Cookie Baking
Cook a healthy gluten-free snack with your child and practice weighing and counting, as well as developing new vocabulary! Encourage them to complete tasks such as holding a spoon, mixing, beating, pouring and rolling. You can also explore sensory learning by encouraging your child to smell, feel and taste the ingredients. Cooking is a great way to encourage your child to explore new things whether that be tasting something new or just getting their hands dirty!
Maple & Fitz was set up by Adria Wu in 2015, their manifesto is to make healthy eating fun and exciting. Everything is made fresh in store every day, including delicious salads, cold-pressed juices and tasting treats like gluten-free brownies and homemade granola.
Q & A with Adria Wu from Maple & Fitz
1. I have seen on your blog Adria’s FIVE healthy snacks on the go - what five snacks would your recommended for children?
Any fruit slices or veggie sticks with any nut butter
Home popped popcorn (key is to start on high heat then immediately reduce to low heat, shaking pot with lid on)
Handful of nuts but try stay away from high sugar and salt flavours
Frozen yoghurt lollies (take a kids yoghurt, add a lolly stick and freeze)
Sugar, nut and gluten-free cookies (can bring to school and share!)
2. Do you have any creative ways to get children to eat healthy food?
Naturally vibrant food - add beet puree for a pop of red, or spinach or parsley puree for green in soups and pastas.
Homemade “friend” food e.g. quinoa crusted chicken tenders, or flaxseed crusted fish fingers
Rainbow party food e.g. rainbow fruit stick
3. I can see you have run workshops for a sugar free diet, do you think that this is something children should be doing?
Yes! Very important but everything should be done in moderation especially for children. Think 80/20. Look for hidden sugar in savoury foods not just in sweets, cakes and juices.
Find more of Adria’s delicious recipes on the Maple & Fitz blog - mapleandfitz.com/blog
Visit Maple & Fitz:
36A Berners St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 3LY
Mon – Fri 8am – 4pm
Adria’s Every Kid Cookies (gluten-free, nut-free and refined sugar free)
Makes 24
You will need:
120g butter, room temperature, into cubes
100g maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
150g gluten-free flower
150g gluten-free porridge oats
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp flaked sea salt
150g any chocolate (kid’s choice!) chopped into chunks or use chips
Step 1.
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Step 2.
Gently melt butter on double boiler (or in microwave). Add maple syrup, vanilla and beat in the egg (make sure mixture is cool enough before adding the egg).
Step 3.
Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and mix into a dough. Add the oats and stir until combined.
Step 4.
Divide the dough equally for each child and let them add their choice of chocolate. Combine.
Step 5.
Line a baking sheet with a silpat mat or parchment paper.
Step 6.
Take small amounts of dough, about 1 tbsp, and roll into balls keeping them at least 5 cm between each ball.
Step 7.
Gently flatten the tops of the dough with your hand and place in the oven to bake for 13 minutes or until golden brown.
Step 8.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
Step 9.
If you don’t bake all the cookies, pop them into the freezer for min 1 hour on a plate. Then remove and store balls in a freezer bag. They can last up to 6 months in the freezer when stored properly.
