Lunch box fillers – 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.

Savoury â€œPizzaâ€ Muffins

30th August 2025
by thefoodwife

Makes 12

In the quest to make some lunch-box fillers to cut down on processed food and also add a bit of variety to sandwiches I made these pizza style muffins. They can be frozen and then taken out of the freezer the night before (or morning of) the lunch. Theyâ€™ll defrost by lunchtime and have been a hit with my seven year old.

You can mix up the flavours. Omit the salami for vegetarian muffins, add chopped up olives or sundried tomatoes if you like (30-50g should do it). Swap the tomato puree for pesto. If youâ€™re dairy free swap out the milk and cheese for a suitable alternative.

Ingredients:

230g self-raising flour

100g grated cheese

50g salami, cut into small pieces

1 tsp black olive tapenade (optional)

1 tsp Italian seasoning

4 eggs

60ml olive oil

120 ml milk

Step 1: Pre-heat oven to 180Â°C fan. Lightly oil a 12 hole non stick muffin tin (or line with cases).

Step 2: In a large bowl stir together the flour, cheese and salami.

Step 3: Separately mix together the eggs, olive oil and milk. Add the tomato puree, olive tapenade (if using) and the Italian seasoning. Season generously with salt and pepper and whisk together until combined.

Step 4: Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until combined.

Step 5: Spoon mixture into the greased muffin tin.

Step 6: Bake for 18 minutes. They should be nicely domed and a skewer should come out clean when inserted in the middle.

Step 7: Remove from the oven and once cool enough to handle transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Once completely cooled these can be frozen and then remove the night before (or in the morning), pop them in the lunch box and they will be defrosted ready for lunch. They will stay fresh for a couple of days unfrozen but a little zap in the microwave will freshen them up and theyâ€™re lovely eaten warm too.

Soft Sugar Thumb Cookies with a Chocolate Filling

Savoury â€œPizzaâ€ Muffins

Savoury â€œPizzaâ€ Muffins