Baking Days

I've said it before and I know I'll say it again and again but baking is one of my favourite activities to do with the kids. Maybe it's because it's something I know how to do and so replicating it as a baby and toddler activity isn't too stressful, or maybe it's just because I love cake, in the end does it really matter?

We started early this morning with some 'Raspberry Buns' from a recipe book that once belonged to my Mum. It's a Homepride cookery book that was given to her by an older friend and so I'm the third generation to be using this book. It's well loved and so many of the recipes come with happy memories for me.
My Mum used to make these buns all the time, before she gave me the cookery book I would attempt to look up the recipe online and in my head I called them jam-drop cakes, I have no idea why! I've seen similar recipes called 'thumbprint cookies' but haven't tried them myself.

Like anything I do with the kids, I find this recipe pretty easy and one that is friendly for both babies and toddlers. Lily helped with the more 'complicated' bits like measuring, egg cracking and adding the jam whilst Ollie enjoyed stirring, kneading and rolling.

200g Self-raising flour
small pinch of salt
100g Butter
100g caster sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Jam - one drop per bun

Preheat the oven to 200ºC
Mix the flour and salt in a bowl and then rub in the butter using your hands until it looks like breadcrumbs
Stir in the sugar
Whisk the egg with the vanilla essence then add to the bowl and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon to bring the dough together
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface
Shape the dough into equal pieces (we did ours by breaking them in half over and over) and roll into small balls
Using your thumb or a small teaspoon, make a hole in the centre of each bun
Add one drop of jam to each bun
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes until the buns are risen and golden brown

Be extra careful removing the buns from the oven - the jam could scald on touching it. They don't take long to cool down though and then they're good for eating!