HEALTHY BAKING BABES (organix no junk challenge)

I’m the first to admit that my diet isn’t perfect. I’m trying to improve things to set a good example for the girls but – I’m not going to lie – the odd Big Mac still occasionally slips through the net. The silly thing is, I’d never let my girls eat what I do (it’s a hypocrisy I have to fix before they get old enough to call me out on my double standards!) but there are still areas of their diet where I know I need to put in a bit more effort.

So when I heard about the Organix No Junk challenge, I was all over it. Basically, the team behind the healthy snack range are rallying us Mums and Dads to improve the eating habits of our kids by cutting out all that unnecessary junk: salt, sugar, artificial flavours, etc. They’re encouraging us to cook from scratch, using fresh, natural ingredients. Perfect!

I trotted straight over to their No Junk Pledge Page immediately to make my healthy eating vow (you can do it too, y’know!)

Then I agreed to try a #NoJunk recipe with my girls. We chose Happy Cakes because, A: who can resist something called Happy Cakes?! and, B: they sounded delicious – basically they’re banana and blueberry hotcakes, made from buckwheat flour (which is actually gluten and wheat free; I know – confusing, huh?!).

After a trip to the health food shop to buy the buckwheat, we began our baking challenge. The girls had a BLAST making them, and even more fun eating them. It was so quick and easy (I always convince myself that cooking from scratch is complicated and time consuming, but it really isn’t) and our hotcakes turned out pretty darn delish, if I do say so myself. If you want to give them a try the recipe is below. The only tweak I made was to add a teensy dash of agave syrup (a natural sweetener) and a pinch of cinnamon. So, what do you think?

How to make your own Happy Cakes (Banana, Buckwheat & Blueberry Hotcakes)

All you need is:

275ml buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 ripe banana, peeled and mashed
175g buckwheat flour
1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
100g blueberries
1 tbsp vegetable oil
A knob of butter
A pinch of salt (optional)

1. Put the buttermilk and the beaten eggs into a large mixing bowl and mix until combined. Add the mashed banana and mix again.
2. Sieve the buckwheat flour and the baking powder into a wet mixture and whisk in thoroughly. Stir in the salt and, very gently, the blueberries.
3. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes if you can to let it rest – it makes a fluffier cake.
4. Heat the vegetable oil and the butter in a pan over a medium heat until the butter starts to bubble slightly. Using a dessertspoon, drop dollops of batter into the pan (a 30cm frying pan can fit 4 in at once comfortably). Keep an eye on them. When you start to see them dimple on top, it’s time to carefully flip them.
5. After another minute or so, flip them again and they should be ready to serve. You want them golden brown on each side, with some of the blueberries oozing purple juice. Remove from the pan on to kitchen paper, then transfer them straight on to hot plates for serving.

Leon: Family & Friends by Kay Plunkett- Hogge and John Vincent, published by Conran Octopus, £25 www.octopusbooks.co.uk