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.”
