Party food for Kids
BANANA ICE CREAM
This banana ice cream is absolutely ideal for kids. It is naturally creamy and smooth, has no added sugar and tastes delicious! Dairy free and easy to make, ice cream doesn't get better than this (unless of course you don't like bananas!).
Ingredients:
3 – 5 bananas (ready to eat ripe, but not over ripe)
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
Method:
Peel the bananas and place on a tray or plate lined with baking paper. Brush with lemon juice – this is the secret to stop the banana from discolouring. Freeze for approx. 40 minutes. Blitz until smooth.
Pit into a container suitable for freezing. Your banana ice cream will be ready 20 minutes later or keep in the freezer and take out 20 minutes before serving.
How kids can help:
Peeling and slicing the bananas – depending on age and with supervision; juicing your lemon. Brushing banana slices with lemon juice etc.
CHOCOLATE DIPPED MERINGUES
These little chocolate dipped meringues are a very simple idea and there are lots for your helpers to do – including finger licking! Great for Easter, a gift or simply an activity.
Ingredients:
2 egg whites
110g caster sugar
Chocolate for melting
Chopped nuts or seeds
This will make approx. 23-30 meringues
Method:
For the meringues -
Turn your oven to 110˚C. Line a baking tray or two depending on size. Ensuring all your utensils are totally clean, whisk your egg whites in a glass or ceramic bowl with an electric whisk until they form 'stiff peaks' (but don't become dry).
Add sugar, 1 tsp at a time, ensuring that it dissolves before the next tsp is added. This should take 5-7 minutes. Spoon your meringue mixture into a piping bag with a largish nozzle. Pipe mini meringues.
Place in the bottom half of the oven to cook until dried all the way through, this will be approx. 1 hr
Allow to cool on a wire rack.
Tip: If your meringues have spiky tails – dip your finger in water and dab them down. Otherwise they will burn.
For the chocolate -
Melt your chocolate in a bain-marie; this is simply hot water in a pan with a bowl placed over the top that contains your broken up chocolate. Line a tray. Prepare your nuts or seeds – they can be toasted or plain. Gently pick up your meringue and dip in the chocolate and then any nuts or seeds. Place on your lined tray and allow the chocolate to set.
How kids can help:
Whisking – if old enough with the help of an adult
Adding sugar to the meringue – when the power is off!
Piping the meringues onto the lined tray
Breaking up the chocolate
Selecting any dips: nuts, seeds, sprinkles, etc.
Dipping you meringue in the chocolate and any other dip
FLOWER SANDWICHES
There are hundreds of combinations for pretty flower sandwiches, but I hope these will inspire you to try something new. Pretty flower sandwiches are perfect for parties and a great way to make lunch boxes more fun!
Ingredients:
Brown sliced bread – rolled with a rolling pin to flatten slightly, crusts removed
Cream cheese or hummus (note hummus will dry out so best used where it is holding ingredients together)
Radish – peeled to give a thin pink skin
Cucumber – sliced to give a thin green skin
Capsicum, red and yellow – sliced to give a thin skin
Carrot – thinly sliced
Beetroot (raw) – thinly sliced
Black sesame seeds or chia seeds
Method:
Using icing cutters, cut out your desired shapes using the different ingredients. Spread cream cheese or hummus over your rolled bread and cut out your base. Arrange your ingredients and use seeds to add detail. For the radish, using a small knife cut out a 'zig zag' pattern and place a flower on top.
Tips: Cut out ingredients (except bread with spread) in advance and store in the fridge with a damp cloth over the top. Arrange as close to eating time as you can, unless the cream cheese/spread is covered with other ingredients, as it will not last too long. These can be quite fiddly if you choose really small shapes.
Options: Use whatever ingredients you like! For example a thin cheddar cheese layer
How kids can help:
Your best assistant will love choosing the ingredients to use.
Can help wash the ingredients.
Will enjoy using the cutters to cut out shapes.
Will enjoy arranging the different shapes.
STRIPED ICE POPS
These great summer ice pops will be a total hit with the kids! They are a bit time consuming to make but totally worth it. Use whatever fruit is seasonal and sweet. Think colour and fun!
Ingredients:
Here are some suggestions-
Strawberries – red
Mango – yellow
Kiwi – green (available at Aagora)
Raspberries – pink (frozen can be found at Aagora, Meena Bazaar)
Blueberries – purple(frozen can be found at Aagora, Meena Bazaar)
Coconut milk – white
Method:
Blend washed fruit with a splash of water (approx. 30 percent of fruit volume – just estimate when you pour it in). Prepare all the flavours your want to use and reserve the blended fruit in individual glasses. Pour one layer at a time into old trays, ice pop holders, makers, etc. and freeze. Pour each layer once the previous layer starts to set (this stops colours from mixing). Once you reach the top of your lolly add the stick when it is set enough to hold it in place. Return to freezer until completely set.
Photo: Collected
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