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These chocolate chip cookies with a twist are a great way to impress guests as the chewy,

cherry-flavoured cranberries and milk chocolate pair up in the familiar shape of a cookie

but the reminiscent taste of the classic cake.

What You Need:

1 package milk chocolate morsels, divided use

1/2 cup/0.25 pints packed brown sugar

1/4 cup/0.125 pints butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup/0.375 pints all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 package Ocean Spray® Craisins® Cherry Flavour Sweetened Dried Cranberries

What to do:

(Preheat oven to 180º c)

1. Pour 3/4 cup morsels into an uncovered large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave morsels for 2 minutes on high.

Stir until chocolate is smooth.

2. Stir in brown sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla.

3. Add flour and baking powder, mixing until thoroughly combined.

4. Stir in remaining morsels, cherry flavour sweetened dried cranberries and pecans.

5. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet.

6. Bake for 12 minutes or until cookies are puffed and set to the touch.

7. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely

Bread has been a staple for most of us throughout life, so if you are getting bored of it, don’t feel bad, we agree you

can only dress up your sandwich so many ways before it can no longer be disguised.

Luckly, your love for bread and interest in sandwiches is no longer at stake as Rose Kane, of northern Ireland,

has discovered a way to make bread more exciting and baking more fun with Doodle Bread.

Making your own bread can be rewarding enough but with Doodle Bread you can have shapes running through every slice

and colour from the Doodle Bread mixes (which come from powdered vegetables, seeds and grains).

Not only will you know what is in your bread, you will also know who made your bread as you and the kids fill saturday

afternoons, rainy days or just a quiet evening in together , getting messy and having fun!

Doodle bread comes with a high quality silicon baking tin and a durable ‘squisher’ and can be used over and

over with as many bread recipes as you can get your hands on!

Plus, if you want to show off your unique bread creation, you can post images online at http://www.doodlebread.com!

These cupcakes are fun to make, taste delicious and come with a fun song you can sing along to while you and

the children bake. The song is by Canadian children’s entertainer, Jake Chénier, click here to hear

Bananas_Ain’t_Got_No_Bones (you will have to click again when the new page opens).

What You Will Need

Cupcakes

1/3 cup Shortening (⅓ stick)

1/3 cup Dark Chocolate Chips

3/4 cup Water

1/2 cup Mashed ripe bananas

1 cup Granulated sugar

1 Egg

1 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour

1/2 tsp Baking soda

1/2 tsp Salt

Frosting

1 cup Dark Chocolate Chips

1/4 cup Water

8 oz Cream cheese , softened

2 cups Icing sugar , (get the kids to sift it!)

What To Do

Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C

2. Have the children line 18 muffin cups with paper liners.

3. Heat shortening and chocolate chips in large saucepan on low heat or in microwave in large bowl, stir until melted.

4. Add remaining ingredients while your kids mix it all together

5. Allow the children to spoon the mixture into the prepared cups.

6. Bake in centre of the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.

6. Cool completely on rack.

Frosting

1. Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips and water together, stirring until smooth.

2. Cool to room temperature.

3. Beat cream cheese, chocolate and icing sugar together until smooth and creamy.

4. Let your kids spread the icing on the cupcake tops.

5. Get the kids to decorate the cupcakes with chocolate chips, sprinkles, or sliced fresh/dried bananas and ENJOY!

It’s Halloween next week and once again time to start thinking about witches’ noses, toffee apples and trick or treating. If you decide to have a Halloween party for your children, then we’ve come up with a few ideas for party cupcakes and the perfect ways to make them scary!

Makes 12

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cooking Time: 18 mins

Ingredients

110g/4oz butter (for best results, leave at room temperature for 20mins before hand)

110g/4oz Caster sugar

110g/4oz Flour

2 eggs

2tbsp milk

¼ tsp Vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas 4.

2. Add the sugar to the softened butter and mix it in well until both ingredients are combined.

3. Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk lightly with a fork.

4. Pour about a little of the egg mixture into the butter and sugar mixture and mix well. Add more egg and mix well before adding the rest of the mixture. Remove all larger lumps by mixing well.

5. Now add the milk and vanilla essence to the mixture and mix well for 30 seconds or so.

6. Fold in the flour to the mixture and gently mix it in until all ingredients are combined well.

7. Spoon the mixture into the cup cake containers, filling each to about two thirds full with a teaspoon. Leave the cupcakes for about five minutes to allow the mixture to settle evenly.

8. If using a flat baking tray, ensure the cakes are kept well apart. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 15 to 20minutes or until golden brown. Leave to cool for 20 minutes before decorating.

Decoration Ideas

• For some scary spiders, try topping the cupcakes with chocolate icing and chocolate sprinkles, black licorice for legs and little coloured sweets for eyes.
• For monster faces, ice the cakes and pop a variety of sweeties, mini marshmellows and chocolate chips in the middle of the table and let your kids go wild creating ugly, scary monsters!
• You could even use body part sweets and snakes and bugs as toppings to create spooky Halloween treats!

This recipe was adapted from Cook UK.