Do you love getting in the kitchen with your little ones? We know that the most special memories can be made cooking together, whether it’s the tried and tested family favourites or trying out something new. Cleaning up after a mammoth baking session can be off-putting, but you don’t need to worry because ACE has a range of products to keep both the kitchen surfaces and your clothes clean, hygienic and stain-free.
We asked you to share your best dishes and we were bombarded with suggestions for everything from pizza, sushi rolls and samosas to pancakes, biscuits and chocolate cereal cakes! What do they all have in common? They’re super simple and you can get creative with flavours, toppings and shapes.
We’ve dug out a really easy and flexible pizza recipe that’s sure to be a big hit with the whole family. Homemade pizzas are endless fun, from kneading the dough to piling on the toppings. This straightforward recipe is even simple enough for a weeknight.
For a traditional base:
• 300g plain flour
• 1 tsp yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 200ml water
• 1 tbsp olive oil
Combine the ingredients in a bowl and knead until smooth – add more flour if it’s too sticky, or more water if it’s too dry.
Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to prove for half an hour in a warm place.
Divide the dough into pieces – it should make two regular-sized pizzas or four miniature ones – and roll or pat into flat rounds (or whatever shape you’d like!).
Place onto greased baking sheets ready to be topped.
For a scone base:
• 225g self-raising flour
• 50g butter or margarine
• 100ml milk
• 1 egg
Rub the flour and butter together until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
Mix with the egg, then add the milk to make a dough. Knead gently until it’s smooth.
Divide the dough into pieces – it should make two regular-sized pizzas or four miniature ones – and roll or pat into flat rounds (or whatever shape you’d like!).
Place onto greased baking sheets ready to be topped.
For a lazy base:
Pitta breads, baguette slices or pre-rolled pastry sheets cut into rounds!
For the toppings:
Spread the bases with tomato puree, pasta sauce, tomato ketchup, barbecue sauce or anything else you’d prefer.
You can use practically anything you like to top the pizzas, but make sure you include lots of veggies to make sure everyone is getting their five-a-day. Take a selection of whatever you have in the fridge, slice and dice, then let your little ones decorate and have fun.
Bake the pizzas at 200 degrees for 15-20 minutes until golden brown, then serve.
Looking for more ways to have fun and feed the family? Here are some of our favourite recipes and creative suggestions given by our wonderful Facebook community:
• Kerry Jones: “My kids find it very amusing when we make hedgehog surprise – a mashed potato body, sausages for legs and baked beans for the eyes and nose!”
• Cara Bemrose-Williams: “Rice cake faces make awesome fun food. Spread with cheese or peanut butter, put out a selection of raisins, peas, halved cherry tomatoes, sweetcorn etc. and the kids can make their own silly faces.”
• Charlie Brunton: “Trifle is fun to make because of the different sections! Dream topping is amazing.”
• Gaynor Lewis: “We like making mice cakes – a marshmallow for the body, sherbet saucers for the ears, a liquorice lace for the tail and whiskers, Jelly Tots for the nose and slices of Dolly Mixture for the eyes. Attach using some melted marmalade for the ‘glue’ – it will keep them happy for hours!”
• Sharon Arnott: “The kids love to make strawberry and marshmallow kebabs dipped in chocolate. Easy peasy.”
What do you like to cook with your little #ACEchef? Join the conversation at @ACECLEANUK on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
