Ms Christina's class

They are going to larva this taste of Italy

You will need: 1 packet of cherry tomatoes, 1 pot mozzarella balls (pearls), a few black olives, handful of basil leaves, cocktail sticks (optional).

1. Build your caterpillars by taking 3 cherry tomatoes and two Mozzarella balls and altering them on a plate. If you want to stop them moving around, break a cocktail stick into small pieces and poke them into each piece to hold them in place.
2. To decorate the caterpillar face, use a thin slice of mozzarella and cut 2 small circles and then add a small dot of olive skin for the pupil.
3. To make the mouth , cut a small circle of olive skin and then using the same size cutter, cut a crescent moon shape from the small circle. Press this against the tomato face and it should stick. It not, then use a little low-fat cream cheese to hold the face features in place.
4. Finally, tuck a basil leaf under the head of each caterpillar.

Caution: If you have used cocktail sticks to hold the caterpillar together, ensure that these are safely  removed before eating.

Steps of fun all the way! – funky party

Makes 20.

350/120z plain flour, plus extra for rolling out
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
125g/4/0z butter
175g/6oz light soft brown sugar
1 free-range egg
4 tsp golden syrup
raisins
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1. sift together the flour, bicarbonate of sods ginger and cinnamon and pour into the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and blend until the mix looks like breadcrumbs.
Stir the sugar.

2. Lightly beat the egg and golden syrup together, and to the food processor and pulse until the mixture clumps together. Tip the dough out, kneed briefly until smooth, wrap in clingfilm and leave to chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line two baking trays with grease paper. Take a piece of dough mixture about the size of a walnut and roll into a short fat sausage and then bend in the middle to make a slight ‘v’ shape.

4. Take more dough and make two egg shapes about the size of a marble, and then make two more of them slightly larger.

5. On the side of the ‘v’, press a small lip around the edge using a dab of water, press the egg shapes onto edge and against the V. Place the two larger egg shapes in the middle and the smaller ones on either side.

6. Once they are all fixed in place, use a small safe knife to cut an opening in the front of each one and then cut a raisin lengthways in half and push it into opening leaving enough sticking out for a ‘claw’.

7. Transfer the tray the carefully to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, for until lightly golden-brown. Leave on the tray for 10 minutes and then move to wire rack to finish cooling.