Cooking with Kids: Part 4 – Party Time! Snacks, Sweets and Fancy Drinks for Young Chefs to Make

Cooking with Kids has been a year-long exploration of ckbk recipes, through the lens of enticing young people to cook and learn about food. The series is written by Carolyn Federman, Founder of The Charlie Cart Project, a program that gets kids cooking and tasting fresh fruits and vegetables in schools and libraries across the United States.

The Charlie Cart Project equips kids and families with the skills and confidence to make healthy food choices for life through hands-on cooking programs. With a fully-stocked mobile kitchen—“The Charlie Cart”—and a robust set of recipes and support, the Charlie Cart Project provides schools, libraries, and community organizations with the tools and training to teach kids how to cook and build lifelong health through the power of food.

By Carolyn Federman

Throughout the series we’ve used tasty dishes to get kids engaged;  learned cooking fundamentals through traditional recipes from around the world; and experienced first-hand how a simple sauce can transform food from meh to mouthwateringly-delicious!

In this concluding installment of Cooking with Kids, we’re hoping your newly-skilled young chefs are ready to take charge of their own summer party menu. Here are three different snack-centric menus for a spicy set of parties, each selected with kids in the kitchen in mind.

Head’s Up! Parties take planning! First, decide on the menu: Pick one or two dishes from the menus below for a lighter lift, or, to prepare them all, write out a plan that accounts for shopping, prep time, cook time and oven space.

Menu 1: Hot Food for Hot Weather 

A special drink that goes well with the rest of your menu, will make your get together feel like a party. For this spicy menu, a refreshing cucumber-based drink like Agua de Pepino or Cucumber and Honeydew Juice is perfect.

⇨ Charlie Cart Educators take note! Drinks are easy to make on the cart with kids of all ages

For snacking along with your fancy drink, Mexican style street corn and spicy peanuts—cacahuetes botaneros are where it’s at. If you find the peanuts too hot, adjust the spice level by reducing the quantity of garlic and chile. Peanuts don’t work for everyone so if allergies are a concern, switch to cashews or pepitas. Tip:  Cut the corn cobs into 4 pieces so there is more to go around. 

A solid menu usually includes at least one “bigger” or more filling dish for your hungriest guests. Picadas are similar to a thick tortilla - they are filling on their own but they can also be topped with some of your other dishes,  like fresh guacamole, or Oaxacan frijoles refritos.

⇨ Charlie Cart Educators take note! Picadas, guacamole and refritos are all Charlie Cart-friendly dishes that can be prepared in a 60–90 minute class period with some advance preparation. Make the recipe at home, and plan out your lesson. You’ve got this!

Brighten the table with fresh fruit cups with tajin. My mouth is watering just thinking about juicy watermelon coated in spicy, tangy flavor.

⇨ Charlie Cart Educators this is a super simple, super tasty dish to introduce new flavors and practice chopping skills

Round out your party with a couple of sweets that everyone can enjoy. Chef Sean Sherman has dedicated his life to promoting indigenous foodways, so you’ll find no gluten, sugar or dairy in these deliciously simple Corn Cookies. Here’s a dessert with a lot of history that also fits the bill for guests with food allergies or restrictions.

⇨ Charlie Cart Educators—the lesson practically writes itself!

Menu 2: A Pink and Purple Brunch

Make an impression with a traditional Hibiscus iced-tea that is as refreshing as it is striking. Hibiscus tea, brewed from dried hibiscus flowers, is a deep purple, delicious drink that can be served hot or cold. Also traditional in Mexico, you may know it as Jamaica. Hibiscus tea can be made a day or two ahead, leaving more time for food prep the day of your event. 

Little toasts are perfect party food—easy to serve, easy to eat, and easy to make! This Persian version, Iranian Bruschetta,  with feta and walnuts looks as beautiful as it is delicious with all the bright  herbs on top.

⇨ Charlie Cart Educators, this is a highly nutritious snack that incorporates accessible ingredients and lots of potentially new flavors

What could be more celebratory than a pink dip?! Serve this lovely Funky Pinky Beetroot Hummus with carrots, celery, green beans or crackers for multi-color dipping.

⇨ Charlie Cart Educators take note! Pink food is food kids love to eat. Guaranteed!

Sweet yogurt sundae with saffron, served in the smallest-sized mason jar, makes a picture-perfect dessert. Make these a day ahead and store covered in the refrigerator until it’s time to serve. 

Menu 3: Tea Time, but Better 

Greet guests in the garden with a cooling ginger and lime juice. Sodas and drinks of all types can be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Turn this juice into soda by substituting sparkling water in place of flat.  If you’re using sparkling water, add it just before serving.

Deviled Eggs are a full-proof crowd pleaser. This souped-up version from Nik Sharma adds tahini for an even more savory bite. Serve spicy pickles alongside for a bit of crunch and color. Both the pickles and the deviled eggs are even better when prepared in advance.

⇨ Charlie Cart Educators - deviled eggs are a fun and filling recipe to make in class

Lettuce cups make the best finger food! Fill crisp, small lettuce leaves with all sorts of toppings, like these herby butter beans* for a satisfying appetizer—no utensils required!  Keep the prep work to a minimum by piling the cleaned and dried lettuce  leaves into a bowl alongside the beans so guests can serve themselves.

* This dish calls for avocado leaf to flavor the beans. If unavailable, substitute one small dried bay leaf and a pinch of anise or fennel seeds, toasted and ground. And if you don’t have those things, that’s ok too. The beans are delicious all on their own. Many recipe—this one from The Mexican Home Kitchen, for example—cook the beans simply in oil or lard, together with white onions.

It would not be a brunch without scones! Nisha Katona puts a delicious twist on the traditional scone with these saffron infused souk scones. Yum! Offer them up with fresh stone fruit jam to celebrate the season, with or without cream. 

As always, save room for dessert! A milkshake might sound like a lot after all that yummy food, but you can still wow your guests with the world famous date shake by serving up just a taste—in a shot glass!  Tip: put the glasses in the freezer for an hour or so before serving.

⇨ Charlie Cart Educators, replace ice cream with fresh or frozen bananas + nut or soy milk for a delicious, dairy free version

And that’s a wrap! Cheers to a fabulous party! I hope you have enjoyed our series, Cooking with Kids. If you have made any of these dishes with your kids or students, let us know! We would love to hear from you. Happy Cooking!

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About the author

Carolyn Federman is the founder of the Charlie Cart Project, a nonprofit that provides tools and curriculum for hands-on food education. Prior to Charlie Cart, Carolyn worked in food education for more than a decade, leading Alice Waters’s Edible Schoolyard Project, consulting on policy and program development for the Jamie Oliver Foundation, co-founding the Berkeley Food Institute, co-producing UC Berkeley’s Edible Education course with Michael Pollan, and teaching cooking in her children’s schools. Carolyn lives in Berkeley, California. Carolyn is the author of New Favorites for New Cooks (Ten Speed Press, 2018), a starter cookbook for children of any age.

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