Vanilla and cocoa bears with Nutella

If you’d like more recipes for children, you don’t need to persuade me anymore ;). I went out and bought bear-shaped moulds especially for this recipe. I used a simple cupcake batter. The teddy bears rise evenly in the moulds; they’re delicate, soft, and easy to fill. They can be frozen and then defrosted whenever your children ask for them. For the filling, I used Nutella because I always have some on hand, but homemade custard cream works just as well. I promise – your children will be absolutely delighted!

Makes 20 teddy bears.

Ingredients for the vanilla and cocoa bears with Nutella:

• 130 g butter
• ½ cup caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup plain flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2-3 Tbsp milk

Additionally:

• a bit of cocoa powder (about 1 tsp)
• Nutella, for the filling

All ingredients should be at room temperature. Sift the flour and baking powder and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix. Add the sifted dry ingredients (apart from the cocoa powder) along with the milk, and gently mix with a spatula until combined. Spoon two tablespoons of the batter into a separate bowl and add 1–1½ teaspoons of cocoa powder. Mix well.

Grease the bear-shaped moulds with butter and dust with flour, shaking off any excess. Transfer the cocoa mixture to a piping bag and pipe the paws and ears into the appropriate parts of the moulds using a small round tip. Place the vanilla batter in a piping bag and pipe into the moulds, filling them halfway. You can also use a spoon, but a piping bag makes the process much easier.

Bake at 190°C for about 15 minutes (or slightly less), until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Once cooled, turn the bears over and fill them with Nutella.

Enjoy!