Perfect Lunch Box Apple Muffins

I'm always looking for easy to make kinda healthy food for the kids lunches.

Maybe like me, you are not completely organised but have good intentions.

I am not that mum that has the freezer filled with super healthy organic treats ready to pack and go it a pinch.

Sometimes if we are being fancy I top them with 

Cream Cheese frosting and raspberries

But I do have a few recipes up my sleeve that I can mix up and make in under 10 minutes, bake while I'm in the shower and have ready for the school lunches that day. They might not get endorsed by any fancy celebrity diet chefs but they are fast, I have the stuff in my pantry and I figure it's way ahead of a packet of processed stuff any day.

Plus they make 12 so I use them for afternoon tea and school lunch the next day with the few left overs for me :)

cupcake cases Greengate 

Quick Mix Apple Cinnamon Muffin makes 12 regular sized muffins
Note if you are out of buttermilk substitute milk mixed with a little vinegar, that's what I did with the ones in the picture.

3 small apples or 2 medium - grate approx half and cut the remainder in small pieces
2 cups self raising flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup buttermilk (#see note above if you are out)
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I use light olive oil)
1 egg
1 Tbsp butter melted (optional)
1 Tbsp cinnamon sugar (optional)

Preheat the oven to 160 C (325 F).

Line a regular 12 hole muffin tin with baking cases.

Place flour, sugar, cinnamon, buttermilk, oil, egg and apple into a large bowl and mix until just combined.

Spoon evenly into the prepared muffin tin.

Place the muffin tin into preheated oven and bake for 22-24 mins or until golden on top, if you insert a skewer no mixture should stick to the skewer.

(Optional)One muffin at a time brush the top of each muffin with a little melted butter and then sprinkle cinnamon sugar onto the top.

*Sometimes if we are being fancy I top the muffins with a little swirl of cream cheese frosting and a raspberry but it squishes too much for lunchbox treats so it's just an at home thing.

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the cookbook ' Sweets on a Stick': More than 150 kid friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go!. Published in the US the book is available at most online book stores.

Affiliate links may earn me money and contribute to supporting this blog.

Original Ideas, photography and recipes by Linda Vandermeer do not reuse without permission. 

One bowl easy mix Raspberry Cinnmon Banana muffins

I do a lot of baking for the kids school treats. No big reveal there I guess. It's generally healthier, I know what it contains and our school is a nut free zone so I am always sure that those muffins or cookies I make myself are ok.

These muffins are one bowl easy mix which I love 'cause less washing and cleaning is always a big tick for me. Plus I know the kids will eat them and the won't come home crushed and all smushed which is an extra big tick in my books.

I can whip up these muffins in a few minutes pop them in the oven and have them ready for a school snack, after school treat or ready to go picnic pack in no time.

Which is pretty much what we did with this batch in the photo's. A tray of muffins, a bottle of pink lemonade a throw and some cushions and we had a picture perfect picnic in under 30 minutes including baking time at our local park.

Quilt and cushions all Greengate purchased at Mollegaarden

This muffin recipe is based on the Bitty Banana Cakes on page 60 of Sweets on a Stick.

Raspberry Cinnamon Banana Muffins makes 12 regular muffins
Replace the raspberries with blueberries or chocolate chips for a delicious variation.

3 very ripe bananas
1 egg
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup oil
1 cup raspberry (fresh or frozen)

Preheat oven to 160C (325F) and line a 12 hole muffin tin with baking papers.

In a large bowl mash the bananas well.

Add all remaining ingredients except the raspberries and mix until just combined.

Gently fold in the raspberries and spoon mixture evenly between the 12 paper cases.

Bake until the top is golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean (around 20 minutes).

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the cookbook ' Sweets on a Stick': More than 150 kid friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go!. Published in the US the book is available at most online book stores.

Original Ideas, photography and recipes by Linda Vandermeer do not reuse without permission. 

I 'ruff' you - Valentine puppy cookies

Ok seriously this little Scottie dog cutter I got from Cakes by Bien is almost too cute.

These cookies are made with my chocolate cookie recipe from the book Sweets on a Stick - but you could use any roll out cookie dough you like.

Then I've covered it with chocolate rolled fondant which I then scraped to look a bit like long hair. Then I added a little nose and eye and finished off with a red heart.

The cutter is 6cm (2 3/8") X 5.5cm (2 1/4") and from Cakes by Bien, they have lots of super cute cutters like this deer one I've blogged about HERE before.

