Wellbeing Toolkit

Ingredients

350g/12oz plain flour, plus extra for rolling out

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

125g/4½oz butter

175g/6oz light soft brown sugar

1 free-range egg

4 tbsp golden syrup

To decorate

Writing icing (optional)

Cake decorations (optional)

Adapted from BBC Food (2022)

Method

1. Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, and cinnamon, and pour the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor. You can also do this by hand! Add the butter and blend the ingredients until the mix looks like breadcrumbs. Follow this by stirring in the sugar.

2. Lightly beat the egg and golden syrup together and add them to the food processor. Pulse the ingredients until the mixture clumps together. Then, tip the dough out and knead it briefly until it is smooth. Wrap it in cling film and leave it to chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.

4. Roll the dough out to a 0.5cm/¼ inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Using cutters, cut out gingerbread shapes and place on the baking tray. Be sure to leave a gap between them!

5. Bake the gingerbread shapes for 12–15 minutes, or until lightly golden-brown. Leave them on the tray for 10 minutes and then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

6. Once your gingerbread has cooled, you can decorate it with the writing icing and cake decorations.

Ingredients

100g dairy-free margarine

100g caster sugar

2 tbsp vanilla paste

100g crunchy peanut butter

225g plain flour

3 tbsp roasted peanuts, split in half

Adapted from Liberty Mendez’s recipe (n.d.), BBC Good Food.

Method

1. Beat the margarine, sugar, and vanilla using an electric whisk for 1 minute until pale and smooth. If you do not have an electric whisk, you can also do this by hand. Mix in the peanut butter and flour until both ingredients are fully incorporated. Bring the ingredients together into a smooth dough using your hands.

2. Roll out the dough between two sheets of baking paper until it is about 1cm thick. If the dough is very soft (this will depend on the margarine used), chill it for 45 minutes until it becomes slightly firm. Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and line one large or two medium baking trays with baking paper.

3. Cut circles out of the dough using an 8cm cookie cutter and place the rounds on the lined baking trays. Press a few peanut halves, cut side-up, firmly into the tops of the biscuits. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cookies turn lightly golden around the edges.

4. Leave the cookies to cool on the trays for 5 mins and then lift them onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from Sarah Cook's (2012) Doughnut Muffins recipe, BBC Good Food.

140g golden caster sugar and an extra 200g for dusting

200g plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

100ml natural yogurt

2 large eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

140g melted butter, plus extra for greasing

12 tsp seedless raspberry jam

Method

1. Heat your oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and lightly grease a 12-hole muffin tin (or use a silicone one). Put 140g sugar, flour, and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl and mix to combine it. Whisk together the yogurt, eggs, and vanilla in a jug and tip the contents and melted butter into the dry ingredients. Quickly fold them in with a metal spoon to combine all of the ingredients.

2. Divide two-thirds of the mixture between the muffin holes. Carefully add 1 tsp jam into the centre of each and then cover this with the remaining mixture. Bake the donut muffins for 16-18 minutes until they rise. They should be golden and springy to touch.

3. Leave the donut muffins for five minutes to cool, before lifting them out of the tin and rolling them in the remaining sugar.

Adapted from Cassie Best's (2019) Vegan Chocolate Brownies recipe, BBC Good Food.

Ingredients

2 tbsp ground flaxseed

200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

½ tsp coffee granules

80g vegan margarine, plus extra for greasing

125g self-raising flour

70g ground almonds

50g cocoa powder

¼ tsp baking powder

250g golden caster sugar

1½ tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Heat your oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3½. Grease and line a 20cm square tin with baking paper. Combine the flaxseed with 6 tbsp water and set aside for at least five minutes.

2. Melt 120g chocolate in a saucepan, add the coffee and margarine and 60ml water on a low heat. Allow this to cool slightly.

3. Put the flour, almonds, cocoa, baking powder and ¼ tsp salt in a bowl and stir the ingredients to remove any lumps. Mix the sugar into the melted chocolate mixture using a hand whisk, and beat it well until smooth and glossy, ensuring all the sugar is well dissolved. Once you have done this, stir in the flaxseed mixture, vanilla extract, and the remaining chocolate. Then add the flour mixture, mix it together, and begin to spoon the mixture into the prepared tin.

4. Bake the brownie mix for 35-45 minutes until you can insert a skewer in the middle of the brownies and it comes out clean with moist crumbs. Allow the tin to cool completely and then cut the brownies into squares. Be sure to store your brownies in an airtight container and eat them within three days, which shouldn't be a problem!!!