Jessie Spiby: A Plate Full of Fun
These easy party treats are as entertaining as they are tasty! It has been a busy ride since appearing on MasterChef Australia 2015 for Jessie Spiby. Thesedays you will find her at hosting pop up dinner events around Adelaide, penning articles andrecipes for several publications, curating her pop-up event Food, Booze + Dancing Shoes aswell as catering at Plant 4 where she is a resident event caterer and has her own eatery MyGrandma Ben. “I like to think about the colour of food and how it will impact the plate, but I also enjoy theimperfection that nature naturally gives to food. Above all, I want every mouthful to bedelicious,” Jessie Spiby Passionate about supporting local food producers, Jessie takes pleasure in observing thediverse array of colour and beauty found in nature in her cooking. She celebrates modern dayAustralia by melding cultures and cooking techniques with beautiful seasonal ingredientscreating a vibrant and colourful menu for her catering business Jessie Does Food and newlyopened My Grandma Ben. It’s a Kiddo party Kids birthdays. They might evoke a feeling of stress, perhaps even present a lurking sense ofdread, but fear not. In this Pinterest-instagram- obsessed world you too can throw somethingtogether that will look cute as a button, taste great and most importantly won’t break thebank… or crush your soul. These little recipes can be done in a matter of minutes and have been designed to be perfectlypresentable as is, or a great base for your own creativity to take over. White chocolate popcorn Fun flavoured popcorn designed for little hands. Packed into cupcake patty pans, paper bags orwaffle cones dipped in white chocolate and sprinkles, it’s the perfect mixture of naught andnice. The white chocolate base is the same for both flavours and is ridiculously quick and easy toput together. The rainbow unicorn adds a sparkly touch of make-believe to the party while thescary bears in slime with tiny teddies and candy teeth scattered throughout is a creepyalternative. We’ve listed a few different options for toppings, however you can use whatever takes yourfancy. Get creative! This recipe is also a great substitute for traditional style lolly bags. White chocolate popcorn base *The same base is used for both flavours3-4 cups popped corn OR 1/2 cup kernels popped as per packet instructionsRoughly 1 cup OR 1 block white chocolate1/2 tbs coconut oil Rainbow unicorn popcorn 1/4 tsp natural food colouring – pink1/4 tsp natural food colouring – blue2 tbs sprinkles2 tbs larger natural coloured sprinkles1/2 cup mini marshmallowsSour candy hearts Scary bears in slime popcorn 1/4 tsp natural food colouring – green1/4 tsp natural food colouring – blue2 tbs sprinkles1/2 cup chocolate Tiny Teddies1/2 cup of candy teeth, chopped in halves Method Melt white chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave in 30-second bursts until melted andsmooth, stirring in between to combine. Divide the chocolate into two bowls and add the food colouring. Divide your popcorn into twoand pour over the chocolate, tossing gently to coat. Evenly spread popcorn onto a baking tray. Add sprinkles and desired toppings. Allow to sit until dry, ideally 30 mins but I wouldrecommend a couple of hours. If it’s a hot day, pop it in the fridge to help it set. To serve, place in patty pans, paper bags or big bowls and the kids (and adults) can helpthemselves. Cheesy stars and hearts Cute as a button, incredibly moreish and ridiculously easy. These adorable little stars and heartsare perfect for little people and tiny mouths. You will need cookie cutters for this recipe, anyshape will do. We’ve used stars and hearts but dinosaurs, arrows or butterflies will definitelywork a treat. Ingredients 400g puff pastry sheet1 – 2 of grated cheddar cheese, mix in a little parmesan or pecorino if you have some for asharper cheese flavour2 tbs milkFlour for dustingOptional: paprika, poppy seeds, dried herbs and sesame seeds for sprinkling on topTo ServeTomato sauce or chutney Method Preheat your oven to 200C or 180C fan forced. Line two baking trays with baking paper, setaside. Unroll your thawed pastry. Sprinkle most of the cheese over half of the pastry sheet, then foldthe pastry sheet in half to seal the cheese in and press down gently. Dust your work surface and rolling pin with a little flour and roll out the pastry until it hasdoubled in size. If you don’t have a rolling pin a bottle of wine will do. Using a cookie cutter, cut the pastry into shapes and put them on the prepared baking sheets.Brush the top of your shapes with milk and add a little more cheese, then sprinkle the seeds orherbs of your choice if you are using any. Scoop up the leftovers and re-roll to cut out more shapes. Bake in the oven for 10-12 mins or until risen and golden. Serve warm or cold. If preparingearlier allow to cool fully then place in an air tight container. You can store the puff pastryshapes for up to 2-3 days. Little monsters These little terrors can be made from fruit, meringues, marshmallows or a combination. It’s acharming way to get the kids eating some fruit at the party. These little guys are really easy andyou can customise them to your own taste. Be wary of using super juicy fruit as they tend tobleed and you may have trouble keeping the facial features stuck on. Set up a decorating stationfor older children, they may be inspired to make their own little critters! Ingredients Punnet of strawberries, tops removed2 bananas, cut into 1 inch piecesLarge marshmallows – the type you toast camping OR meringue kissesSmall white marshmallows (for the eyes) the type used for rocky roadCandy teeth cut into 3 or 4 pieces1/2 cup dark chocolate OR store bought piping icingSprinklesRoyal Icing for piping* You may be able to find pre-made ready to pipe icing at your supermarket1 1/2 cups pure icing sugar, sifted, extra to thicken if needed.1 egg white1/2 teaspoon lemon juiceNatural food colouring Method Cut your white marshmallow into the right size for eyes. I had to cut ours into three. I found