Look I turned the ones below into cup edge cookies. I know Eeeek! The cuteness!

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the cookbook ' Sweets on a Stick': More than 150 kid friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go!. Published in the US the book is available at most online book stores.

Original Ideas, photography and recipes by Linda Vandermeer do not reuse without permission. 

Sweetheart Valentine Cookie pops

Some people don't love Valentines day.

Me - I'm all for it, although I guess waiting for a certain day to express your love does seem a bit odd. I'm really more a every day should be filled with hearts and love kinda girl.

Take for example these cookies, I would happily eat them any time of the year.

But they do make a sweet little display, which if your into the whole Valentines day thing is perfect :)

I make these cookies all the time, they are a favorite of the kids, we just like to mix it up and decorate them differently.

The design and recipe is based on the Sweetheart cookie pops from Sweets on a Stick (details below).

And of course you don't need to pop them on a stick, they are just as sweet if you make them as regular cookies.

Shop the photo vendors

Cookies based on Sweetheart cookies page 90 of Sweets on a Stick - details below
Pink food color used on cookies - Sugarflair dusky pink
Pink fabric background - Tilda Rosalie fabric
Small White Letter Rack - Early Settler
Pink Candy - Strawberry bon bons - The professors

Paper straws used to cover cookie sticks (cut in half)

Linda Vandermeer is a mum, wife, blogger and author of the cookbook ' Sweets on a Stick': More than 150 kid friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go!. Published in the US the book is available at most online book stores:

Or here at fishpond (Aus/NZ)

Sweets on a Stick also available at the Bleeding Heart Brisbane: contact details info@bleedingheart.com.au

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie Mini Mousse

I have a bit of a thing for little mini mousse cups.

Mini always makes everything cuter.....and when I found these super sweet little disposable square verrine cups I knew I had to use them on my next dessert table.

Ok who am I kidding, I want to use them on EVERY dessert table I ever do from now on cause they are sooo cute.

Anyway as my next planned table after I picked up the cups was a pie and slice table I came up with an idea to make some chiffon pie mousse cups. They worked out pretty well, rather than layering different flavors I just made the one type of mousse and then added extra flavor and texture with the garnish. It meant I could make all the components in advance and then I just assembled on the spot to ensure maximum crunchiness for the pie bites and macarons.

It was something new for me and I didn't have a recipe handy so I found some on the internet, tried out a few, threw out quite a few icky batches and then finally tweaked this recipe I found here.

The gorgeous photography is by Naomi V Photography. at her studio.

Printables are by Style Me Gorgeous.

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie Mousse with mini macarons and pecan pie crust bites were created for the Blissfully Sweet Oh Sweet Mum E-vent for this rustic pie table...more pictures of the pie table available in the online E-Zine or here on the Bubble and Sweet Blog.

Ah-Tissue created the amazing display of paper and hessian wall pom poms.

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie Mini Mousse - (makes around 24 mini mousse cups)

3 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cream (heavy)
1 cup cooked well mashed pumpkin (you may use tinned if you like)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups cream (heavy) extra

In a heavy based saucepan at medium low heat cook the yolks, sugar and 1/2 cup cream whisking continuously until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove from the heat and mix in the pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Place in the fridge to chill for around an hour.

Place the 1 1/2 cups cream in a large bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Mix in 1/3 of the pumpkin mixture with a spatula to lighten the mixture. Add the remaining pumpkin mixture to the cream mixture and gently fold in until combined.

Place the mixture into a large disposable piping bag (I use biggish kee-seal ones).

Line up the mini mousse cups (or what ever type of container you are using) on a large tray.

Snip off the end of the piping bag with scissors and squeeze the mixture into the cups until it nearly reaches the top.

Place the tray in the fridge and chill overnight or until set. Best prepared day before serving although you can prepare a few days ahead and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

I decorated the mousse cups with mini macarons and Pie bites.

Pie Bites

To make the pie bites roll out some chilled sugar crust pie dough or vanilla sugar cookie mixture. Cut into small squares around 3cm (1"), place on trays lined with parchment paper and press chopped pecans into the dough. Bake at the recommended oven setting until golden and allow to cool before using (can be prepared around 3 days ahead).

I used the sugar crust pie dough from my book Sweets on a Stick, It's the same recipe I use for the pie pops. But you can just use store bought or even this sugar cookie dough recipe CLICK HERE.

Mini Macarons

To make mini macarons you can follow this recipe CLICK HERE and just pipe the macarons smaller.

