too. This is an Australian recipe. I used to live in Australia when I was a kid, and remember pikelets fondly. So when I had kids of my own, I dug out the recipe and started making them. They are light and fluffy, and very easy to make. Obviously if kids are involved though they need to be careful over the hot frying pan. This is an Australian recipe. I used to live in Australia when I was a kid, and remember pikelets fondly. So when I had kids of my own, I dug out the recipe and started making them. They are light and fluffy, and very easy to make. Obviously if kids are involved though they need to be careful over the hot frying pan.

When I was younger my Mum (or Nonna, as she's affectionately known to the kids) used to ask me what I wanted for my birthday meal. Every year, it was always the same answer. Prawn Cocktail, Coronation Chicken and PAVLOVA. I was classy for sure. My Mum makes the best pavlovas though. There I said it. Every year on my birthday I looked forward to that creamy, sweet, crunchy, chewy, bowl full of pavlova goodness. It's one of the highlights of the birthdays of my past. Time goes on though, and despite loving them I rarely make a pavlova...in fact this one was only my second attempt! It came out well, though I've noted a few things to improve it next time. I got a bit scared of over-whisking and the egg white collapsing, so I don't think I whisked enough. I did do the 'tipping the bowl over' tip (see below) though which worked, so it couldn't have been that loose! I topped the pavlova with fresh fruit such as strawberries, nectarine, pineapple and kiwi. My Mum a...