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Bonfire Night treats

For those of you who are planning on serving a Firework Night banquet to friends and family this week, we’ve put a collection of Bonfire Night recipes together that will delight your guests. If you plan to celebrate the evening in your own garden then these firework treats will keep everyone feeling warm, full and happy.  

Serve these treats round the campfire or open the doors of your orangery or garden room so guests can come in and out.

If you’re planning on eating outside then set up a rustic table and chairs in your garden and decorate with hessian table runners, autumn flowers and richly coloured cushions and throws. If you don’t have garden lighting, then you can use outdoor lanterns to create a glow.  

Hot chocolate three ways

Everyone loves hot chocolate, and there are endless flavour combinations to choose from. You can’t go wrong with these:

1. Classic cream and chocolate sprinkles

This recipe is by British chocolatier Philippa Diggle, founder of Diggle Chocolates. Her special hot chocolate shavings (main image) are made with a mix of dark, milk and white chocolate, which make a rich and creamy drink.

                                Image by ELIZABETH STARK, 2008–2018 via Brooklyn Supper

2. Autumn maple cinnamon

Sweetness, spice and pretty much all things nice have gone into this seasonal recipe. We don’t see why this hot chocolate recipe from Brooklyn Supper can’t be enjoyed right through to Christmas.

                                                      Image by Rosie Thomas via 2016 The Londoner

3. Baileys and Amaretto

This hot chocolate from British blog The Londoner will warm you up! Save some leftover Baileys for the grown-ups to dip marshmallows in, before toasting over the fire.

Entreés 

Hot and cheesy, these smaller dishes are perfect for serving to hungry guests out in the cold.

1. Bonfire pizza bites

                                                                        Image from Everyday Dishes

This idea comes from the team at Everyday Dishes. While these mini pizza bites will make great little appetisers, they will also go down particularly well with the kids. To keep them busy, you can set up a worktop for them with a variety of toppings in bowls, and they can create their own combinations. Swap the pizza bases with blinis for a more elegant alternative.

2. Campfire quesadillas with salsa verde and roasted corn salsa

Images (from left to right) from Bev Cooks, (© 2018 BEV COOKS ) Cook Republic (by Sneh Roy via © 2005-2018 COOK REPUBLIC) and Wheat by the Wayside (©Wheat by the Wayside)…

You can easily make quesadillas over a small bonfire for a special crowd pleaser. Assemble and wrap in foil, then rest on a rack over some embers or smaller flames for a few minutes to let the cheese melt.

Try these great quesadilla recipes from food blogger Bev Cooks, and serve with this fresh green salsa verde from Cook Republic with roasted corn salsa by Wheat By The Wayside.

Mains

1. Spicy beef shin hotpot with roast squash wedges

                                        Image by Danny Kingston 2009-2017 of Food Urchin for Great British Chefs

Chef blogger Danny Kingston of Food Urchin has created this fantastically rich and hearty spicy beef shin hotpot recipe for the Great British Chefs website, which can be made in large batches hours before your guests arrive. Created as part of a collaboration with Love Food Hate Waste, you can serve this hotpot with brown rice for a healthier option.  

2. Veggie carrot, cumin and kidney bean burgers

Image by Jack Monroe via Great British Chefs

Veggies and meat eaters alike will love these carrot, cumin and kidney bean burgers by Jack Monroe, as featured on Great British Chefs. They don’t require a lot of ingredients, but these are full of flavour and can be made in advance before you are ready to cook. For the true authentic Bonfire Night burger experience, throw in some fried onions.

Hot dogs three ways

Hot dogs and fireworks go hand in hand, and while we love the classic mustard and ketchup combo, these bangers have some scrumptious topping combinations that your guests might not have tried before, making them much more fun.

1. Chorizo chilli dogs

Credit to these chorizo chilli dogs goes to none other than Waitrose. Cook the chilli slowly for an hour and a half, which can be done the night before Bonfire Night leaving you to enjoy the fireworks.

2. Fish dogs with winter chutney

Image by Andrew McLeish via Great British Chefs

Here’s an interesting Fish dogs recipe from Great British Chefs, created by Chef Partner of Chapter One Restaurant, Andrew McLeish. We guarantee your guests will love this.

3. Dairy-free hot dogs with slaw

Image from Vibrant Plate  (2016-2018 © Vibrantplate.com) ….

Food bloggers Kristina and Mitja from Vibrant Plate have a lot of fantastic dairy-free recipes, with these dairy-free hot dogs served with slaw and beer braised onions being one of them. For a vegetarian version, swap the sausage for a meat-free alternative.

Sweet

1. Bonfire toffee apples with popping candy

Image by Andrew MacKenzie via Great British Chefs…

This brilliant idea comes from Chef Andrew MacKenzie from The East Sussex National Hotel, featured on the Great British Chefs website. Both kids and adults will adore this cool twist on an old classic. Use different flavours of candy for a bit of variety.

2. Maple marscapone fig tart

Image by Heather Mubarak via Browned Butter Blondie

This delightful and delicious fig tart comes from the oh-so-sweet baking blog, Browned Butter Blondie. We’re just at the end of the fig season now so what better way to use them one last time before the winter truly sets in.