For more of my recipes including the Pie Crust recipe for the pie pops check out my book Sweets on a Stick. You can pick it up online at Amazon here:

Or here at fishpond (Aus/NZ)

I popped this on Skip to my Lou's Linky Made by you Monday.

and Kitchen fun with my three sons crafty Friday

How to get a book published - Bubble and Sweet I did it my way eventually

So I wasn't sure if you all would be interested in the story about how I ended up writing a cookbook.

This isn't going to be a how to get a cookbook published post, because to be honest I can't help you with that. But what I can tell you is a little bit about my story, my love for baking and where it led me.

I started off this blog because I was boring my family and friends senseless with my interest in cute and yummy food. Sure they were all more than happy to eat it all, but talk about it.....eh, not so much.

A little off topic I was a bit of a True Blood fan and about this time had been reading Fanfiction online and was amazed at the authors willingness to share their artistic souls for free on that forum for little more than feedback and reviews (SeaStarr and Missus T were a couple of my favorites). It was refreshing and inspiring, I wanted to do something similar.

I had a look around at a few baking blogs I was interested in, had a name brainstorming session with my 2 sisters-in-law over a coffee and jumped right in.

My first post was a recipe copied from Martha Stewart, I thought that perhaps it might encourage people to look if they found it while searching for recipes, it was not really inspiring and did not take the blogging world by storm, I had little understanding of search engines and the irony that this type of post would be more likely to be lost in the multitude of similar ones. But I was not deterred and  my second post was something original I had thought up all by myself, marshmallow fondant covered lollipop cookies, the execution was not the best but I did have some lovely photo's that my sister in law had taken of my girls eating the cookies. As I sat loading up the pictures I can remember my husband saying, 'Are you at the computer again typing out recipes that no one is ever going to read?'

Once again the post was not an instant hit but something amazing happened I got a comment on my blog and not just any comment. It was from Not Quite Nigella a very well know Australian Food Blogger. Ha - Don't think I didn't rub that in my husbands face straight away. Lorraine from Not Quite Nigella followed up her lovely comment with her own interpretation of my cookies and a link to my page and it was a huge boost to my confidence.


My love of sweets on sticks was born and although there were quite a few more lackluster posts of copied recipes I branched out and started including some of my own original recipes and many decorating ideas that I came up with myself.

I joined some online baking forums and made some lovely blogging friends. Around this time I created a recipe for Tim Tam Cookie pops which were a huge hit, there were recipes around already but I came up with my own which I am going to be completely biased about and say are perfect. Once again I was making my mark with treats on sticks.

Another turning point was my daughter's birthday party. I never knew how popular kids parties were and the online community surrounding it. Lilli's 6th birthday pink fairy high tea party was featured on a number of US party sites and was quite popular it still receives thousands of visits a week. Then I worked on a project with a couple of inspiring women I knew Elizabeth Murphy and Naomi Vassington to create a photo shoot tea party in the woods. Both of these women had inspired me all through early blogging when I received little feedback, just by doing what they loved with such passion and it was an amazingly fun shoot which once again was featured on other blogs.

I was doing what I loved with a bunch of fun people. I was not selling to the public so I didn't have restrictions on what I could make. I was lucky to be involved in some further photo shoots and my treats were featured in magazines.

and it seemed I loved putting my treats on sticks, cause you know it always makes stuff more fun and cute and the treats I was making were mostly inspired by and for my children.

 They inspire every sweet thing I do............

Ok so fast forward a little bit to earlier last year and I was contacted by a Publisher in the US.

For Real that's what happened, they contacted me and asked me to write Sweets on a Stick..

They thought there was a hole in the market for sweets on a stick that were kid friendly to make. We all know there are a stack of books out there where you have to perfectly double dip a gazillion pieces of candy and then pop them onto your treats with tweezers to make a magical and beautiful masterpiece, but they were looking for someone more down to earth and simple....yup you know that's me.

So there you have it - that's a kinda condensed version of my story which is a long way of saying I was just doing what I loved, inspired by my family and a great group of friends. I learnt to be myself and not copy everyone else.

Collage of recipes included in sweets on a stick taken during recipe testing
 pictures not included in actual book

Anyhoo the result of all of this Sweets on a Stick was released in December and is published by Adams Media. It is a US release so it contains US measurements and ingredients and has a conversion chart for metric in the back. It is a collection of fun and easy to make recipes and ideas that are kid friendly and includes decorated cake pops, decorated cookies, baked cookies, pies, candies, cupcakes, muffins, fruit plus more that you can make with your kids. And they're all on a stick, ever single one.

