Tasty After-School Snacks

Fast and easy snacks are what children love after school. Such snacks are also handy for putting in lunch boxes.
Tasty After-School Snacks
Banana nut muffins (left), crispy coconut pecan snaps, (centre) and melt-in-your-mouth peanut butter cookies (front).
9/8/2009
Updated:
10/1/2015
<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/20090901_Cuisine_-_Tasty_after_school_snacks_Sandra_Shields_DSC02855.jpg" alt="Banana nut muffins (left), crispy coconut pecan snaps, (centre) and melt-in-your-mouth peanut butter cookies (front)." title="Banana nut muffins (left), crispy coconut pecan snaps, (centre) and melt-in-your-mouth peanut butter cookies (front)." width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-1826364"/></a>
Banana nut muffins (left), crispy coconut pecan snaps, (centre) and melt-in-your-mouth peanut butter cookies (front).
Fast and easy snacks are what children love after school. Such snacks are also handy for putting in lunch boxes. Freeze individual portions in plastic zip lock bags and remove from the freezer in the morning just before the kids head off to school. They will be thawed by lunch time, and keep the rest of the lunch cold in the meantime.   


Banana nut muffins


Makes one dozen large or 18 small     

3 large very ripe bananas, mashed
125 (1/2  cup) white sugar
125 (1/2 cup) brown sugar
500 ml (2 cups) all-purpose flour
5 ml (1 tsp) baking powder
5 ml (1 tsp) salt
125 ml (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
5 ml (1 tsp) baking soda dissolved in 15 ml (1 tbsp) water
125 ml (1/2 cup) walnuts, pecans or macadamia nuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 180º C (350º F). Butter  muffin cups and dust with sugar. Place bananas and both sugars in a large bowl. Set aside for 15 minutes. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

In an electric mixing bowl, mix the melted butter, bananas, and sugars until well combined. Add the flour mixture in batches, mixing well after each addition. Add eggs and baking soda. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake until a deep golden brown, about 25-35 minutes.  

Coconut pecan snaps


125 ml (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla
125 ml (1/2 cup) brown sugar
125 ml (1/2 cup) flour
125 ml (1/2 cup) pecans, chopped
50 ml (1/4 cup) fine coconut

Preheat oven to 180º C (350º F). Cream butter, vanilla, and sugar until light and creamy; add flour. Stir in pecans and coconut and spread mixture into a 20-cm (8-inch) square baking pan. Bake for 18 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Cut into squares while still warm, then cool completely in pan.

Peanut butter cookies


Makes approximately 3 1/2 dozen cookies

375 (1 1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
5 ml (1 tsp) baking soda
1 ml (1/4 tsp) salt
125 ml (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
250 ml (1 cup) creamy peanut butter
250 ml (1 cup) firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla
White sugar

Preheat oven to 180º C (350º F). Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Cream the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well combined. Add the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon just until blended. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill about 1 hour.

Roll dough into 2.5-cm (1-inch) balls and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Dip a fork into sugar and press down lightly on top of each ball to flatten and form a criss-cross pattern.  Bake until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Cool on a rack.
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