Mini Apple Pie

This recipe is suitable for making one large apple pie or many mini apple pies. From this recipe I can make 1 large apple pie and about 5 mini apple pies.

Ingredients
6 apples (small size)
50g unsalted butter
4 tbs honey
1 pinch cinnamon

Shortcrust pastry
1 and ½ cups (225g) plain flour
2/3 cup (100g) self-raising flour
2/3 cup (150g) brown sugar
150g unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup (60ml) full-fat milk
2 egg yolks

Methods
For the pastry, process the flours, sugar and butter in a food processor, then mix in the milk and egg yolks. If dough is too wet, add a little more flour. On a lightly floured surface, bring dough together, then knead until smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

Meanwhile, peel and core the apples, then cut into quarters. Melt the butter in a frypan over medium heat, and when it begins to froth and brown, add the apple and cook until brown and softened; about 5-10 minutes depending on the ripeness of the apples. Add the honey and cinnamon, reduce heat to medium-low and stir continuously for about 10-15 minutes or until the apples are golden and caramelized. Cool to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 180 degree celcius. Grease a 24cm loose-bottomed tart pan. Once pastry has rested, roll out on a lightly floured surface to 5 mm thick and line pan with pastry.

Place cooled apples into pastry shell. With any remaining pastry, use a crinkled pastry cutter to cut 1cm-wide strips to make a lattice to place over top. Bake 30-35 minutes.

Age:
23 months

Here how the pie look like:

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL!!!

Pizza

Ingredients

For Pizza Dough (can make about 3 medium size and 2 smaller size):
410 g plain flour
1/2 tablespoon of baker's yeast
1 teaspoon salt
250ml hot water

For the tomato paste (enough for 2 small pizza base):
2 tablespoons of minced chicken
1 tablespoon of chopped onions
1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
a little bit of sugar
soy sauce and pepper to taste
a little bit of italian herbs (those dried ones comes in a bottle)
1/3 can of tomato paste
1 tablespoon of olive oil
some water

For Pizza toppings (enough for 2 small pizza)

2 mushrooms (chopped up)

2 tablespoons of chopped up capsicum

2 tablespoons of broccoli

2 tablespoon of tomatoes (seed removed)
Pizza Plus cheese for toppings

Methods

Pizza dough:
(1) Mix all the dry ingredients before adding the hot water.

(2) Add the hot water and start mixing (you can use spoon first before using your hand)
(3) Work on the dough till it is smooth.

(4) Place the dough in a bowl and cover it with towel tissue and leave it there for 1 hr.
(5) After 1hr, the dough should rise and give it a punch and knead the dough again and place the dough back into the bowl, cover it and leave it for 1 hr.
(6) After one hour you can roll the dough using roller on lightly floured surface and set it aside.

Tomato paste:
(1) Heat up the oil and sauteed garlic and onions till fragrant.
(2) Add the minced chicken and stir well.
(3) Add the tomato paste and a little bit of water and stir till boiled.
(4) Add some italian herbs, sugar, soy sauce and pepper to taste.
(5) If the paste is too thick, add a little bit of water but not too much. The paste should not be watery.

Assembling the pizza:

(1) Add the tomato paste on the prepared dough.
(2) Add a little bit of cheese.
(3) Add the pizza topping ingredients and finish off with cheese.
(4) Baked around 20 - 30 minutes at 225 deg Celsius (timing and temperature may varies with different oven, so do peep on the pizza once in awhile to ensure that it is not over baked).

Age:

23 months

Here hows the food looks like (first pic is unbaked pizza, second pic is cooked pizza fresh from oven):

Notes:

Suitable for lunch or dinner. The pizza toppings can be changed, it is up to you. Suitable for vegetarian toddlers, just omit the chicken, garlic and onions.

Omelette with special fillings

Ingredients

For Omellete
1 egg (whisk)
a little bit of butter for frying the egg

For Filling

1 mushroom (chopped up)

2 tablespoons of minced chicken

1 tablespoon of chopped carrots

1 tablespoon of mixed frozen vegetables

1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
Soy sauce and pepper to taste (optional)
1/2 tablespoon of olive oil

Methods

(1) Fry the omelette as per normal.
(2) Heat the olive oil and sauteed the garlic till fragrant.

