They’ll be begging for more of this easy dinner recipe!
While the quintessential American festival and fair food has to be the corn dog, there’s nothing healthy about this food on a stick. We decided to make a healthier version of the corn dog with a kid-friendly twist. Deep frying is replaced by baking, and instead of an unwieldy eat we made these into baked corn dog muffins perfect for little hands. Be sure to check out our other healthy swaps that are picky eater approved!
Ingredients for Corn Dog Muffins:
1 cup of unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup of sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
1/4 vegetable oil
3 hot dogs cut into 1/2 inch pieces (veggie, chicken apple sausage, beef, or any type you like)
Mini muffin tin
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 425 and grease mini muffin tins.
2. Mix the first four dry ingredients in one bowl; mix the wet ingredients in a second bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
3. Sautee your 1/2-inch hot dog bites for a few minutes over medium heat.
4. Pour batter into prepared muffin tins until each is 3/4 full. Put one hot dog slice into each batter-filled muffin cup so it’s submerged in the batter.
This easy blueberry muffin recipe is a favorite with our kids
For breakfast fare that never goes out of style look no further than this easy blueberry muffin recipe. Any home cook can whip up a batch of these classic blueberry muffins in about 10 minutes without any unusual ingredients or pro kitchen tools. The secret twist to this delectable eat? The streusel topping that adds a layer of cinnamon sugar goodness to this irresistible grab-and-go muffin.
Makes about 14 muffins
Ingredients:
2 Cups Flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups wild blueberries (Frozen are ok)
1/2 cup butter softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk
For the streusel top:
2 Tbs Flour
2 Tbs Sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbs butter chilled
Method:
1. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl beat butter and sugar until light. Beat in eggs and vanilla. You can either use an electric mixer or mix by hand with a wooden spoon.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients alternating with milk until combined.
4. Coat the blueberries lightly with flour then fold the blueberries into the mixture.
5. Spoon batter into greased or paper-lined muffin tins.
6. To make the streusel topping, combine the flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until crumbly by using your fingers or a knife and fork. Sprinkle over muffins.
Give the pre-made pancake mix a break with this fast and made-from-scratch buttermilk pancake recipe that even the most pancake-challenged parents can easily make. Get the little ones in on the fun by letting them help pour the ingredients into the bowl and sprinkle fresh blueberries into the batter. The whole family will be digging into these yummy cakes within 20 minutes. If you want to get fancy, check out our round-up of creative pancakes, and pass the maple syrup!
Buttermilk Pancake Recipe: Ingredients
1 ½ cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cup buttermilk
2 eggs
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions:
1. Get ready by taking out all of your ingredients and placing a griddle or large pan over medium-low heat. You’ll need 2 large bowls, measuring cups, measuring spoons, a whisk, and a large spoon.
2. In bowl number one, pour and mix all your dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt).
3. In bowl number two, pour and mix all your wet ingredients together (buttermilk, eggs, canola oil, vanilla) and whisk.
4. Pour bowl number two (wet ingredients) into bowl number one (dry ingredients) and mix gently with a large spoon.
5. Butter the griddle or pan and spoon pancake batter onto the pan in little circles. You can even experiment with making shapes (mickey mouse is a popular choice).
6. Cook each side until golden (you’ll see bubbles begin to form when it’s time to flip). Top with butter and maple syrup and enjoy.
It’s the peak season for this classic kid activity
On our list of timeless traditions that never go out of style are sidewalk chalk art, jump rope, and blowing bubbles. If you’re tired of buying ready-made bubble wands, here’s how to make bubbles at home using ordinary household items that you likely already have on hand.
What You Will Need:
12 cups of water
1 cup dish soap
1 cup cornstarch
2 tbsp baking powder
1-2 wire coat hangers and a frying pan
1 6-pack plastic ring
Paper towel tube
How to Make Bubbles:
In a clean bucket or dishpan mix together the ingredients in order. Keep a ladle or scoop in the bucket and stir occasionally making sure not to cause too much foam. Remove the excess foam as it appears. When the bucket is half empty add another cup of water.
No wands handy? You can use a paper towel tube, plastic rings from a 6 pack, and even those old wire hangers! Bend the coat hanger into the shape of a loop and dip it into the frying pan letting the excess drip off before waving it through the air.
