Bento Box Recipe For Toddlers | Panda + Octopus

Bento Box Recipe For Toddlers | Panda + Octopus

March 01, 2019

Having received this incredibly cute Japanese shinkansen train bento box for my train-obessed toddler, I knew that creating my first bento box lunch was imminent. Fussy eaters or not, bento box recipes for toddlers are exciting, fun and can easily incorporate all the healthy food groups in one box.

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Superhero Raisin Buns | Baby Recipes

Superhero Raisin Buns | Baby Recipes

September 04, 2017

Are they buns are are they scones? I was fooled for a moment when they came out of the oven thinking they looked very much like scones. But, they are in fact pillowy buns that taste great with butter and jam or with honey. 

Another successful recipe from Ella's Kitchen's The Big Baking Book (the yellow one).   

Ingredients:
125ml whole milk, plus extra to glaze
50g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
250g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
225g strong wholemeal bread flour (I used 475g strong white bread flour instead)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp fast-action dried yeast
125ml apple juice
1 egg, beaten
200g raisins

Directions:
1. Heat the milk in a saucepan until bubbling and hot. Add the butter, remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly until the butter has melted
2. Meanwhile, put all the flours, vanilla extract, yeast, apple juice, eggs and raisins in a large bowl. Add the warm milk and butter mixture, and use a round-bladed to mix it all into a dough
3. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover it with cling film and leave to prove in a warm place for about 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size
4. Preheat the oven to 220C degrees/gas mark 7. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment
5. On a floured surface, divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and place each ball on the prepared baking sheet, spacing the balls well apart. Cover them with greased cling film and leave them in a warm place for 30 minutes until risen
6. Brush the buns with milk and bake them in the oven for 12-15 minutes until pale golden and they sound hollow when the bases are tapped. Transfer them onto a wire rack to cool
7. Serve warm or cold. The buns will store for 2-3 days in an airtight container

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Cheese and Tomato Soldiers | Baby Recipes

Cheese and Tomato Soldiers | Baby Recipes

August 07, 2017

Cheese and tomato are a classic combination and who doesn't love a pizza tasting bread? Isaac loved these cheese and tomato soldiers, as did all the adults in the house. They were gone in a flash and just as well, since it didn't really keep for beyond a day.

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Bursting Blueberry Pop-Ups | Baby Recipes

Bursting Blueberry Pop-Ups | Baby Recipes

July 31, 2017

These bursting blueberry pop-ups from Ella's Kitchen's The Big Baking Book (the yellow one) are super easy to make and just look so pretty. They are not very sweet at all, and if you prefer, you can add honey if your little one is over 1 year old, or a little more sugar when making the batter.

I ended up serving Isaac's ones with a blob of fruit puree from the Ella's Kitchen fruit pouches and drizzled honey on my ones once they were out of the oven.

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