I don't know about you but I do love a good bonfire party come November 5. What could be nicer than lots of roaring flames, thrilling fireworks and the chance to get together and ward off the winter darkness?

Yes, burning an effigy of a man is somewhat rough justice on poor old Guy Fawkes. But I'm convinced the collective urge to light up a dark night with fire at the time of the winter equinox runs far older, and deeper, than the Gunpowder Plot. It simply feels like the right thing to do.

And a big part of the joy of Bonfire Night is, for me, the food. An outdoor gathering on a chill night calls for warming, spicy and exciting nibbles. But there is, of course, the added technical challenge of creating food your guests can eat while wearing woolly gloves, craning your head skywards and shouting "Whee!".

To this end, I've enlisted dad-of-two Beatus Elsholtz, executive chef at top Exeter catering company Antonia's Kitchen, to dream up some crowd-friendly party recipes.

Beatus (Swiss-born, Northern Ireland raised) now lives in Buckfastleigh and regularly caters for all sorts of events, from dinner parties to weddings. So there's literally nothing about party food that phases him.

Add in the fact that he loves to cook with his children Sophia, seven, and Declan, ten, and you'll agree that he is the ideal person to rustle up a November 5 family feast.

For fun, he makes cupcakes to a normal fairy cake recipe, then the children decorate them with red and yellow food colouring, silver balls and colourful sprinkles. "Mine look marvellous!" says Sophia, painstakingly dotting golden sparkles on her cakes, to stunning effect.

Other winners for kids are food on sticks that can be – carefully – cooked over the bonfire itself. Beatus suggests sausages wrapped in bacon, cooked through already in the oven for 20 minutes, then wrapped in bacon jackets to crisp up over the flames.

"You can also try a similar experience by making bread on sticks," he says. "Just bear in mind these recipes are for small, contained garden-style bonfires!"

The children also have a go at making Guy Fawkes biscuits – a regular gingerbread man, with a swaggering hat. "Poor old Guy Fawkes, not only burnt on the fire but bitten to pieces too," says Declan.

As the children enjoy baking their bread over open flames, then tuck into their beautiful home-made toffee apples, it is clear that our bonfire night cookery session has been a huge success.

And, if you'll excuse the pun, I rather think these recipes are guaranteed to help any firework party go with a bang.

Serves 12 hungry children

400g plain flour

2 tbsp natural sugar

1 tbsp sea salt

1 heaped tbsp baking powder

4 tbsp softened butter

180ml warm water

Mix together all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add water and stir. The dough should be too dry to come together into one lump. Cut in the butter and knead by hand just long enough to make it smooth and consistent.

Form into a log and wrap in clingfilm – it will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. At the fireside, prepare sticks, about 2cm in diameter, by shaving the bark clean with a penknife or similar.

Cut the dough into 12 pieces and roll into long pencil thin snakes about 30cm in length and then coil these around your sticks. Hold the sticks high over the fire, turning continuously until the coiled dough is baked golden brown. Cool and eat right off the stick!

Serves 8

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

2 tsp sea salt

2 birdseye chillies

1 tbsp cumin seeds

½ tbsp coriander seeds

2 winter squash, scrubbed, cut into wedges and deseeded

pesto, preferably home made

some lamb's leaf lettuce for serving

Set the oven to 200C (400F, gas mark 6). Bring a large pan of water to the boil with a good pinch of salt.

Put the butter and olive oil in a large bowl. Grind all the spices and salt together in a spice mill or with a pestle and mortar. Add the spices to the oil and butter.

Blanch the squash wedges for 1 minute only in the boiling water. Drain the squash thoroughly and then toss in the spice, butter and oil mix until the butter is melted and the squash is coated.

Lay the squash on a baking sheet or roasting tray. Place in the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until golden and soft. Arrange the squash on a platter with some lambs leaf lettuce and spoon over some pesto. Can be eaten whilst hot or at room temperature.

Serves 4

50g butter

450g parsnips, peeled, quartered and woody centres removed

2 shallots or 1 onion, finely chopped

750ml chicken or vegetable stock

125ml single cream

200g curly kale, washed and shredded

vegetable oil for frying

salt and pepper to season

Preheat the oven to 220°C 425F, gas mark 7). Heat a roasting pan on top of the stove. Melt 25g of the butter and, once it's bubbling, add the parsnips. Allow to reach a golden colour, turning them in the pan. The parsnips are now ready for roasting in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Towards the end of the roasting, melt the remaining 25g of butter in a saucepan. Add the chopped shallots or onion and cook, without colour, for a few minutes, until softened. Transfer the parsnips to the saucepan. Add the stock and bring to the simmer. The soup can now be gently simmered for 15 minutes.

Pour in the single cream, if using. Season with salt and pepper and liquidize to a smooth consistency. For a guaranteed smooth finish, push through a fine sieve. Dry the curly kale thoroughly between sheets of kitchen paper. Heat the oil in a frying pan, pan fry small handfuls of the curly kale until translucent and crispy.

Remove the crispy kale onto a tray lined with kitchen paper. Sprinkle salt onto the kale. Ladle the soup into bowls of choice and sprinkle with the kale, then serve and eat while hot.

Serves 9-10

9-10 firm eating apples

9-10 wooden skewers or sticks

450g granulated sugar

2 tbsp clear honey

150ml water

I find a sugar thermometer essential for making the toffee

Wipe the apples and remove the stalks. Put water, sugar and honey in a pan and stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved.

Bring to the boil and boil briskly without stirring to 130C (270F). Then reduce the heat slightly and continue simmering until the mixture reaches 155C (310 F).

While the toffee is boiling, push the apples on the sticks. Dip them into the toffee to coat them. Place them on a greased tin and allow to set.