Our Kids’ Kitchen series has been going down a storm with readers, but one mum who is particularly delighted with it is Lynne Cartledge, from Aberdeen.
For several years she’s made it her mission to show youngsters how much fun it can be to make their own food.
Lynne said: “As mum of an 11 and 10-year-old, I know how important it is for kids to eat good, healthy home-cooked food.
“With this in mind, I launched a company called Kids in the Kitchen Aberdeen and offer two ways for children to try cooking for themselves – through cooking classes and birthday parties.
“I find if children have the opportunity to cook themselves, they are more likely to try the results.
You’ll find more Kids’ Kitchen recipes here
“By encouraging children to cook, we influence the way they eat for life as well as give them skills they can use again and again.”
Classes are aimed at children aged three to 12, and prior to lockdown, Lynne also ran classes for teenagers and helped them obtain their Duke of Edinburgh skills award.
More than 1,000 youngsters have already benefitted from her skills, and classes, when they start up again, will be held across Aberdeen and the shire.
Here, Lynne shares two of her favourite recipes for our young readers to try at home.
Strawberry tarts
Ingredients – makes 6-8 tarts
For the shortcrust pastry:
- 100g plain flour
- 50g butter
- 15g caster sugar
- 1 tbsp water
For the filling:
- 150ml double cream
- ½ tbsp lemon curd
- 1 tbsp strawberry jam
- Strawberries
The method
- Turn on the oven to 180 C.
- Sieve flour into a bowl and add the butter.
- Rub butter into flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Stir in the sugar and add the water.
- Gather into a ball and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
- Butter a six-hole bun tin.
- Roll the pastry out on to a floured surface until it is 1cm thick.
- Cut out the pastry using a large pastry cutter.
- Place the pastry into the bun tins and put a square of greaseproof paper and some uncooked rice on top of each square.
- Put in the oven for 25 minutes until cooked, them remove and pop on to a cooling tray.
- Take the paper and rice off and allow to cool.
- Whisk the cream until it starts to get thick then stir in the lemon curd.
- Spoon the cream into the pastry cases.
- Slice the strawberries and place on top of the cream.
- In a bowl, mix 1 tbsp hot water with the jam, then brush it over the strawberries.
- Keep the tarts in the fridge until ready to serve.
Strawberry and raspberry cheesecake
Ingredients – serves 10
For the biscuit base:
- 20 digestive biscuits
- 50g margarine
- For the topping:
- 250g full-fat marscapone
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 300ml double cream
- 200g white chocolate
For the coulis:
- 250g strawberries
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
- Plus: Fresh raspberries to serve
The method
- Put the digestives into a food bag and bash with a rolling pin to make into crumbs.
- Melt the margarine in a pan and then add the biscuits.
- Mix well then press the biscuit mix into a tin and allow to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- For the coulis: Put all the coulis ingredients into a frying pan and heat until the berries start to break down.
- Remove from the heat and blend all the ingredients.
- Pass the mix through a sieve to remove pips.
- Set aside until ready to use.
- For the filling: Melt the chocolate in a bowl over hot water then allow to cool slightly.
- Beat the marscapone to a smooth paste then stir in the vanilla essence, melted chocolate and double cream.
- Spread half the mix on top of the biscuit base.
- Make some holes in this and pour some coulis into them.
- Put the rest of the creamy mixture on top and spread evenly.
- Allow to chill then decorate the top with a layer of fresh raspberries.
- Pour the remaining coulis over the rasps and serve.