Tips for Making Perfect Bubbles:
We found that Joy and Dawn dish soap brands work the best. You can also use tear-free baby shampoo if you have little ones around. While this bubble recipe is designed and tested to work in any weather, humidity really does matter. Warm and humid days will produce the best bubbles around. If you have a windy day, try blowing downwind letting mother nature do the work for you! Make your solution a couple of days beforehand and keep the extra. A solution that has marinated for a while produces the biggest bubbles of all.
Did you run out of food coloring? Are you unhappy with your crust? Do you not have the right tools? It’s no problem with these great baking hacks
It’s that most wonderful time of the year: holiday cookie time! This year, don’t dread it, own it with these Christmas baking hacks to salvage any quandary. From a baking powder substitution and what to do if you don’t have a rolling pin to what to use in place of eggs or butter, we’ve got the goods on making goodies.
1. Holiday baking often calls for some pepperminty goodness, but who keeps peppermint syrup on hand for once-a-year baking? (No, Schnapps doesn’t count). Use an abundant ingredient: peppermint candies. Just put them in a Ziploc bag and smash them to bits. A great stress reliever!
2. Use tongs to make an even crimping pattern along the edge of your pie crust.
3. No rolling pin? Try this rolling pin hack: Use a wine bottle as a rolling pin (no, it doesn’t have to be full!).
4. Fill a wine bottle with ice (and cork well) to keep pie dough chill while rolling it out, great for when it's hot or humid.
5. Sub a little of your water for vodka and your pie crust somehow comes out flakier. And now you have an almost-full bottle of vodka on hand. Just sayin'...
6. Add a marshmallow to the top of your cupcakes five minutes before you take them out of the oven for a gooey, perfect topping—no frosting required.
7. If you run out of food coloring, use Jello to tint decorative icing.
8. Looking for a natural way to dye when baking? Check out these simple recipes for making natural food coloring yourself.
9. Fill an oral syringe with thin icing to get precise lines and letters when decorating.
10. If you do have piping tips, fill two piping bags or Ziplocks with different colored frosting. Don't overfill the bags; now put both bags into one tip, and you'll squeeze out a swirl of color.
11. Put a pan of water in the bottom of the oven to give your bread a crisp, browned crust. You can also use a spray bottle with water; spritz the oven to create steam.
12. Substitute butter in your next boxed cake recipe for a super-rich and luscious cake. You can even just melt it to make sure it incorporates easily.
13. You can also sub avocado for butter if you want something dairy-free and heart-healthy. Use one avocado to one stick of butter ratio. And if you run out of butter (or avocado), you can use applesauce in its place.
14. When making pies, freeze your butter, and then grate it into your flour mixture, instead of trying to crumble it with your fork. This will help integrate it more evenly and keep the butter cool.
15. Soften your butter BEFORE you mix it into your cookie dough batter, and try using salted butter instead of sweet cream.
16. Use a set of visual measuring cups. Perfect for kids and parents who need to squint just to read the measurements, the shape tells the size! The innovative cups make cooking and baking fun and easy for everyone.
17. Soften butter in the microwave, but be careful. Use a low power level, like two, and put it in for no more than 10 seconds to avoid melted butter (vs. softened). If it's not soft enough, continue to microwave at five-second intervals until it is.
18. Soften too-hard butter by putting it between two pieces of waxed paper and whacking it hard with a rolling pin. Once it’s been smacked a bit, roll it out (still between the waxed paper). The kids will love helping with this one.
19. Another method for softening too-cold butter without microwaving it to a puddle: set it on top of the stove while the oven is preheating. It will gradually soften: this works great if you are baking a cake and want to use the butter for a no-fail frosting.
20. Bring cold eggs to room temperature by placing them in a bowl of hot water for 5-10 minutes.
21. Use the other part of an eggshell to remove any errant bits of shell. Miraculously, this works and is way faster than struggling with a spoon or your fingers.
22. Baking for someone with an egg allergy? Use a flax egg. Simply measure one tablespoon of flaxseed meal (that’s flax seeds you put in the blender or you can buy already blended) to two tablespoons warm water for each “egg.” Mix it and let it sit for five minutes. The consistency will be similar to an egg. Or, opt for this egg alternative from Bob’s Red Mill.
