Simple, chef-approved recipes for snacks that kids will love this summer

When I was a child, the first stop on my annual visit to the Canadian National Exhibition was the Conko’s waffle ice cream sandwich stand. I could smell the trailer before I could see it – inside, waffle makers would be hard at work pouring vanilla-scented batter onto sizzling irons. I’d watch as they took two hot rectangular waffles and sandwiched a brick of Chapman’s vanilla ice cream between them, before quickly handing over the melting treat in one single-ply napkin.

It was glorious, and still is. For me, it represented the sweet, melancholy end of summer, and my favourite taste memory before the school year began. And when I first opened my cinnamon bun bakery in Toronto, I knew the seasonal ice cream treat on my menu would be 100 per cent inspired by this memory: The Rosen’s Bunwich, a warm, glazed cinnamon bun sandwiching a slab of Chapman’s vanilla ice cream, for a two-temperature, cinnamon and vanilla-imbued delight.

As summer rolls along, so do the hot times, the fun times, the food times. To that end, we’ve asked three chefs to share how they’ve been inspired by their sweetest food memories to pass on their favourites to their own broods. These easy chef-approved snacks will make summertime even breezier.

MIHEER SHETE

Miheer Shete, chef and owner of Curryish Tavern in Toronto, was born in Mumbai, which also happens to be where the king of mangoes, the Alphonso, is from.

“When I was a kid, mango season was one of the most anticipated seasons, almost how maple syrup or strawberry season is here,” says Shete. “My family would go mango picking. They grow in big trees, so you don’t really climb them, but you pull the low-hanging fruit off the stems at nearby farms.” He says they’d bring 100 firm mangoes home, whereupon he’d wait for them to ripen in hay. “By the seventh or eighth day, the entire house would smell of mangoes and my mom would finally announce that they were ready. It was one of the most joyful things for me as a kid.”

They ate their Alphonsos every which way, but his favourite was the aam ras made from the overripe pulp, into which he would dip his mother’s fresh puri. “Now I make it for my nine-year-old daughter, and she loves it. And I love sharing the memory with her during mango season.”

Puri and Aam Ras

Serves 4

FOR AAM RAS

4 cups fresh Alphonso mango pulp

1 cup milk

1 tbsp ground cardamom

3 tbsp sugar (if needed, based on the sweetness of the mangoes)

4-5 saffron threads for garnish (optional)

PURI DOUGH

4 cups finely milled whole wheat flour (atta)

1 1/3 cups water

¾ cup vegetable oil

1 ½ tsp salt

1 ½ tsp sugar

1 tsp baking powder

Oil for shallow frying

PREPARATION

For aam ras, to a blender add mango pulp, milk, cardamon and sugar. Blitz until smooth and chill for at least an hour before serving.

For puri, to a large mixing bowl add flour, followed by water, oil, salt, sugar and baking powder. Knead together until just combined and dough has a nice soft consistency. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.

Once the dough has rested, portion it into 30-gram balls, or about 2 tablespoons of dough for each puri.

Using a rolling pin, roll the portioned puri dough to a thickness of 2 millimetres. Don’t use flour for dusting, if the dough is sticking use a touch of oil instead.

Heat an inch or two of oil in a shallow pot or a large frying pan to a temperature between 375F to 400F. Prepare a plate with paper towel for draining the fried puri.

Once all of the dough balls have been rolled out, fry right away, basting each puri with oil. Fry each for about 45 seconds on each side, or until puffed and golden brown.

Transfer to the lined plate to drain excess oil.

Place chilled aam ras in a serving dish and garnish with saffron threads. Serve warm puri alongside chilled aam ras for ripping and dipping.

SARAH MIERAU

Sarah Mierau, chef and owner of Tradish’s the Ancestor Café, located in the Fort Langley National Historic Site in British Columbia, says she was raised on a lot of processed foods so now tries to make things as healthy and natural as possible for her kids, while still making them taste great. She draws on ingredients with natural medicinal properties for her signature jams, like the smoky juniper cherry and blackberry sage, and teas such as raspberry dandelion.

“I love lemonade, and growing up my mom would buy the big tubs of the ‘juice’ powder and we’d do that all summer long,” she says. “Country Time or even the no-name brand. I loved it. Now at the café we’re selling lemonade that’s still sweet, but it’s made with organic sugar, and it’s healing problems rather than causing them.” Mierau has three sons (3,13 and 17). “My youngest loves the chamomile lemonade; he’s still losing teeth and it’s great for teething. And the good thing about the simple syrup is that you can make the lemonade as sweet as you like.”

Chamomile Lemonade

Serves 10 – 12

This refreshing recipe makes enough chamomile syrup for a large pitcher of lemonade. Mierau makes her lemonade by the glass. The recipe below gives you the option to prepare by the glass or by the pitcher – thirst dependent.

CHAMOMILE SYRUP

1 cup of organic sugar

1 cup water

1/4 cup organic chamomile flowers or 5-6 chamomile tea bags

PREPARATION:

To a small saucepan add water and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and when sugar has dissolved, remove from heat.

Add chamomile and let steep for 20 minutes, then strain chamomile.

Cool, completely, pour into a jar, and refrigerate.

FOR LEMONADE

1 ounce chamomile syrup

1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice

Cold water

Ice

PREPARATION:

For each single serving, add one ounce of chamomile syrup to a tall glass. Add lemon juice. Top with cold water and ice. Stir and enjoy.

For a large pitcher of chamomile lemonade, add entire chamomile syrup recipe to a 3-litre pitcher. Add 10 to 12 ounces of lemon juice, and 2.5 L of cold water. Top with ice, stir and enjoy.

CHRISTINE FLYNN

Christine Flynn, a Niagara-based chef and cookbook author, says that summertime has always meant pie time. “One of my favourites was my mom’s lemon meringue pie. She did a short crust and made a traditional lemon curd filling or a key lime, along with a meringue. Those flavours, that combo, really work,” says Flynn, a mom to twin seven-year-old girls and an eight-month-old daughter.

“Now as an adult, I just love the pie recipe I make because you only need a handful of pantry items and it’s really dialled in. It’s also so speedy and easy to make that the twins can help me with it. I like that I’m giving the girls a life skill, the joy around cookery – and then you get a delicious pie in the end.” This pie has been lovingly made and tweaked for many years by countless people – it’s one of those beloved recipes that belongs to us all now – though the original recipe can be attributed to Bill Smith of Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill, N. C.

Atlantic Beach Pie

Makes a 9-inch pie

FOR CRUST

1 1/2 sleeves Saltine crackers

3 tbsp granulated sugar

1/2 cup softened unsalted butter

FOR FILLING

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup lemon or lime juice or a combination of the two

FOR WHIPPED TOPPING

2 cups whipping cream

1/4 cup icing sugar

PREPARATION:

To make the crust, preheat the oven to 350F.

Pulse the saltines in a food processor until they are bread crumb-sized or even a bit larger. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl. Add in the sugar and then the butter and knead briefly until the crumbs hold together when squeezed. Press into a pie plate and then chill in the fridge or freezer for about 20 minutes. Bake for 15 to 16 minutes until the crust gets a bit of colour. Remove the crust from the oven.

Rinse out your medium-sized bowl and to it add the sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks and juice. Whisk briefly to combine then pour the mixture to the prepared crust, using a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl clean. Return the pie to the oven and bake for an additional 15 to 16 minutes until the filling has set. Remove from oven and chill completely, 3 to 4 hours.

Before serving, whip the cream with the icing sugar until it just holds its peaks. Spoon over pie, then slice and serve.