If you’re looking for party food ideas, these recipes are delicious and easy to make.
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Scones
- Hannah’s Blueberry Muffins
- Mini Sausage rolls
- Cheese & Pickle Puffs
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate chip cookies are a perfect treat for a children’s party. These ones are crisp on the outside and soft and chewy in the middle, kids love them! Use butter rather than baking spread.
Ingredients
Makes 8-10 cookies
100g butter, softened
100g light muscovado sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
75g plain flour
100g chocolate chips
Method
Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric whisk. Add the egg and vanilla essence and mix.
Stir in the flour and chocolate chips until combined.
Lay out a piece of cling film and spoon the mixture into the centre. Roll up and twist the ends of the cling film to make a sausage shape. Put in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180C, Gas 4 and line 2 baking trays.
Remove the cling film and cut the mixture into rounds. Place them on the trays leaving room for them to spread.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool on the trays for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Eat while they’re warm.
This mixture can be frozen so you can have fresh cookies whenever you want. Divide the mix before freezing and add a couple more minutes to the baking time.
Scones
Scones are the ultimate crowd pleaser. Perfect for a party or a tea time treat. Make them plain or add cherries or sultanas – they all taste delicious with clotted cream and jam! This recipe is by Mary Berry
Ingredients
Makes 16 small scones
450g/1lb self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
50g/1¾oz caster sugar
100g/3½oz butter, softened, cut into pieces
2 eggs
A little milk
Sultanas or cherries (optional)
Method
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Lightly grease two baking trays.
Put the flour, baking powder and sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Crack the eggs into a measuring jug, then add enough milk to make the total liquid 300ml/10fl oz. Stir the egg and milk into the flour – you may not need it all – and mix to a soft, sticky dough.
Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface, knead lightly and work in the sultanas or cherries, if using. Roll out to a rectangle about 2cm/¾in thick.
Cut into as many rounds as possible with a fluted 5cm/2in cutter and place them on the prepared baking trays. Brush the tops of the scones with a little extra milk, or any egg and milk left in the jug.
Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the scones are well risen and a pale, golden-brown colour. Lift onto a wire rack to cool. Eat as fresh as possible.
Hannah’s Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
Makes 12
125g/4.5oz soft margarine
140g/5oz caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
140g/5oz plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
125g blueberries
2 tbsp milk
Method
Line a muffin pan with 12 paper cases and preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/Gas 4.
Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat together until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the eggs.
Add the flour and baking powder and fold into the mixture.
Fold in the blueberries and milk. Once mixed, spoon the mixture into the paper cases.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Mini Sausage Rolls
Ingredients
Makes 30
450g sausagemeat
4 large spring onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 tsps Dijon mustard
375g ready roll puff pastry
salt and pepper
1 tbsp milk for brushing
Sesame or poppy seeds (optional)
Method
Put the sausagemeat in a mixing bowl with the spring onions, parsley and Dijon mustard and season with salt and pepper. Mix together until combined.
Line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment. Roll out the pastry to a 30-31cm square, about 2mm thick. Trim the right hand edge to neaten it.
Divide the sausagemeat into 3 portions and use damp hands to shape one third into a long thin sausage the same length as the pastry and roughly the same thickness as a chipolata. Lay the sausagemeat along the right hand side of the pastry and brush the pastry along the left edge with milk. Fold the pastry over the sausage to encase it and cut to make a long sausage roll. Repeat to make two more and then cut into 3cm mini rolls.
Arrange the mini sausage rolls on the baking sheets, brush with milk and use a sharp knife to cut 3 slashes into the top of each one. If using sesame or poppy seeds, scatter them over the top. Chill the rolls for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220°C/220°C fan/gas mark 7.
Bake the sausage rolls for about 25 minutes until golden brown.
Cheese & Pickle Puffs
Ingredients
Makes 15
320g ready roll puff pastry
150g cheddar cheese, cut into cubes
4 tbsp pickle
1 egg, whisked for glazing
Sesame or poppy seeds
Method
Preheat the oven 190°C/fan 170°C/gas mark 5. Roll out the pastry to a square about 2mm thick and slice lengthways into three portions.
Place a blob of pickle along the left hand side of the pastry, 2cm from the edge. Add a chunk of cheese on top of the pickle. Brush the edge of the pastry with the egg and fold the pastry over the cheese. Trim any excess pastry and cut between each cube to form individual squares. Use a fork to crimp the edges of each square to seal them.
Brush each square with the egg and sprinkle seeds over the top. Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Serve warm.