From pancake lollies to butterscotch popcorn balls – get your (and your kids’) hands deliciously dirty in the kitchen when you make this sweet treat with your kids. Yummy treats, plus a break from those pesky screens? Yes, please! 

Butterscotch popcorn balls 

Makes 12 // Cooking time 25 minutes 

Ingredients 

6 cups popped popcorn (±¼ cup kernels)
375 g castor sugar
90 ml water
20 g butter 

Method 

1. Line a baking tray. Ensure you have ice-lolly sticks and a wooden spoon close by. (You’ll have to work quickly; sugar sets fast.) Place popcorn in a bowl.
2. Melt sugar and water in a pot over medium heat. To stop sugar crystals forming, avoid stirring and rather swirl the pot every now and then. When sugar is dark caramel in colour, remove from the heat and stir in butter.
3. Immediately start pouring the caramel over the popcorn, while stirring with the wooden spoon, ensuring all popcorn is covered.
4. Start forming the mixture into balls using your hands. If it is too hot, use latex gloves.
5. Insert a stick into each ball and place on the tray to set. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Recipe & styling: Diane Heierli
Photography: Christoph Heierli 

Homemade chocolate bar 

Makes 20 // Cooking time 4 hours 40 minutes 

Ingredients 

200 g vanilla wafer biscuits
200 g sugar
250 ml cream, warmed
125 ml golden syrup
3 Tbsp butter
½ tsp salt
½ tsp vanilla essence
320 g milk chocolate
500 ml popped rice cereal
500 ml roasted and salted peanuts 

Method 

1. Line a 20 × 20 cm baking tin with baking paper.
2. Arrange the wafers in the tin in a single layer.
3. Melt sugar in a pot over low heat without stirring. Swirl the pan if it looks like the sugar is catching. Let it caramelise until it turns golden.
4. Add cream, syrup, butter, salt and vanilla. Simmer on low heat for 15–20 minutes. Test if it is ready by dropping a little in a cup of iced water – if it forms a toffee-like ball, it’s ready. Pour the caramel over the wafers and place in the fridge to set.
5. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. Stir in the popped rice and peanuts.
6. Once the caramel has set, spread the chocolate-peanut mixture over it and pop back in the fridge to set fully, about 4 hours. Cut into bars and serve.

Recipe & styling: Caro Alberts
Photography: Juliette Bisset // HMimages.co.za 

Banana chocolate dips 

Makes 22-25 // Total Time 30 minutes 

Ingredients 

1/3 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup honey or syrup
1 cup rolled oats
½ cup desiccated coconut
½ cup almond flour
1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate, almonds or dried cranberries 

Top tip: No almond flour on the shelf? Simply blitz a handful of almonds until it resembles flour. 

Method  

1. Combine the peanut butter and honey or syrup in a bowl.
2. Stir through the remaining ingredients until combined.
3. Place the mixture in the fridge for 15 minutes to chill.
4. Use a tablespoon to scoop portions of the mixture.
5. Roll a portion between the palms of your hands to shape it into a ball. Repeat this process until you have 22-25 power balls.
6. Store them in an airtight container for up to 15 days.

Top tip: When you get to Step 2, you can fold in all sorts of dried fruit and nuts depending on what you think is yummy. 

Words by Sjaan Van Der Ploeg
Photography: Fresh Living Magazine, Zhann Solomons 

Also read: Banana flapjacks with pineapple cream 

Pancake lollies with berry syrup 

Makes 12 // Cooking time 1 hour 

 

Ingredients 

For the berry syrup 

2 cups fresh or frozen berries
1 cup water
½ cup sugar 

For the pancake lollies 

1½ cups flour
¼ cup sugar
3½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1¼ cups milk
1 egg
3 tbsp butter, melted 

Method  

For the berry syrup 

1. If frozen, thaw the berries (keep the juice).  
2. Place berries (and juice), water and sugar in a pot over medium heat.  
3. Bring to a simmer. Cook, while stirring continuously, for 15–20 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. 

For the pancake lollies 

1. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Mix the milk and egg in another bowl.
2. Create a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients and butter into the well. Whisk until combined (the mixture should be slightly thick, but well combined).
3. Heat a lightly oiled non-stick pan. Drop 2 tbsp batter on to the hot pan. Cook for 1 minute on each side. For nice round pancakes, use a piping bag to pipe the batter on to the hot, greased pan.
4. Once cooked, insert a lolly stick into each pancake. Drizzle with the berry sauce and enjoy.

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Juliette Bisset // HMimages.co.za 

 

Drool-worthy Snickers s’mores 

Makes 6 // Cooking time 10 minutes 

Ingredients 

4 Snickers bars
6 chocolate cream biscuits
75 g mini marshmallows 

Method 

1. Cut the Snickers bars into slices. Separate 6 chocolate biscuits into halves.
2. Place 6 biscuit halves on a plate and top each with pieces of chocolate. Microwave for 30–40 seconds, until melted.
3. Place the other 6 biscuits on another plate. Top each one with marshmallows and microwave for 15–20 seconds.
4. Sandwich the biscuit halves together and serve the s’mores immediately.

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Kendall-Leigh Nash // HMimages.co.za 

Banana bread in a bag 

Makes 8 // Total time: 20 minutes, plus 1 hour cooking 

 

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A post shared by Jet Club (@jetclubafrica)

Ingredients 

1 large Ziploc bag
4 ripe bananas
¼ cup melted butter
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups cake flour
½ tsp salt
2 eggs, whisked
1 tsp vanilla essence
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ cup chopped mixed nuts (optional) 

Method  

1. Place 3 bananas in a Ziploc bag, seal and mash with your hands. 
2. Add butter and combine. 
3. Add baking powder, flour, salt, sugar and cinnamon to banana mixture. Seal and mash together with your hands until well combined. 
4. Add eggs and vanilla, seal and mix until batter is smooth. 
5. Transfer mixture to a greased loaf tin, then fold nuts through. 
6. Slice the fourth banana in thirds and place on top of the batter. 
7. Bake for 1 hour or until cooked through. 
8. Cool completely before serving. We recommend topping with honey, butter or peanut butter. 

Top tip: This Ziploc bag method minimizes unnecessary dishes and is the perfect activity to get the kiddies involved.