Johannesburg - Keep the kids entertained this holiday with a few cooking and baking activities from Angela Day.
What the kids can bake:
Holiday biscuits
Crispy trees
Peach upside down cake
Cheese and chive wedges
Green eggs and ham rolls (or Christmas wreath bread)
HOLIDAY BISCUITS
125g butter
125ml castor sugar
1 egg
500ml flour
food colouring
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and beat well.
Add the flour and mix until the dough comes together.
Add the colouring and mix until well distributed.
Roll out the dough on to a lightly floured surface and cut out the desired shapes.
Place on a greased baking tray and bake at 160C for 15-20 minutes until baked through.
Remove and cool on the tin before removing to cooling rack.
CRISPY TREES
Makes 8
750ml puffed rice cereal
250ml desiccated coconut
60ml icing sugar
125ml hundreds and thousands
250g white chocolate
80g butter
red and green sweets, to decorate
Cut 4x30cm squares of baking paper.
Halve diagonally to make 8 triangles.
Shape into cones and staple to secure.
In a large bowl, combine the puffed rice cereal, coconut, sugar and hundreds and thousands. Mix well to combine.
Place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and melt in the microwave on 50â??percent power for a minute, stirring halfway, then add to the rice cereal mixture and stir to combine.
Spoon evenly among the prepared cones and use the back of a spoon to press lightly.
Place on a baking tray and refrigerate for an hour until firm.
Carefully remove the paper cones.
Decorate with sweets stuck on with extra melted chocolate.
PEACH UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
1 can of peach slices, drained
glace cherries
125g butter
125ml castor sugar
2 eggs
250ml flour
5ml baking powder
60ml milk
5ml vanilla essence
Line the base of a 20cm cake tin. Arrange the peaches and cherries in the bottom of the tin.
Cream the butter and castor sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
Sift the flour and baking powder and add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk. Stir in the vanilla.
Carefully spoon the batter over the peaches and cherries.
Bake at 180C for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning on to a cooling rack.
CHEESE AND CHIVE WEDGES
Serves 8
500ml flour
15ml baking powder
50g butter
250ml grated cheese
5ml dry mustard powder
60ml snipped chives
1 egg
125ml buttermilk
Combine the flour and baking powder in a bowl. Add the butter and rub it in wusing your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Stir in the cheese, mustard and chives.
Combine the egg and buttermilk and add to the mixture, mixing gently with a knife until the mixture comes together.
Turn on to a floured surface and knead gently. Shape into a disc about 25cm in diameter.
Place on a greased baking tray. Use a large palette knife to score the disc into 8 wedges.
Bake at 200C for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Remove and serve warm with butter.
GREEN EGGS AND HAM ROLLS
Makes 8
BREAD ROLLS
500ml cake flour
500ml Nutty Wheat flour
10ml salt
10g instant yeast
45ml olive oil
300-400ml warm water
beaten egg for glazing
FILLING
250g ham, chopped
250ml grated cheese
8 eggs
salt and pepper
90ml bought basil pesto
BREAD ROLLS: Combine the flours, salt and yeast in a bowl.
Add the oil and enough warm water to mix to a dough that is soft but not sticky.
Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Cover and set aside to rise for 30-40 minutes.
Knead the dough lightly and divide it into 8 portions.
Shape into rolls and either place on a baking tray or place the dough into a mega muffin tin. Cover and leave to rise for 30 minutes.
Brush with beaten egg and bake at 180 for 20-30 minutes until golden in colour and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove and cool completely.
Cut the top third of the roll off. Hollow out the bun. Sprinkle in a little ham and cheese.
Break the eggs into the buns. Season with a little salt and pepper. Return to the oven and bake until the eggs are cooked to your liking. This can take 15-20 minutes.
Remove, and spoon over some basil pesto. Serve immediately.
CHRISTMAS WREATH BREAD
This bread roll dough can alternatively be used to make fun shapes like a Christmas wreath.
Divide the dough into three balls about the size of a golf ball.
Roll these balls into long sausages.
Plait the three strands and twist into a circle to form a wreath. Pinch the edges together to join.
Bake at 180C for 15-20 minutes.
The Angela Day cookery column is published in The Star, the Cape Argus, the Daily News and the Pretoria News.