Play date snacks for grownups (because it's not all about the kids).

Why should adults miss out on the fun?

I recently upgraded my coffee and tea sets – and just as the law of attraction states, I have been happily inundated with guests coming over for afternoon tea ever since.

But the problem is that when you upgrade your coffee and tea sets, snacks like store-bought biscuits don’t seem to cut it anymore. I love my biscuits, but when friends come over and the kids run outside to play, you want to treat yourself and your guests, no?

That means our snacks need a makeover. So here’s some snack inspo for you:

1. Cheese parcels with dipping sauce.

Puff pastry makes everything better. So does cheese. If you’re trying to think of something a bit hearty and not to sweet, try making cheese parcels with dipping sauce. All you need is frozen puff pastry and your favourite cheese of the moment. You might prefer something like pieces of camembert or perhaps some creamy Laughing Cow cheese wedges.

Take the cheese wedges and wrap them in strips of defrosted puff pastry so that just part of the cheese is shown on either side. Bake for 15-12 minutes until golden brown and serve with sweet chilli sauce.

2. Chocolate dipped strawberries, with nuts.

It’s so nice to have a sweet treat but these days, everyone is trying to be healthier, myself included. That’s where chocolate dipped strawberries come in.

Wash and dry your strawberries and then dip them in high quality dark chocolate you have melted in a microwave safe bowl for 60 seconds and then a further 30 seconds. Before they start to dry, dip them in crushed natural nuts to make them even healthier and more special. Lay them on baking paper and leave for 15 minutes to set.

3. Sushi.

The thought of making sushi used to freak me out but I’m really getting the hang of it these days, and it’s such a healthy and filling afternoon snack.

You can buy a sushi rolling set from the supermarket, and when I’m making it for my mum friends I stick to the fancier fillings like smoked salmon and smooth Laughing Cow cheese or fresh vegetables.

4. Apple tea cake.

Whenever I have leftover apples I whip up an apple tea cake because I love the fact it tastes better warm. When your friends walk through the door they will smell the delicious butter, apple and cinnamon and shove the kids outside to play before getting ready for a very special treat.

Take your favourite butter cake recipe and add apple, then cinnamon. That’s all you do. Peel the apples and cook them down in a small amount of water with a squeeze of lemon juice. Sprinkle with cinnamon. When cooled, mix into the cake batter. Slice some very thin decorative slices of apple to decorate the top, and bake. Before serving you can rub the top with melted butter and add some cinnamon sugar.

5. Friands.

I bought friand pans about two years ago and never had the guts to use them. My local cafe has the best raspberry friands. Why mess up my friand relationship by attempting to make them myself, I thought?

Well, to answer my own question, because they are simple to make and freeze very well, so whenever you need an impressive snack, you can bring them out to much oohing and ahhing and munching.

6. Protein balls.

I am obsessed with protein balls. My favourite are cranberry ones, again introduced to me by my local cafe. All you need to do is blend together any ingredients you have on hand to make a special and healthy treat. At the moment I am blending cranberries in mine but any dried fruit will do. Have you ever tried making them with dried figs? Now that is special.

You can either make them as balls or flatten the bottom so they sit nicely on the plate. Try dipping them in dark chocolate and putting a whole nut on the top, to match whichever nut you have used in the recipe.

What are your favourite snacks?

Lets salivate more with these delicious snacks: