Four Ingredient : Homemade Potato Smiles

Table of Contents

Potatoes are a fantastic option for baby-led weaning due to their numerous benefits. Firstly, they are rich in essential nutrients like vitamin C and potassium, promoting healthy growth and development. Potatoes are also easily digestible and gentle on the baby's stomach, making them an ideal first food. Their soft texture allows for easy chewing and swallowing, encouraging self-feeding skills. Furthermore, potatoes offer a great variety of cooking methods, allowing parents to introduce different flavours and textures to their little ones. Whether mashed, roasted, or steamed, potatoes provide a versatile base for introducing other healthy ingredients such as veggies or meat. Overall, incorporating potatoes into a baby's diet during the weaning process can provide a nutritious and delicious start to their culinary journey.

Introducing cornflour into baby-led weaning can be an interesting and versatile addition to your little one's meals. Cornflour, derived from maize, is gluten-free and easy to digest, making it a suitable option for babies with sensitivities or allergies. By mixing cornflour with breast milk or formula, it can be used to thicken purees and create a smoother texture, perfect for transitioning from mashed to more solid foods. Additionally, cornflour can be used as a coating for finger foods, like vegetables or chicken, adding a crispy texture and mild flavour. Always ensure that the cornflour is cooked thoroughly to avoid any potential digestive issues. As with all new foods, start with small amounts and observe your baby's reaction. Get creative with cornflour and watch your little one explore new flavours and textures on their exciting journey of self-feeding.

The Benefits of Making Your Own Oat Flour
Making your own oat flour comes with a multitude of benefits that make it a worthwhile endeavour. Firstly, homemade oat flour allows you to have complete control over the quality and purity of your ingredient. By grinding whole oats yourself, you can ensure that no additives or preservatives are present, giving you a healthier and more natural alternative. Additionally, making your own oat flour is not only cost-effective but also allows for customization. You can choose to grind your oats finer or coarser depending on your preference, resulting in a flour texture that perfectly suits your culinary needs. Lastly, producing your oat flour at home reduces packaging waste and promotes sustainability, making it an environmentally conscious choice. Overall, making your own oat flour provides a versatile, healthy, and environmentally friendly option that opens up a world of possibilities in your kitchen.

Ingredient information

Potato - I have used a medium sized baked potato for this recipe (exact weight below). You can use any white potatoes you have, if you weigh using kitchen scales.

Cornflour - I have added cornflour for texture, great to have in your store cupboard for many useful recipes.

Self raising flour - I have used self raising flour so that the smiles do not cook too flat. If you only have plain flour you could add in 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. From 6 - 8 months use the oat flour option, oat flour is just blitzed ground oats.

Vegetable oil - I have used vegetable oil as this is great I find for frying. The smiles need the colour and crisp on the outside before they are popped into the oven. Works well for the recipe! You could use sunflower oil too as an alternative.

Serving suggestion

The potato smiles as you know can be served with mostly anything. Some suggestions could be pork patties, crustless quiche cups or ratatouille. Or you could of course serve with the classic fish fingers and peas!

Storage instructions

You can easily store the smiles in the fridge for up to 3 days, in a large airlock container. To re heat all you will need to do is pre heat your oven to 180 C or 350 F and heat for 10-15 minutes. Please be aware you can only re heat once.

Alternatively you can store in an airlock container or airtight freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To defrost, place in the fridge overnight to thaw and then reheat from chilled as explained above. Please note you can only freeze, chill, and reheat just once.

Equipment used to help with this recipe

Frying pan - I love the non-stick surface of this particular frying pan and it’s suitable for all types of hob.

Baking sheet - I have chosen to use a non-stick and BPA free baking sheet - they are easy to clean and, if you buy more than one, easily stackable and easily stored.

Large mixing bowl - Definitely choose a stainless steel one - they are lighter than the stone or glass ones and very easy to clean.

Digital weighing scales - A set of digital scales is an invaluable kitchen tool. This set is made of tempered glass, so easily cleaned and has a large weighing capacity of 15 kg.

Airlock container - I much prefer the click-shut lids on these containers compared to others. They are also dishwasher and freezer safe and BPA free, so very suitable for food use. 

Recipe | Four Ingredient Homemade Potato Smiles

Ingredients

Makes 15 smiles

• 275g potatoes, cubed

• 4 tablespoons cornflour

• 10 tablespoons self raising flour or oat flour

• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions

• Start by pre heating your oven to 180 C or 350 F. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.

• Place the potato (whole) into a saucepan of boiling water and cook for at least 10-15 minutes. Once cooked, drain and leave to cool slightly.

• Cube the potato into 2cm pieces, or larger fingers from 6 months.

• Pop the potato in a large mixing bowl, with the corn flour and flour and mix using a spoon and then bring together with your hands.

• Flour a work surface and place the potato dough onto the flour, roll the dough to approx 0.5cm thick.

• Using a 2.5 inch round cutter, start cutting out the rounds to make the smiley face.

• Heat the olive oil in the frying pan and cook the smiles on each side for 30 seconds. Keep an eye on the heat of the oil! Turn down the heat accordingly.

• Pop all the smiles on a baking tray and pop in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Hope you and your family enjoy!

Recipe notes

As there is added flour in this recipe you can easily swap this out for a gluten free alternative to make the entire recipe gluten free. The recipe is vegan and dairy free too!

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