Hello - it's me Linda nice to meet y'all

Or here at fishpond (Aus/NZ)

Sweets on a Stick photos by Terri Vandermeer or Linda Vandermeer
Family photo's by Naomi V Photography

Giveaway - Win a copy of Sweets on a Stick

Boston Cream Pie Pops

Update This Giveaway closed on the 28th November 2011

To celebrate the release of Sweets on a Stick I'm giving away a copy of the book.

Plus if you live in the US I'll throw in a gift certificate to the value of $40 US from Kitchen Krafts so you can pick up some baking supplies to help you along.

Or if you live in Australia I'll throw in a gift certificate from Cakes Around Town to the value of $40 AUD.

All you have to do is comment here on this blog post with your name or something else that identifies it as you. The giveaway will close at 12pm Monday the 28th of November 2011.

If you would like a second entry you can mention this giveaway on your facebook page or blog, just make a second comment here on this blog post stating that you have done so.

I will randomly select a comment and post the winners name on the blog on Tuesday the 29th of November, the winner will need to contact me with their details within a week of the name being posted to claim their prize.

Sweets on a Stick is a kid friendly recipe book. The cakes and other treat recipes have been created with kids in mind so they are mostly easy mix and all the treats are on a stick. However they are suitable for all ages and can be made without sticks if you choose. Here are a couple of places online that you can pick it up from:

Amazon have it of course:



Or the book depository UK (Click HERE)

Or here at fishpond (Aus/NZ)




Giveaway Guidelines:

• The competition for a copy of the book is open to any country that Amazon will post to.
• If you live in the US and you are the winner of the book you will win a bonus gift certificate to the value of $40 US
• Or if you live in Australia and you win the book you will win a bonus gift certificare to the value of $40 AUD
• Entries into this giveaway will close at 12pm Monday the 28th of November 2011. 
• The winner will be selected at random on Tuesday the 29th of November 2011 from the comments on this blog post. The winner will need to contact me within a week to claim the prize.
• One entry per person, a second entry can be obtained by mentioning this giveaway to your friends on facebook or a blog.
• You do not need to join this blog or follow my page on facebook to enter

Good luck

Update 29th November 2012

WINNER ANNOUNCED

Karyn - Pint Sized Baker

It's OUT - Sweets on a Stick available to buy I think

       Boston Cream Pie Pops page 135

It's out!!!!

People have told me they have received copies they pre ordered of my book Sweets on a Stick, so although some online shops are saying not released yet I'm gonna have to consider my book sorta-released.

Safari Mask Cookie page 104

It's very exciting to see the actual book. It was a lot of work for me and also for my family and friends who put up with me for many months while I was testing, writing, retesting and rewriting recipes and instructions for the book.

Cowboy Hat Cookie Pops page 94

I was thinking about writing a post about how the book actually came about so if you are interested let me know, for today I'll just do a short interview with myself:

 Dino Stomp Cookies page 83

Favorite part of writing Sweets on a Stick:

Creating the recipes and ideas

Least favorite part of creating Sweets on a Stick:

writing 150+ introductions to the recipes, yes now my total dorkiness is out there in print for perpetuity for all to see.

Favorite recipe

Oh yay this is so not like having kids - I totally had a favorite, the monster cake pops where I came up with a new technique to make the open mouth.

 Big Mouth Monster Pops page 28

Favorite perk

Getting to thank my mum and dad and other people who have inspired and helped me in actual print. Really come to think of it I should thank everyone I love more often.

Special thanks to everyone who helped me during the development of this book especially Andrea at Adams Media without you the book would not exist.

 

Sticky Cinnamon Roll Sticks page 118

and thank you, yes YOU for reading my blog, because without your readership, comments and encouragement none of this would exist.

Coconut Ice Cake Pops page 20

Anyway and I always feel like some annoying infomercial when I do this but here are a couple of places online you can pick up my book. If your in the US it should be arriving in books stores soon.

Amazon have it of course:



Or the book depository UK (Click HERE)

Or here at fishpond (Aus/NZ)



Sweets on a Stick is a kid friendly recipe book. The cakes and other treat recipes have been created with kids in mind so they are mostly easy mix and all the treats are on a stick. However they are suitable for all ages and can be made without sticks if you choose.

The photos in the book were taken by Terri Vandermeer, the above dark and off center photos were taken by me with my new camera that I can't work and have lost the instructions for.