Christmas comes but once a year, so that means the Late Late Toy Show comes once a year. But there is always the Sunday afternoon repeat for people who can’t get enough of it. And that includes our house. We love the Late Late Toy Show in our house.

A quick and easy treat is a movie night popcorn bar. Simply make a huge batch of popcorn and set out some sweet and savoury popcorn toppers so everyone is kept happy. Cook bags of microwavable popcorn and allow them five minutes to cool down. This will help prevent sticky melted chocolate fingers. Arrange all of the goodies on a coffee table, surrounded by small bowls of all your favourite sweets.

These American chicken wings are a classic. They are beautifully crispy on the outside and so juicy on the inside. They’re great to serve before a barbecue, or even watching a match on TV. Any excuse will do.

Crispy Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese Dip

Serves four to six

Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

1.4kg (3lb) chicken wings, at room temperature

75g (3oz) cornflour

1 tsp celery salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper

4 celery sticks, trimmed and cut into thin sticks

For the dip:

100g (4oz) blue cheese, crumbled

4 tbsp mayonnaise

4 tbsp sour cream

4 tbsp buttermilk

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp chopped fresh, flat-leaf parsley

For the sauce:

120ml (4fl oz) hot pepper sauce, such as Frank’s RedHot

1 tsp celery salt

1 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

50g (2oz) butter, melted

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

  • 1 To make the blue cheese dip, blend all the ingredients together, except the parsley, in a bowl with a hand-held blender, then stir in the parsley and season to taste. Cover with clingfilm and chill until needed. This can be made up to two days in advance.
  • 2 Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 190°C (375°F) and put the oven on a low heat. Using a sharp knife, discard the wing tip and keep the little drum and wingette together. Put the cornflour in a bowl with the celery salt, garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Mix well, then use to coat the chicken, shaking off any excess. Deep-fry in batches for 10-12 minutes, until crisp and golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack set on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you cook the rest.
  • 3 To make the sauce, mix the hot sauce with the celery salt, garlic powder and cayenne (if using), then stir in the melted butter and vinegar. Pour the sauce into a small pan and allow to just warm through.
  • 4 Once all the chicken wings are cooked, toss them in enough of the warmed sauce to coat, allowing any excess to drain off. Serve at once, piled high in a bowl with the blue cheese dip and the celery sticks alongside. Have plenty of napkins for those sticky fingers.
  • Popcorn Bar

    Smarties

    Maltesers

    Jelly beans

    Gummy bears

    Chocolate buttons

    Skittles

    M&Ms

    Whether you like to use a lidded pan or bowl in the microwave, all these ideas can be rustled up in minutes. Whether you’re craving some spicy kernels, or you’ve got a sweet tooth that needs satisfying – start popping.

  • 1 Gourmet chocolate and sea salt popcorn: Pop your kernels in olive oil. Melt plain chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids), then stir in some olive oil to taste. Drizzle over the popcorn and sprinkle with sea salt to serve.
  • 2 Curried popcorn: Start off the popcorn in oil and butter. While it’s still warm, pour over melted butter that has some crushed garlic, a pinch of chilli flakes and enough curry powder to taste. Season with salt and pepper before serving.
  • 3 Sweet and spicy popcorn: Cook the popcorn in oil and butter. While still warm, sprinkle over chilli powder and ground cinnamon to taste. Drizzle with honey or agave syrup and fold in to serve.
  • 4 Fennel and chilli popcorn: Use olive oil to pop the kernels. While still warm, add fennel seeds and dried chilli flakes to taste.
  • 5 Banoffee popcorn: Pop your kernels in oil and butter. Crush some banana chips, then stir them through the popcorn with some dulce de leche or caramel from a can.