What movie snacks can I make for my children during the school holidays?
Helen, Stroud, Gloucestershire
“When it comes to kids and movies, there is no greater combination than chocolate and popcorn,” says chef and restaurateur Tom Kerridge, who is also behind the Full Time Meals campaign against child hunger in the UK. And those two heavyweights unite in his “amazing chocolate popcorn bars”, which can handily be made up to a week ahead and kept in the fridge, so are “perfect for impromptu movie nights with the kids inviting friends over at the last minute”. Dark chocolate is non-negotiable here – “and at least 70% cocoa,” Kerridge says – and you’ll also need some puffed rice cereal, salted popcorn, dried cranberries (“for a bit of chew”), and quartered large marshmallows. “Simply melt the chocolate, add all the other ingredients, then pour into a lined tray and pop in the fridge for two hours – it’s that easy,” Kerridge says. “Once set, cut into bars and I guarantee they’ll probably be eaten before the film starts.”
Popcorn is also the snack of choice round Karla Zazueta’s house. The writer and cookery teacher, who blogs at Mexican Food Memories, has a weekly movie night with her family, and the key to success is to keep things customisable: “My husband is really good at making popcorn, with a little bit of butter and salt,” she says. This gets tipped into a big bowl, with everyone helping themselves to handfuls and topping however they see fit. “I like Valentina, the Mexican hot sauce, my daughter adds sriracha, and my son, who is not that good with spicy foods, has butter. We all love doing this.”
For a slightly more balanced approach to the pick’n’mix wall of sugar, Zazueta recommends a snack plate: “Cut up fruit like melon, watermelon and cucumber, and put that on a platter with some lime juice squeezed over and a sprinkle of Tajín, a Mexican chilli-and-lime seasoning.” Anna Jones, author of One: Pot, Pan, Planet, meanwhile, pairs fresh fruit and veg (strawberries, carrots, cucumbers) with a bowl of date caramel (which just involves blitzing medjool dates, hot water, and salt), and some chocolate truffles (although flapjacks or cookies would also make fine supporting acts).
Another blockbuster addition would be Yotam Ottolenghi’s pizza pinwheels, which the kids can get involved with making, too. Start with the sauce: combine 50g grated tomato, two tablespoons of tomato paste, one and a half teaspoons of dried oregano, a crushed garlic clove, and some salt and pepper. Spread this over a round of puff pastry, then top with grated mozzarella and parmesan, chopped chorizo and sliced basil. “Then gently roll up the pastry, so you end up with a long, compact, sausage-shaped roll,” says the Guardian columnist. Chill for 20 minutes, cut into slices and transfer to a lined baking tray. Sprinkled with more grated parmesan and bake at 185C (175C fan)/gas 5½ for 20 minutes, until golden. “Feel free to make them your own by using your choice of herbs, vegetables, and cheese,” Ottolenghi adds. “And leave out the chorizo if you want to keep it meat-free, or substitute with a different cured meat.” Who gets to choose the movie, though, is all you, Helen.
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