23. If you want your chocolate chip cookies to have a more caramel flavor, sub out ½ cup of white sugar with additional brown sugar. If you want them with a more sugar-cookie-like taste, leave out all the brown sugar and use only white (most recipes call for some of each).
24. Use a muffin tin to make sure your cookies turn out uniform in size.
25. Easiest cookie ever? Hershey’s Kiss in pretzel circle, melt on parchment paper covered cookie sheet in oven until just soft. Boom. Next level: Use Rolos instead.
30. If you’ve “sorta” burned your cookies, use a box grater to shave off the darkest parts.
31. Also, measure out your cookie dough with an ice cream scoop, then chill them on the pan for a bit before baking (you can even freeze them, which means you can do this all ahead of time, bake the cookies the morning of and you get a better cookie). If you can’t afford the time (or space), just chill the bowl of dough for 20 minutes in the freezer before you start to scoop.
32. Store your cookies (or what's left of them) in an air-tight container with an apple wedge to keep the cookies moist.
37. Keep your brown sugar from going rock-hard by storing it in an air-tight container. Toss in a piece of bread to keep it moist.
38. If it's too late and your brown sugar is already hard, microwave it for 30 seconds in a bowl covered with a wet paper towel or place it in the oven to soften for about 15 minutes.
39. Does your recipe call for powdered sugar, but you are out? Use a spice grinder or food processor and pulverize white granulated sugar until it’s powder.
40. Slice your cheesecake with dental floss (but not the minty kind).
41. Hate dealing with metal sheet pans and cookie tins? Use a silicone baking mold instead. We love Silpat molds—there's no need to ever grease the molds or use liners, and your goodies bake to perfection (though depending on your oven, you may want to add a couple of minutes to the cooking time).
42. Need a baking powder substitution? The following are equal to 1 tsp. of baking powder:
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda + 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar.
1/2 cup plain yogurt + 1 tsp. baking soda. Mix dry ingredients first before adding yogurt to dry ingredients (Reduce the amount of water or other liquids.).
We’ve all been there: all set to bust out your favorite recipe or do some baking with the kids and you find yourself short on a key ingredient. Whether you’re looking for a baking soda substitution or you are in need of an egg substitution, or it’s just not practical (or safe) to go to the store, we’ve got a handy list for those just-in-case moments.
Baking powder: The following are equal to 1 tsp. baking powder.
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda + 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar
1/2 cup plain yogurt + 1 tsp. baking soda. Mix dry ingredients together first before adding yogurt. dded to dry ingredients. (Reduce amount of water or other liquids).
1/2 tsp. lemon juice + 1/4 tsp. baking soda.
1/4 cup of molasses + 1/4 tsp. baking soda.
1/2 tsp. vinegar + 1/4 tsp. baking soda.
Baking soda:
Baking powder at a 3x ratio (i.e. 3 tsp. baking powder = roughly 1 tsp. baking soda).
Brown sugar:
1 cup white sugar + 1 tbsp. maple syrup or molasses
Maple syrup, agave nectar or molasses at the ratio of 2/3 cup liquid to 1 cup of brown sugar. Reduce your other liquids in the recipe by 1/4 cup each.
Aquafaba, aka bean water! This is the liquid leftover from canned beans. Use 3 tbsp. per egg. This is great to sub for whipped meringues or when a recipe calls for egg whites.
Flour:
It’s Pretty hard to sub out flour, but you can create your own flour from dried oats if you powder them. Other flours, such as almond flour or coconut flour, can be used on a 1 to 1 ratio but don’t expect the same results. Liquids bind differently with these flours, so if possible try for a half regular/half alternative flour recipe.
Half and half or heavy cream:
Add 2 tbsp. of cornstarch to regular milk.
Melt 1/4 cup butter into 3/4 cup regular or skim milk.
Lemon/lemon juice:
You can sub in vinegar, orange juice, lime juice or white wine in place of lemon juice.
Powdered sugar:
DIY your own powdered sugar by putting regular (castor) sugar into a food processor until it’s…well…powdered!
