Biscuits, muffins and banana bread: seven ‘little lunch’ recipes to sweeten the back-to-school blues

In many Australian States this week and in the past week, school is back in session. Parents and caregivers, the everyday problem of “how do we entertain our precious children?” has been replaced by an urgent issue: “How do we keep up in the lunchbox Olympics?”

If you’re a parent who is looking for variety in your weekly menu plan (this is the way that parents kick themselves and get their kicks, right?), recess is the perfect solution. Muffins, biscuits, and cookies can be prepared on weekends, stored for a couple of weeks in airtight containers, and can be easily transported. Muffins can also be frozen, and the smaller ones will be defrosted in the lunchbox just in time to have recess. Food swaps for lunch are the marketplace of the playground. However, they are home-cooked treats that your child will love to keep.

Anzac biscuits Crisp and chewy

If they are able to endure the trek through the trenches, they’ll be able to survive the lunchbox at school. If your children prefer crunchy or chewy biscuits, some recipes can be used for both. Sure, Nadine Ingram’s recipe calls for the full stick of butter as well as 300g golden syrup, but it also has equally sized oatmeal rolled into a ball. It’s practically breakfast.

Chocolate oat cookies

Also listed within “almost breakfast” are these chocolate oatmeal cookies from Nigel Slater. They’re dark chocolate, and the Oats are big, and the result is delightfully chewy. They’re best consumed within 24 hours of opening but can be stored for a few days in an airtight container. (Consider this as a chance to stop the circle of trauma and make use of biscuit tins to keep cookies instead of buttons.) If you are looking for cookies that are free of oats and gluten-free but choco-full, look up Cherie Lynden’s chocolate chunk cookies.

A real breakfast. Even though “breakfast muffins” might scream “bran muffins” for those older than they are, These – thankfully – are adorned with oats and poppy seeds. Meanwhile, grated apples, as well as orange zest and raspberries, give the muffins a bit of moisture and sweetness (although Nigel Slater suggests adding tabla espoon of sugar in case you’re looking for it). If you’re unable to locate kefir, you can substitute 130g of yogurt that is whole, which is then thinned with 45 ml of milk. If your child is a fan of the flavor of cardamom, they’ll love Benjamina Ebuehi’s recipe to make the cardamom and apple muffins made from buckwheat.

Banana bread

What’s banana bread, if not bread, in the form of a loaf? However, children can be difficult, and parenting can be difficult, and if your homemade cake can disguise itself as bread, then the world shouldn’t make a judgment. After experimenting with several different recipes, Felicity Cloake concluded that the banana cake is “a good way to use up old fruit”; however, overripe bananas aren’t necessarily necessary. The recipe is as straightforward as it gets. Use an electric blender to mix the wet ingredients with sugar, then add the dry ingredients and the mashed banana. Pour it into a pan and bake. The recipe contains walnuts and walnuts, so in the event that your child’s primary school is a nut-free area, you should leave these items out. If you’re looking for a gluten-free and vegan recipe, look up Meera Sodha’s Tahini Banana Bread.

“Fork and spoon” muffins

No mixer? No worries. The recipe can be described as a minimalist kitchen’s sweet idea, which requires only a utensil to smash the bananas and whisk the eggs together and a spoon to pour this batter into muffin pans. It calls for frozen or fresh fruits, but they can be substituted by cubed apples or pear pieces mixed in with a pinch of cinnamon.

Savory muffins

I indeed have a school child who isn’t a fan of chocolate. Even though I don’t pretend to comprehend the concept, I do respect it. I can imagine that they would enjoy these sweet baked goods instead, where onions kiss in the bacon fat, while sharp cheddar is in the presence of wholemeal flour, where warm cumin mixes with a tangle of wilted, loose spinach and flecks of carrot. It is great for small meals, big lunches, or adult lunches on the go.