Baking for the freezer

Scrimps

I am going back to work from maternity leave in a month or so and have been looking at strategies to manage work and home life whilst not increasing the food bill and/or feeding my toddler rubbish food. He is fussy to varying degrees but baked goods usually go down well, I was thinking of stocking the freezer with baked goods that I can pop in his lunchbox but have never done this, does anyone have any tips?

I bulk cook and freeze main meals all the time but I dont know if there are any rules and tips around freezing baked foods - sweet and savory. The first question that comes to mind- if i make a flapjack with seeds and dried fruits, will that freeze OK?

The kind of baked things I usually make are flapjacks, jack monroes banana bread, regular bread, hobnobs with half the sugar that is in the recipe, terrible scones

I would love some ideas also. No dietry requirements, but dairy free would be helpful as he does seem to have a little intolerance which we manage by just not giving him too much too often and my husband doesnt eat dairy at all - if I could make something for him to take also I think it will help our shopping bills

Socajam

This is a good idea as it would mean that you are in control of his sugar intake etc.
Just be careful about nuts as this could affect a lot of children who are allergic to nuts.
I would speak to the school on this one.

Scrimps

Socajam wrote: »

This is a good idea as it would mean that you are in control of his sugar intake etc.
Just be careful about nuts as this could affect a lot of children who are allergic to nuts.
I would speak to the school on this one.

Thats a good point, its not an issue at present. He will be going to his regular childminder who doesnt have any children with nut allergies. He does like a peanut butter sandwich, which I like to give him as its a good amount of calories

Camomile

You could substitute some dairy in some products. Completely agree about nuts, some people are severely allergic, even a whiff of nuts can be extremely dangerous.
Muffins freeze very well, you can make sweet or savoury ones.

Camomile

Most of the sweet recipes I reduce the sugar and wherever I can I swap it for muscovado or dark soft. Works really well with chocolate and mixed spice. Wouldn’t recommend it for not chocolatey bakes as the colour of finished product is not attractive.

bouicca21

I will personally attest that banana bread is perfect for freezing. I’ve just eaten the last slice of one I made in May!

PipneyJane

Most cakes and buns freeze well in their unadorned state. (I have no idea how icing responds to freezing.) I've successfully frozen banana bread, lemon drizzle cake, carrot cake and chocolate cake. I've never frozen flapjack and probably wouldn't because I think it'd become more crumbly.

If you want to increase the nutritional value, I'd suggest using wholemeal flour or Atta/chapatti flour - I only have Atta flour in the house - and also swapping 1/2 cup of flour with 1/2 cup of rolled oats. The latter just adds a bit more protein and fibre, without a noticeable change to the cake texture (although it may be a bit more chewy).

If you like baking biscuits, I'm sure you'll be able to find "frozen cookie dough" recipes on the internet, where you make up a batch of dough, roll it into balls and open freeze them, then cook from frozen. (American supermarkets sell frozen "cookie dough" for baking.)

HTH

- Pip

VfM4meplse

bouicca21 wrote: »

I will personally attest that banana bread is perfect for freezing. I’ve just eaten the last slice of one I made in May!

I disagree, why stick it in the freezer when you can eat it all in one go?

Scrimps

Thank you for the ideas, ive had a little search around also and found some ideas on the bbc site and elsewhere. I think Ill make a few mini pasties, pies and samosas also - picnic type foods i think will be what im going for. We bought a bread makers but so far he doesnt like the bread!

Im looking forward to making some cakes also!!:j

DigForVictory

Can absolutely vouch for the Magic of home made biscuits from freezer dough.

Your exhausted return will be met with cooperative compliance so long as you ensure the magic happens - so you have a 20 minute window of opportunity to ask about his day, train him to do chores & then collapse with a glass or cuppa, praising him & handing over the freshly made baked goods.

Also works on spouses, but they may figure the trick...

joedenise

Traybakes are good for freezing. Just cut up into manageable sized squares and then freeze with interleaving paper or greaseproof in between to stop them sticking together.

Any loaf tin shaped cake can be sliced and frozen in the same way.