With National Picnic Week taking place from tomorrow 18th to the 26th of June, there is no better time to pack-up a basket with savoury and sweet treats, grab a blanket, and find a spot in the great British outdoors for a fun day out with friends and family.
In fact, Google searches for ‘picnics’ peak every year in June, with an average of 22,200 searches for this much-loved past time – that’s a whole lot of picnics!
To help with planning the perfect picnic basket, the baking experts at Dr. Oetker have given us ten easy to follow recipes perfect for a summer’s day. From delicious vegan sausage rolls to fruity lemon meringue cupcakes, there is something for everyone.
Cheese and onion pasties – HERE
Vegan sausage rolls – HERE
Vegan quiche – HERE
Eton mess cupcakes – HERE
Pimms cake – HERE
Gluten free scones – HERE
Lemon meringue cupcakes – HERE
Flapjack – HERE
Gin and Tonic Loaf Cake – HERE
Peanut Butter Cookies – HERE
Beth Stevenson, the resident baking expert at Dr. Oetker has also given us some easy tips to make sure your picnic is a success:
- Make sure to fill up your picnic hamper with all of the essentials, plenty of water is a must on a hot summer’s day, but remember to pack some plates, napkins, cutlery and cups so you’re not struggling to eat all the delicious food you’ve made.
- Cut up your bakes into smaller portions before packing, that way you can save on space and won’t have to struggle with serving the food as pre-cut portions mean everyone can just help themselves to what they like! If you are taking a whole cake, slice and wrap each slice into a piece of greaseproof so it can be easily handled and served at your picnic.
- Reusable ice packs are you best friend on a picnic especially when the weather is warm, they’ll keep all of your food and drink cool and stop diary-based bakes from going soft or running. You can also freeze your bottles of water so they act as ice-packs and then your can drink the lovely cool water as it defrosts.
- Now is the perfect time to try something new, having a go at a new recipe or trying a new technique is a sure away to have some fun when baking plus you have the perfect band of taste testers at your picnic to test the end result.
- If you are taking dairy based bakes, pack these last so they are out of the fridge for the minimum amount of time.
- Keep your picnic bag in the shade to try and keep your food as cool as possible.
- Pack your picnic in little storage boxes, this help prevent your bakes getting damaged on the way to the picnic, so they don’t get squashed, helps you easily unpack your picnic at the other side and is more environmentally friendly as the boxes are re-usable.