Sour cream:
Add 1/4 cup vinegar or lemon juice to yogurt.
Yeast:
There isn’t really a great substitute for yeast, but in a pinch you can try using equal parts baking soda + vinegar (or another acid like lemon juice) to create a leavening effect.
Sub a little of your water for vodka and your pie crust somehow comes out flakier. And now you have an almost-full bottle of vodka on hand. Just sayin…
If you run out of food coloring, Use Jello to tint decorative icing.
Spring has arrived and warmer weather is here which means it’s time to get the kids outside and away from their screens. But what can we do to keep kids entertained while still learning and innovating?
Check out these stimulating and fun outdoor STEM activities that can be made with materials you have at home.
Tiny Rocket This activity is out of this world.
Test different amounts of water and Alka-Seltzer and see how high your rocket can go! When you mix these effervescing tablets with water, a chemical reaction takes place between the citric acid and sodium bicarbonate contained in the tablet and the water. This chemical reaction creates many, many bubbles of carbon dioxide gas. When the lid can’t hold all that gas anymore, the canister goes shooting off! This action can be explained using Newton’s Laws of Motion.
Materials:
– Film canisters
– Alka-Seltzer
– Water
Instructions:
– Fill your film canisters with varying amounts of water.
– Drop ¼ to ½ of an Alka-Seltzer tab into your water and quickly replace the cap and turn it upside down.
– Test different ways to make your rocket go off, just keep faces clear of the exploding canisters!
Exploding Bags A new kind of baking soda and vinegar activity.
Watch as your bag explodes! Popping the inner bag releases the vinegar and mixes with the baking soda causing the solution to quickly make bubbles and gas until the bag can’t take it anymore! Try this activity with different measurements and record your findings!
Materials:
– 1 medium to large zip bag
– 1 small to medium zip bag (this bag needs to be smaller than your other bag)
– Baking powder
– Vinegar
Instructions:
– Pour some vinegar into the small bag and zip closed. Make sure there’s some air left in the bag.
– Pour some baking soda in the larger bag, add the smaller bag of vinegar, and close the bag making sure to get out as much air as possible.
– Lay your bag on a flat surface and smack it until you pop the inside bag, shake, and watch as your bag inflates and eventually pops!
Lemon Juice Balloons Ever needed a new way to blow up a balloon?
How big can you make your balloon? When the acidic lemon juice mixes with the baking soda base, it rapidly creates carbon dioxide and blows up the balloon! What combinations make the biggest balloon?
Materials:
– Balloon
– Lemon juice
– Baking powder
– Bottle or jar (the mouth needs to be small enough for a balloon to fit over it)
– Funnel (optional)
Instructions:
– Add lemon juice to your jar.
– Add baking soda to your balloon using a funnel.
– Stretch the opening to your balloon and fit it over the mouth of the bottle. Tip the balloon up and let it fall into the lemon juice.
– Watch the chemical reaction blow up your balloon!
Tierra Encantada is a warm, community-oriented Spanish Immersion Daycare and Preschool headquartered in Minneapolis, MN and currently expanding nationwide. We offer quality child care for children ranging from 6 weeks – 6 years of age. We focus on the growth of the whole child and believe children learn best by doing. Our award-winning bilingual education program fosters early cognitive development and teaches a respect for diversity.
Amber Guetebier, Red Tricycle’s Mobile Editor shares this recipe and tells us, “I made these for my Sicilian friend for Christmas. They are totally time-consuming (over 2 hrs from start to finish) but perfect if you want something autentico for the holidays, and if your kids are tenacious and into baking and getting covered in flour and honey. If your kids are a little less patient, try making the dough the night before. The filling is delightfully sticky and the end product has a wonderful, not-too-sweet flavor. Traditionally these are covered in a powdered sugar based icing and then covered with sprinkles, but I skip that step and add sprinkles after the egg wash to get them to stick, because you don’t want to skip the sprinkles!”
