Cheats Cheese & Tomato Scrolls

My kids don't eat sandwiches on their lunch, not that the dogs mind - they come running whenever they hear the sound of tupperware being opened in the kitchen these days. These cheese & tomato scrolls were very well received this morning and very quick to make. Maybe I've found a solution...

1 cup SR flour
1 cup wholemeal flour
1 tsp baking powder
30g butter, chopped
3/4 cup milk
2 tsp dried oregano
handful of shredded cheese
pizza sauce

Preheat oven to 200•C
Sift the flour and baking powder, then rub the butter into it with your fingers. Add the milk, and a good seasoning of salt and pepper. Knead with your hands or a dough hook until just combined then dust a surface with flour and roll out into a rectangle.
Spread on the pasta sauce, sprinkle with cheese and oregano and roll up into a log, then cut into 1 inches pieces. Lie them onto a tray lined with baking paper and whack into the hot oven for 20mins.
I would like to try a grown up version of this too with rosemary and chopped olives and feta...

10 Minute Double Choc Muffins

Simple enough to make before school, thrown together whilst eating a stand-up breakfast!

They are best eaten straight out of the oven - there's no butter which makes them very fast to make but the tradeoff is they don't keep so well, although the banana does make them deliciously moist! Freshen one up for your afternoon cup of tea by zapping it in the microwave for 10secs.

PS. This is a modification on a basic muffin recipe - if you omit the cocoa powder you can do almost anything. Swap half the SR flour for wholemeal, add nuts, sultanas, a chopped overripe pear or frozen blueberries, add a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on the top, whatever... just keep in mind that frozen fruit will up the cooking time to about 60mins. 

Makes 6

2/3 cup SR flour
1/2 tsp baking powder (optional)
2 heaped Tbs cocoa powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup olive oil
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1 ripe banana, mashed well

Preheat oven to 200•C
Prepare 6 squares of baking paper to line the muffin tin with - I find this works better than paper liners which stick to the muffins!
Sift the 'dry ingredients' into a bowl. (flour, cocoa & sugar)
Beat the egg and add the 'wet ingredients' (milk & oil).
Pour the wet ingredients into a well in the dry ingredients and mix quickly together - you might need to add a bit more milk if its a bit dry here, but don't overmix or the muffins will be tough.
Add the choc chips and banana and mix through briefly, then divide the mixture into the cases, putting the baking paper squares in as you go.
Pop them in the oven and in 20 minutes they're done!

Lunch-Box Cookies

These cookies are fast - you can make a batch first thing on a good day and eat a few straight from the oven on the way to school. They have no nuts and are relatively low in sugar. Tim said they are really sweet so I might even drop the brown sugar down to 1/4 cup next time I make them to see what happens! Feel free to omit the choc chips and replace with nuts if you want a healthier cookie too. The ginger flavour is quite prominent which I like, but can be reduced to 1/4tsp if you prefer.

3/4 cup plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp sea salt

100g butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup alternative natural sweetener such as Xylitol

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 egg

1Tbs tahini

1 cup rolled oats &/or rolled barley

1/4 cup choc chips

1/4 cup chopped raisins

Preheat oven to 190•C and line 2 baking trays.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt.

Cream the butter, sugar and sugar substitute with an electric mixer, then add the egg and vanilla and mix well. Add the sifted ingredients and stir until combined then mix in the oats, raisins and choc chips.

Roll spoonfuls of mixture and drop onto prepared baking trays and lightly flatten with a fork, the tahini will make them slightly sticky. Bake for 8-9 minutes and cool on wire racks.