Recipes

Connor the Caterpillar loves to eat plants but thought you might like these recipes to make and eat.

Most of these recipes are for you to enjoy and take out with you as a snack but there is also one you can make to help keep our wildlife fed. You may even find some of the ingredients out on the Trail. 

Frog cakes

Ingredients
6 fairy cakes,
Green food colouring
100g (3.5oz) icing sugar,
Chocolate drops / smarties for eyes and tongue
55g (2oz) soft butter

Method
1. Add the butter, icing sugar and a couple of drops of food colouring into a bowl and mix with a spoon until the mixture is smooth.
2. Spread most of your icing sugar over your fairy cakes – but leave a little for the eyes.
3. Carefully cut out the mouth shape – you may need a grown-up to help you here, so please be careful.
4. Add the red smarties to the mouths, so they look like they have tongues.
5. Finally add your chocolate drops for eyes and put a little drop of icing sugar in the middle.

Flapjacks

Ingredients
115g (4oz) margarine
1 tablespoon syrup
115g (4oz) sugar
170g (6oz) porridge oats
55g (2oz) self raising flour

Method
1. Melt the margarine and syrup but do not overheat.
2. Mix in a bowl the sugar, oats and flour.
3. Pour margarine mixture onto dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
4. Place in a well greased swiss-roll tin and bake in a moderate oven gas mark 5 / 190 degrees celsius for 15 to 20 minutes until just firm.
5. Cut into squares while still warm and leave to cool in the tin.

You can even add different flavours to this recipe if you wanted including; cherries, raisins, dates and even chocolate!!

Snail snack

Ingredients
Swiss Roll
White fondant icing
Smarties
Liquorice sticks
Plate

Method
1. Roll a length of icing into a sausage like shape – this will be the body.
2. Cut the liquorice stick into two pieces and stick them into the head to make the antennae.
3. Add the smarties to the tips.
4. Slice a piece of swiss roll and lay it on the plate on top of the snail’s body to make the shell.
5. Why not cut some leaf shapes out of paper to decorate the plate?

Dandelion syrup
You can use this on your pancakes or even in your cup of tea or coffee! (Please note this does take a day to make)

Ingredients
250 dandelions
Water
Lemon
Sugar

Method
1. Place the flower heads of 250 Dandelions into a large pan. Add four cups of water and the juice of one freshly squeezed Lemon.
2. Bring the mixture to boil then cover and leave to simmer for one hour.
3. Take the pan off the heat and leave covered overnight.
4. In the morning strain the mixture and add bag of white sugar.
5. Boil for 1 and a half hours until reached a syrup consistency.
6. Your syrup is now ready.
7. Store in a tightly sealed jar in your fridge.

Pine Cone Bird Feeder
It can be hard for some birds to find food so why not help them out and make your own bird feeder!

You will need
Pine or fir cones (dried out so they don’t open)
Bird seed
Raisins
Peanuts
Grated cheese
Suet or lard
A mixing bowl
Scissors
String

Steps
1. Allow the lard to warm up to room temperature then cut up into small pieces and put in the mixing bowl.
2. Add the other ingredients to the bowl. Mix together with your hands until the fat holds all the squidgy mess together.
3. Now group your cones together and loop the string around the top of them. Then pack the sticky bird mix around the cones with your hands creating a ball shape.
4. Put your cones in the fridge to set for an hour or so.
5. Hang outside for all the birds to enjoy!!

For an idea of what this looks like check out the RSPB website: 
https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-kids/games-and-activities/activities/produce-a-pine-cone-feeder/

If you’ve any more simple recipes for snacks you can nibble whilst out and about on the Trail, please send them to and we will add them onto the website.

We would love to see you photos so please share them with us!