Ingredients:
Dough:
4 cups of flour
1 1/2 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 sugar
1 cup butter
1 large egg
2 tbsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk
Filling:
2 cups of dried figs (soaked in warm water for about 20 minutes)
2 cups of dried dates
1/2 cup of raisins (soak in warm water for about 20 minutes)
1/2 cup of honey
1/2 cup of orange marmalade
2 tsp. cinnamon
2/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
Egg wash: 1 large egg white beaten with 1 tbsp. water for an egg wash
Sprinkles
photo: Amber Guetebier
Method:
1. Sift together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt) and then stir in sugar. Using a fork, cut the butter into the flour mixture. Tip: freeze the butter and then use a grater to shred it into the flour mix, much like you would for a pie crust. Beat the egg, vanilla, and milk together and slowly add to the flour mixture, working with hands to make dough. Turn that out on to a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes or so, until nice and smooth and soft. Divide into 4 pieces, wrap each piece, and place put in refrigerator for at least 45 minutes (or overnight).
2. Grind the figs, dates, raisins and nuts (if not coarsely chopped) in a food processor until coarse. (You can also just chop them, but a food processor is easier). Put this mix in a bowl and add the honey, cinnamon, and marmalade.
3. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets.
4. Take out the dough and roll each piece into about a 12 inch square. Cut the dough into 4×3 rectangles. Put about 2 tbsp of the filling into the center (in a line) and roll the dough over. This makes a tube. pinch the ends and then shape lightly into a crescent. Make diagonal slits across the top, and then place onto pan. Brush with egg mix and sprinkles (before baking).
If you ask us, Seattle kids are some of the most enterprising and amazing around. And Sadie Davis-Suskind is no exception. We sat down with this MasterChef Junior competitor to see what she’s up to. And lucky us, Sadie even shared an easy-to-make recipe families can whip up just in time for Thanksgiving. Feast your eyes on this!
Carlton Canary
Red Tricycle: What was the first recipe you ever made? How did it turn out?
Sadie Davis-Suskind: I started cooking before I was talking. As soon as I could crawl into the kitchen, I started creating what my 5-year-old chef self thought to be culinary masterpieces. Were these early dishes edible? Probably not. But it was these experiences that initially fueled my love of cooking.
Jewish foods are the foods that I first learned to cook while watching and helping my grandmother, Sally and my mother, Rebecca make traditional dishes for Jewish Holidays. My favorites are a beautifully flavorful red wine simmered brisket and to contrast that, as nobody really likes the traditional bland gefilte fish, I make a whitefish fritter with beet vinaigrette that is amazing!
RT:When you’re not busy cooking up something in the kitchen, what else do you enjoy doing?
SDS: My second passion, if I’m not cooking, is theater. If I’m not in the kitchen I’m on the stage. I love the camaraderie and creativity of the Theatre Community. I so enjoy starting from scratch, with just an idea of what I want to create, adding in my own flair, working with a team and creating something beautiful, much like cooking.
RT:We know that eating healthy is important to you, Sadie. What tips or tricks do you have to help kids eat healthy?
SDS: Rather than trying to conceal vegetables within dishes like pasta or zucchini bread, my main focus when creating dishes and encouraging kids to eat healthy is ensuring that vibrant vegetables and nutritious foods are highlighted in the dish. I try to create recipes that use seasonal ingredients to enhance the natural flavors of these foods to make kids (and their adults) excited about eating them!
RT:What’s the coolest thing you’ve done since your appearance on MasterChef Junior?
SDS: Since being on MCJ, I’ve had incredible opportunities: I've been invited to film promo videos for artisan food companies; I've appeared on several TV stations getting out the message that great food and cooking is accessible to kids as well as adults; I've got to meet some of my culinary heroes, Tom Douglas and Ethan Stowe to name two; and I have my very own weekly column in the Seattle Times where I am given full creative freedom to create dishes I think kids and their families will love.
RT: Do you have any advice for young chefs-in-the-making?
SDS: Follow your dreams. Don’t let anyone get in your way. Don’t use a recipe, taste with your heart (and your palate!) and don’t go by the rules. Make all creations uniquely yours.
RT: Sadie, would you share a seasonal recipe with us?
SDS: Sure!
