Ellas Kitchen - The Big Baking Book (Ellas Kitchen)

To everyone whose handprint has been part of the Ellas Kitchen story. Thank you and the children who have inspired you.
Paul + Alison Lindley

First published in Great Britain in 2014 by Hamlyn,
a division of Octopus Publishing Group Ltd
Endeavour House
189 Shaftesbury Avenue
London WC2H 8JY
www.octopusbooks.co.uk

An Hachette UK Company
www.hachette.co.uk

Copyright Octopus Publishing Group Ltd 2014
Text copyright Ellas Kitchen 2014
Photography copyright Octopus Publishing Group Ltd 2014
Illustrations Ellas Kitchen 2014

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Ellas Kitchen (Brands) Ltd asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

Ellas Kitchen is a subsidiary of The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.

ISBN 9780600628750

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Typeset in Cooper Light and Ellas Kitchen

Created by Ellas Kitchen and Harris + Wilson

Art direction, design + styling: Anita Mangan
Photographer: Jonathan Cherry
Illustrations: Billington Cartmell
Managing editor: Judy Barratt
Assistant production manager: Lucy Carter
Home economist + food stylist: Annie Rigg
Additional food styling: Lincoln Jefferson
Recipe development: Joanna Farrow

A few recipes include nuts and nut derivatives. Anyone with a known nut allergy must avoid these. Children under the age of 3 with a family history of nut allergy, asthma, eczema or any type of allergy are also advised to avoid eating dishes that contain nuts. Its important that you check with a healthcare professional to make sure you know which ingredients to avoid if you have a child with allergies. Check all packaging for allergy advice and make sure you use clean surfaces and utensils to avoid allergens sneaking into your baking.

Some recipes contain honey. It is advised not to feed honey to children under 12 months old.

Every care should be taken when cooking with and for children. Neither the author nor the publisher can accept any liability for any consequences arising from the use of this book, or the information contained herein.

Standard level spoon measures are used in the recipes:

1 tablespoon = one 15 ml spoon
1 teaspoon = one 5 ml spoon

Both metric and imperial measurements are given for the recipes. Use one set of measures only, not a mixture of both.

Ovens should be preheated to the specified temperature. If using a fan-assisted oven, follow the manufacturers instructions for adjusting the cooking time and temperature.

Medium eggs have been used throughout unless otherwise specified. Herbs are fresh unless otherwise specified. Use low-salt stock, and avoid adding salt to recipes altogether.

Freeze food in a freezer set at -18C (0F). Meat dishes freeze safely for up to 4 weeks; vegetarian dishes (including fruit pies), cakes and biscuits can freeze for up to 3 months. Always label your foods with the date of freezing. When defrosting, always do so covered in the fridge, or in an airtight container submersed in cold water, or in a microwave. Eat, cook or reheat foods (as appropriate) as soon as they are defrosted. Reheat foods until piping hot all the way through, then allow to cool and test the temperature before serving to your child. Do not refreeze.

Contents

Foreword by Ellas dad

When I close my eyes and simply let the word baking wash over me, I am drawn back to my own childhood, first in Sheffield, then in Zambia. I mentioned this to the Ellas Kitchen gang and they echoed my sentiments. Baking is a word that, perhaps beyond all other cooking words, evokes memories and emotions.

For me, baking shouts of my mums crispy Yorkshire puddings, covered in gravy, steaming, noisy to crunch. And of desserts, served warm and covered in custard. From there, the memories just flow running in the frosty park, the smell of the cows at the farmers auctions, the noises of day-trippers, the sounds of the river flowing. These are 40-year-old memories brought to life by that one word baking. If I close my eyes again, I see my 6-year-old self helping my mum to make surprise birthday cakes a secret collaboration that bound us together.

I think baking evokes such strong memories because it stimulates all of the senses. Sticky dough clings to your fingers; delicious smells fill the air on opening the oven door; the taste speaks for itself; and then theres the texture of the first crunch. Of course, the biggest of childhood thrills is licking out the bowl. Baking is sensual, sociable, educational and, above all, FUN!

Ellas Kitchen foods exist to stimulate all of a little ones senses. We want to get children, from babyhood to childhood, really interested in food. Our cook books have those same goals. Like our first book (The Red One), this book is much more than a manual for making things to eat. Other books can do that. This book aims to engage both you and your child on a journey with food, with lots of activities and opportunities for kids to get involved.

Although you may associate baking with sweet treats and special occasions, this book is packed with savoury bakes, too. Our recipes come from real families and have been road-tested by our Ellas Kitchen team and our friends. They all contain natural ingredients, selected and approved by our team of professional nutritionists.

I hope that you enjoy the adventures that the recipes aim to take you upon; you create memories that will for ever make you and your child smile; and that using this book together becomes a small part of your childs journey into the big world where healthy eating habits will last a lifetime.

Alison, Ella, Paddy and I, together with so many of the Ellas Kitchen team, have had such fun creating this book. We really hope you have equal enjoyment when using it!

Keep smiling,

Paul, Ellas dad
Follow me on Twitter: @Paul_Lindley

In Ellas own words

Baking is fun, easy and very yummy. It is probably my favourite part of cooking it was the first kind of cooking I learned how to do. In my eyes, probably the best part of any of my birthdays has been the birthday cake, which my mum and I have made at home for all of my 14 years. Weve made such a variety from Olympic rings to princesses to designs from TV shows and, although they might not have been the prettiest cakes ever, they have all been