It’s time to bring out the little aprons and chef’s hats. If you love making a thing or two in the kitchen, celebrate Children’s Day 2K22 with five recipes that will surprise both the adults at home and friends in school…
No bake cheesecake
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A melt-in-the-mouth cheesecake in the shape of a butterfly made by the little munchkin of the house — can this Children’s Day get any cuter?
Ingredients:
- Strawberry jam or any fruit jam of choice: 8-10 tablespoons
- Halved strawberries and other fruits of choice: 6-8 pieces
- Whipped cream: 100 gm
- Piping bag: 1
- Rusk biscuits: 1 large packet
- Powdered brown sugar: 1 cup
- Melted unsalted butter: 1 small cup
- Full fat cream cheese: 200 gm
- Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon
Recipe:
- First put all the biscuits in a zip-lock bag and seal it tight
- Take a wooden spatula or a wooden rolling pin and carefully beat the biscuits until they have turned into a fine powder
- Now, pour the biscuit powder in a bowl and add the butter. Give a very good stir
- Take another bowl, add the cream cheese, vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Mix well
- In another bowl, take the jam, take a spoon and smoothen any lumps
- Now that all your basic ingredients are ready, take a baking tray and a parchment paper
- Place the butterfly mould at the centre
- Pour the powdered biscuit first and tap with a wooden spoon to even out the surface
- In goes next the cream cheese mix. Repeat the surface smoothening with the same spoon
- Now, add the third layer with the jam and smoothen the surface yet again
- Once the layers of the cheesecake are ready, it’s time to add some toppings. Place the chopped fruits at the centre. Try to take more than one fruit and in contrasting colours to make the cheesecake look brighter
- Take the whipped cream in a piping bag and carefully outline the borders of the cheesecake like you do in a painting (check the photo above to get an idea). Make a few patterns on the wings of the cheesecake butterfly if you like
- Place the tray carefully into the freezer and leave it in for a minimum 4 hours and if you really can control not digging in, overnight
- Take the tray out, cut out pieces and you know what to do…
Multi-layered cheesy-meaty sando
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A leafy and meaty sandwich, with a lot of cheese as an incentive, is a big attraction for the little chefs and the adults at home. Add a milkshake and the child in the house (and in you) will end up wanting more.
Ingredients:
- Multigrain sandwich loaf: 4 pieces
- Cheese slices: 8 pieces
- Chicken ham: 12 pieces
- Pork ham: 12 pieces
- Finely sliced tomatoes: 6 pieces
- Iceberg lettuce: 3
- Finely chopped cucumbers: 4 pieces
- Finely chopped olives: 2 pieces
- Cherry tomatoes: 2
- Crushed black pepper: 1 teaspoon
- Rock salt: ½ teaspoon
- Butter: 1 cube
Recipe:
- Take two slices of bread and spread butter on both sides
- In a mixing bowl, take the chicken and pork ham and marinate with black pepper and salt
- Place one piece of lettuce first, then put a slice of cheese, tomato and cucumber. Then, add one chicken ham, one cheese slice, another tomato, olives and yet another cheese slice
- The layering continues with one pork ham, another piece of cheese and finally a lettuce
- Add the other piece of bread and give the whole sandwich a gentle pat from above to settle everything
- Repeat the same order or any order of your choice for a second set
- Add a layer of chicken and pork ham on top of the sandwiches and a cherry tomato. Use a toothpick to keep it in place
Cookies and muffin dessert bowls with nuts, berries and more
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Cookies, muffins and some ice cream to celebrate Children’s Day. ’Nuff said!
Ingredients:
- Readymade chocolate chip cookies: 8
- Readymade vanilla muffins: 2
- Readymade chocolate chip muffins: 4
- Dry fruits of your choice: 4 tablespoons
- Berries of your choices: 2 tablespoons
- Honey: 2 tablespoons
- Dark chocolate chips: 2 tablespoons
- White chocolate chips: 2 tablespoons
- Multi colour sprinkles: 2 tablespoons
- Vanilla ice cream: 1 small scoop/cup
Recipe:
- In a large bowl, roughly break the cookies and muffins
- Next is adding the remaining ingredients — dry fruits, berries, honey, chocolate chips (both dark and white) followed by a good but gentle mixing by hand
- Add a few spoons of vanilla ice cream in a bowl and a generous amount of the cookie + muffin mix
- Add some sprinkles and dig in right away or freeze for later
Tip:
- The cookies and muffins should not be mashed
Bacon and chicken salad in a jar
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Put this in your kid’s lunch box and rest assure it will return empty.
Ingredients:
- Boiled and shredded chicken: 300 gm
- Roughly chopped bacon: 8 pieces
- Boiled chickpeas: 100 gm
- Diced paneer or tofu: 50 gm
- Sliced avocado: 1 whole
- Sliced onion: 1 large
- Sliced tomato: 1 large
- Chopped coriander leaves: 2 tablespoons
- Chopped lettuce: 2 leaves
- Chopped jalapenos: 2
- Whole black and green olives: 3 each
- Pumpkin seeds: 1 teaspoon
- Rock salt: 1 tablespoon
- Lemon juice: 2 tablespoons
- Black pepper powder: 1 teaspoon
- Olive oil: 1 tablespoon for salad, 1 tablespoon for bacon fry
Recipe:
- Fry the bacons crispy in olive oil
- Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl
- Pour in a jar and give a good shake, and voila, it’s ready to pack-carry-eat
Tip:
- You can add boiled eggs and any other meat and veggies you like
No bake nutty snack bars
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A quick lesson on batch cooking done right, and also a healthy munching option that looks beaut, smells amazing and tastes delish. It has made-for-kids-really-but-adults-can-dig-in-too written all over it!
Ingredients:
- Roasted peanuts: 200 gm
- Dry fruits of your choices (more than three variants required): 8-10 tablespoons each
- Berries of your choice: 8-10 tablespoons
- Mixed fruit jam: 4-5 tablespoons
- Peanut butter: 8-10 tablespoons
- Dried coconut grated: 4-5 tablespoons
- Chia seeds: 2 tablespoons
- Flax seeds: 2 tablespoons
- Pumpkin seeds: 2 tablespoons
- Rolled unflavoured oats: 3 tablespoons
- Maple syrup or honey: 2 tablespoons
Recipe:
- Mix and whisk the maple syrup, peanut butter and mixed fruit jam first
- In another bowl, gather all the berries and dry fruits. Don’t forget the peanuts, oats and dry coconut. Give a good mix
- Now, add the chia, flax and pumpkin seeds in the very berry-nutty bowl and give another mix
- Take a baking tray and lay some parchment paper
- Now pour the syrup mix into the bowl with berries and nuts and mix well. Remember, the end result has to be sticky and not runny
- Pour the final mix into the baking tray with a wooden spoon and spread evenly
- Put it into the refrigerator for overnight to let it settle and come together
- Take the tray out in the morning and carefully cut into your preferred size.
Disclaimer: If a child is using a knife or any sharp object, the gas oven or microwave for any of the recipes, adult supervision is a must. Happy Children’s Day!