Baking novice - lots of questions!

[IWillYeah]

I've very recently started baking, mostly stuff for my children to have with packed lunch / after school.

So far I have made muffins (banana, apple & raisin, blueberry, carrot & apple) - all a success. I've also made a cracking banana bread, and some white choc chip cookies (were too sweet).

My questions to the more experienced bakers are:

1. Do you have any other good lunchbox/teatime treat recipes I can bake? Particularly interested in anything 'healthier' ie. not loaded with sugar and butter, although happy to hear more treatful recipes too. I'm thinking of loaf cakes, muffins, biscuits, traybakes etc.

I've looked online and bookmarked lots of recipes, but a bit overwhelmed and would like some recommendations.

1. What is your essential baking kit? I need to get some more equipment, as I only have two grotty baking trays, some dodgy scales, a broken wooden spoon and one mixing bowl. What do I need?

1. can you recommend a decent set of scales? Nothing too expensive!

Many thanks in advance x

To start with I would get some like

this set of baking pans

and

mixing bowls

and

these are good scales

And perhaps wooden spoon set and whisk.

What about something savoury plain cheese, cheese and onion muffins or pizza pinwheels.

I have a think latter and come back later.

Personally I hate cutting up grease proof paper so I have bought some washable silicon sheets and cut them to the sizes of my cake tins so that they are ready each time. Paper liners for loaf tins are good too. Olive oil spray is also good for greasing tins quickly.

My big discovery recently is that you can cook big batches if cakes and freeze them. Brownies are really good for this.

How about making flapjacks with honey instead of syrup and loads of dried fruit like apricots, cranberries, sultanas? My children really like them.

Happy baking!

These raspberry and apple crumble squares would be good for lunch boxes. These banana, oat and raisin muffins are very healthy and simple to make. Quick and easy lemon biscuits or condensed milk biscuits or chocolate orange cookies. Naughty but very nice chocolate and raspberry brownies.