Cake – The Food Wife

Soft Sugar Thumb Cookies with a Chocolate Filling

30th August 2025
by thefoodwife

Makes approx 20 cookies

Easily made dairy-free, these cookies are soft, sweet and chocolatey! Perfect!

You want a chilled, firm dough so start making these a few hours before you need them so the dough can chill in the fridge until ready to bake. Even better, make the dough the day before for a quick bake!

We made a batch of these and they made the perfect lunch box treat or afterschool snack.

Ingredients:

170g unsalted butter (dairy-free if required)

150g sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

280g plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

20 chocolate buttons (dairy-free if required)

Step 1: Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Next add the egg and vanilla extract and beat again until combined.

Step 2: Add the flour, baking powder and salt and beat again until you have a smooth dough. This should not take long but you may need to scrape down the sides of the bow to incorporate everything.

Step 3: Take a large sheet of grease-proof paper and tip the dough out into the centre. Roll the dough into a thick sausage shape, about 20cm long and twist the ends tight. Store in the fridge to chill until firm.

Step 4: When ready to bake, prepare a large baking sheet with grease-proof paper and preheat the oven to 180c fan.

Step 5: Cut the chilled log into 20 pieces, and roll each into a ball, slightly smaller than a ping pong ball. Next place each onto the prepared baking sheets about 5cm apart. Use your thumb to press down into the centre of each ball. This will create a hollow (make sure itâ€™s central). Bake for eight minutes.

Step 6: After eight minutes remove quickly from the oven and pop one chocolate button in each thumb dent. Return to the oven for a final four minutes.

Step 7: Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Store in an airtight container and theyâ€™ll last a few days. Alternatively, freeze if you like and remove however many you need the night before or a couple of hours before you need them.

Chocolate Chip Banana Cake

13th August 2025
by thefoodwife

Serves 8-10

This is a banana loaf cake with the addition of chocolate chips. An easy bake and great to make with kids. I used dark chocolate chips which contained no dairy and with the cake mix also being dairy free itâ€™s a great bake to make if you donâ€™t want to use dairy in your baking.

Ingredients:

2 large/3 medium/4 small very ripe bananas, mashed

110g vegetable oil

60g caster sugar

170g self raising flour

2 large eggs, beaten

Pinch of salt

50g (dark) chocolate chips

Step 1: In a large bowl, mix the bananas, oil, sugar, flour, eggs and salt together.

Step 2: Fold in the chocolate chips.

Step 3: Pour into a lined 1lb loaf tin and bake in a preheated oven at 180c (fan) for 50 mins, or until golden, risen and springs back to the touch.

Step 6: Remove from the oven and allow to cool for half an hour before transferring (out of the tin) to a wire rack.

Store in an airtight container and it can last a few days.

Ginger and White Chocolate Flapjacks

25th May 2025
by thefoodwife

Makes 16

I love a flap jack. A real crowd pleaser plus itâ€™s an easy bake with kids. Very portable (hello lunchbox ideas!) and adaptable. Need it gluten-free, simple. Need it dairy-free or vegan, an easy swap and youâ€™ve got the perfect bake.

The combination of ginger and white chocolate here is a winner. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

165g butter/vegan butter

125g soft light brown sugar

60g golden syrup

Pinch of salt (leave out if butter is salted)

250g porridge oats (gluten-free if required)

100g chopped glacÃ© ginger

50g white chocolate, melted (dairy free if required)

Step 1: Line a 9×9 inch tin with baking parchment. Preheat your oven to 180c (fan).

Step 2: Measure the butter, sugar, syrup and salt into a small saucepan. Place on a medium-low heat and stir occasionally until the butter has melted and everything is combined when stirred. Stir through the glacÃ© ginger.

Step 3: Measure the oats into a large bowl and carefully add the molten mixture (avoid getting this on your skin as it will burn). Stir everything together.

Step 4: Pour into your lined tin, use the back of the spoon to delicately spread the mix into all the corners and level out the mix. Donâ€™t press too hard.

Step 5: Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Once cool, cut into 16 squares. Then drizzle (you can use a piping bag if if you like) the white chocolate over the top and allow to set. Break into the 16 cut pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Snicker-dates

18th February 2025
by thefoodwife

Makes 16

These arenâ€™t new, weâ€™ve probably all seen some version of them, but they are delicious. Chewy dates, crunchy peanut and salty dark chocolate. A winning combo, especially for anyone who loves a sweet treat but wants to cut down on refined sugars.

Plus theyâ€™re so rich youâ€™ll probably only want one or twoâ€¦

Ingredients:

16 Stoned dates

Crunchy peanut butter (ideally one made with only peanuts)

100g dark chocolate (I used 74% cocoa), melted

Flaky sea salt

Step 1: Line a tray or tin with grease proof paper, and ensure you have space in the freezer for it to fit.

Step 2: Fill each date with about 1/2 a teaspoon of crunchy peanut butter, bringing the ends of the date back together as best you can (sometimes they wonâ€™t meet but make it as neat as possible).

Step 3: Carefully submerge each filed date into the molten chocolate, using a spoon to turn and coat it. Then transfer each coated date, with a spoon, to the lined tray. Sprinkle a little of the flaky salt on top.

Step 4: Repeat with the remaining dates. Try to make sure they arenâ€™t touching each other on the tray (you can always break them apart after theyâ€™ve set if they do touch but their edges will be messier).

Step 5: Transfer the tray carefully to the freezer until the chocolate has set (10 minutes should do it) and then move them carefully to a tub or freezer bag and keep them in the freezer until you eat them to keep them extra chewy!

Soft Sugar Thumb Cookies with a Jam Filling

9th October 2024
by thefoodwife

Makes approx 20 cookies

Easily made dairy-free, these cookies are soft, sweet and jammy! Perfect!

We made a batch of these and they made the perfect afterschool snack for the rest of the week.

Ingredients:

170g unsalted butter (dairy-free if required)

150g granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

280g plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Jam (smooth/seedless)

Step 1: Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Next add the egg and vanilla extract and beat again until combined.

Step 2: Add the flour, baking powder and salt and beat again until you have a smooth dough. This should not take long but you may need to scrape down the sides of the bow to incorporate everything.

Step 4: When ready to bake, prepare a large baking sheet with grease-proof paper and preheat the oven to 180c fan.

Step 6: Fill each indent with half a teaspoon of jam (I love using seedless raspberry jam). Bake for 12 minutes.

Step 7: Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Store in an airtight container.