Planning a Late Late Toy Show family gathering in front of the TV in the company of a few little ones on Friday night?
Here are some recipes for little fingers food, savoury snacks and sweet treats to much on while watching Ryan become a big kid (again) and gathering info on what will be this year’s must-have toy.
Pizza is an all round favourite, but instead of getting a flabby disc of (overpriced) dubious ingredients delivered, have a go at making your own.
James and Thom Elliott, who now have five Pizza Pilgrims restaurants in London, came up with the glorious idea of making a pizza sandwich – pockets of dough filled with all classic pizza toppings, but much easier for little fingers to eat. Their dough recipe is a good one, but you'll have to remember pick up some fresh yeast from a bakery or supermarket fresh bread counter.
Domini Kemp uses dried yeast for her take on flammekueche, those super crispy thin pizzas also sometimes referred to as tarte flambée. Her white pizza has the distinct advantage, where small, messy, wandering fingers are concerned, of not having any tomato sauce on top. Crème fraiche, cheese and slices of salami provide a big flavour bomb. You can dispense with the fresh herbs if you think they will be assiduously picked off the topping and discarded by picky eaters.
Staying with the finger food theme, Donal Skehan's satay chicken skewers offer the dual joys of eating off a stick, and having something to dip into. Leave out the chilli if you don't want the dipping sauce to carry a kick.
The ubiquitous chicken nuggets get a healthy makeover in the hands of mum of three Lilly Higgins. Her recipe calls for cooked leftover chicken but you could just poach a couple of fillets in stock and use those, or buy a rotisserie chicken and save rest for lunch.
Older children might like to dip the nuggets in barbecue sauce, and John Relihan of Holy Smoke, the low 'n' slow BBQ restaurant in Cork has an ace recipe you'll find here, along with his instructions for cooking baby back ribs, if the notion takes you.
Or perhaps your approach is to have everyone fed, watered and ready for bed straight after the show, in which case a tray of Lilly Higgins's cheesy puff crackers will provide a mess-free snack for the ad breaks.
You could enlist some pre-show help making these, with prizes for the most creative shapes, and you’ll probably have everything you need to make them in the cupboard or fridge.
Cookies and milk sounds so wholesome, but there's a suitably festive twist to Eunice Power's Christmas tree cookies, and there's the added bonus of being able to use the leftovers, if there are any, to decorate your tree.
Vanessa Greenwood's chocolate chip cookies have custard powder for added flavour, and can be made with milk, dark or white chocolate, or a combination.
Rice Krispie buns get the Ferrari treatment when Domini Kemp turns them into a Toffee Crisp, but better, here.
But if you'd prefer to offer your Late Late Toy Show audience a healthier take on the chocolate bar, here is Kemp's version of Susan Jane White's recipe for chocolate soldiers, using seeds, dates, maple syrup and goji berries, no cooking required.