(3) Add the minced chicken and stir well.

(4) Add the rest of the ingredients and stir till chicken is cooked. Add soy sauce and pepper if using.

(5) Place the cooked filling on the omelette and roll the omellette and cut into half. Serve on its own or with rice.

Age:

23 months

Here hows the food looks like:

Notes:

Suitable for breakfast when eaten on its own or lunch/dinner if eaten with rice.

Mushroom Quiche

Ingredients

For Pastry
125g plain flour
50g unsalted butter
45ml of water

1/4 teaspoon of salt (optional)

For Mushroom

100g fresh button mushrooms (chopped up)

50ml fresh white milk

1 egg (whisk it)

1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon of chopped onions
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)
1/2 tablespoon of butter
Grated cheese

Methods

(1) Mix all the pastry ingredients together and place the dough on the bottom and side of the pie baking tray (the mini ones, so you will have a few of these) and set aside.
(2) Heat the butter and sauteed the onions and bay leaf till fragrant.

(3) Add in the mushrooms, and salt and pepper if using.
(4) Fill the cooked mushroom into the prepared pie tray, add a little of the whisk egg and some cheese. Do the same to the rest of the pie tray till finish.
(5) Bake at 180 deg celsius for about 25 to 35 minutes (timing depends on your oven)

Age:

23 months

Here hows the food looks like:

Notes:

Suitable for breakfast/snack time. Best serve when warm. Also suitable for vegetarian toddlers. Just omit the onions.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Once in a while you may wish to give your little one some sweet treats. It will definitely be great if your can make your own sweet treats for your little one. This is because, you will know how much sugar to add and also the ingredients you use is definitely fresher than the ready made cookies in the supermarket. So I would like to share this chocolate chip cookies that I made for my kids. They loves it so much. It is especially delicious when it is freshly baked and eaten with a cup of milk.

The sugar I used is raw or brown sugar. I lessen the amount of sugar for the recipe because the sweetness can be compensate by the chocolate chips. The vanilla extract is the pure one not the imitation ones. Below is the recipe.

Ingredients
113 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
120 grams of brown sugar
1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

150 grams all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

135 grams semisweet chocolate chips

Methods

(1) Preheat oven to 190 degrees C with rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

(2) In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter. Add sugar and beat until fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in egg, making sure to beat well. Add the vanilla and beat until incorporated.

(3) In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and beat until incorporated, adding the chocolate chips about half way through mixing. If you find the dough very soft, cover and refrigerate until firm (about 30 minutes).

(4) Bake about 12 - 14 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Cool completely on wire rack.

Age:

23 months

Here hows the food looks like:

Notes:

You can half the chocolate chips and add raisins for the other half. The baking time depends on your oven. So the time I gave above is just a guide line. Best serve warm with milk during snack time.

Fried Rice

Ingredients:

(1) 1 tablespoon of minced chicken

(2) 1 egg

(3) 1 tablespoon of frozen mixed vegetables
(4) 3 tablespoons of cooked room temperature rice
(5) 1 tablespoon of chopped broccoli
(6) 1 tablespoon of chopped button mushrooms
(7) 1 tablespoon of chopped carrots

(8) sprinkle of pepper and soya sauce to taste

(9) 1 tablespoon of olive oil
(10) a little bit of water
(11) 1 tablespoon of chopped onion and garlic each

Procedures:

(1) Heat up the oil in the wok. Once hot add in onion and garlic. Fry till fragrant.
(2) Add in the minced chicken and stir well.
(3) Add the carrot, mixed vegetables and mushroom. And stir well and add some water and let it boil for awhile till the carrot soften abit.
(4) Once the water is almost dry up, add in the egg and scrambled it till the mixture is dry.

(5) Add the rice and broccoli and mix everything well and add add a little bit water if the rice is too dry.
(6) Lastly, sprinkle some pepper and few drops of soya sauce and mixed well.
(7) It can be serve with some sprinkle of seaweed.


My boy's reaction:

He loves his fried rice.

His age:

21 months

Here how the food looks like:

Notes:

This recipe is suitable for lunch or dinner.