Rebecca Davis-Suskind
Sadie’s Apple Brown Butter Blondies You'll need: 9” square baking pan Medium saucepan Medium-sized mixing bowl (x2) Parchment paper Whisk Toothpick
Ingredients For the apples: 2 cups peeled, chopped apples (I usually use granny smith but you can use any tart apple type you like) 1/2 tbsp. brown sugar 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
For the bars: 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg 1 2/3 cups packed brown sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 3/4 cup chopped nuts, optional (pecans or walnuts) non-stick cooking spray
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray your baking pan with non-stick spray. Then, line your pan with parchment, leaving the paper to hang over the pan. This will make it easier to cut the blondies after they are baked.
2. In your saucepan, add the butter and melt it over medium heat until it turns a beautiful brown color and smells nutty, about 5-6 minutes. Take the pan off the stove and pour the contents into a mixing bowl.
3. In the same pan, add your apples, brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir and cook over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes, until the apples have softened a bit.
4. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk in your flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
5. In another medium bowl, whisk in one cup of your browned butter, your sugar, the eggs and vanilla extract.
6. Into the flour bowl, pour the wet ingredients. Mix until everything is well combined. Gently add in your apples (and nuts if using).
7. Pour your batter into the prepared pan.
8. Bake for 30-35 minutes until your blondies turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Let your blondies cool down. Cut into squares and enjoy!
Want to keep up with Sadie? You can follow her on Instagram.
The American Heart Association recommends that children consume less than 25 grams of added sugar per day. That’s exactly six teaspoons. But kids love sweets, and there’s no need to eliminate them entirely. It’s all about minding the portions.
How can you help your kids be mindful and enjoy sugar in moderation?
One great way is to swap out packaged sweets for home-baked treats and to do the baking together with your kids. Many store-bought foods are overloaded with sugar. But if you bake some of the very same treats with your kids instead, you can control how much—or how little—sugar you use.
Bonus: you get to spend time together. Spending time with your children, especially when baking, is a great way to teach the importance of healthy eating or being mindful of the foods they are placing into your bodies. And it’s fun!
Here are two of my favorite ways to control the sugar in home-baked treats:
1. Measure out smaller amounts of sugar than a recipe calls for.
2. Use ingredients that are naturally lower in sugar: Fruits like raspberries and strawberries, for example, and 80% dark chocolate or above.
Ready to try? These three easy recipes are always a big hit to bake, and to eat:
Fruit with Chocolate Shavings:
1 cup of fruit. Fruits that are lower in sugar are raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, kiwi, grapefruit, watermelon, oranges, peaches, cantaloupe.
Add shavings of 80% dark chocolate which contains many health benefits. Dark chocolate is rich in minerals including iron, magnesium, and zinc. The cocoa in dark chocolate also contains antioxidants called flavonoids.
You can even add cool whip for a little fun!On average, 2 tablespoons of cool whip contains only 2 grams of sugar.
Ricotta Cheese Cookies:
Makes 30-40 cookies
1 ricotta (whole)
Two eggs
½ cup of sugar
1 cup of butter at room temperature
1 tablespoon of vanilla
4 teaspoons of baking powder
3.5 cups of flour
Directions:
1. Combine butter, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Beat with mixer until fluffy. Add ricotta and mix together. Add one tablespoon at a time of flour; mix in baking powder and continue to mix batter with beater. Once the mixture has all the added ingredients, use a tablespoon to gather the mixture onto your hands and make a ball. A tip? Add a little water to your hands then work with the batter to form a ball (the batter won’t stick to your hands). Once completed, cover a tray with parchment paper and place the ricotta cookies on the tray. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes.
Apple cake
6 eggs
1 cup of sugar
8 ounces of oil
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
4 medium-size apples- peeled and sliced
Directions:
Beat eggs and sugar together until fluffy and then add the rest of the ingredients. Using a glass tray covered with parchment paper, add half of the mixture. Place the sliced apples into the mixture and add the remaining mixture to cover the sliced apples. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place tray in the oven for 40 minutes. Check with a toothpick to see if the cake is baked through. If the toothpick is dry then the cake is done.
Maria Sofia’s life mission—inspired by her personal struggles with weight loss —is to educate parents and teachers on the importance of teaching nutrition to young children. Maria is a certified Health, Life and Trauma Coach. She is currently working toward her PhD in holistic health and lives in Toronto.
