Homemade Festive Gifts

 

The countdown to Christmas is finally upon us, it’s official, with the new festive Coca Cola advert now featuring on our TV screens, this can only mean one thing - ‘the holidays are coming’, and I, like many others, get extremely excited when this moment arrives. Having reluctantly accepted that science and common sense prevent Santa from coming down that chimney, I have since found an outlet for my enthusiasm elsewhere. With several advent calendars dotted around the house, the spiced scent of mulled wine and mince pies wafting from the kitchen and bottles of brandy lined up to feed the freshly baked Christmas cakes; this is when my love affair with Christmas cooking truly began.

In my opinion, there is no better time to be sharing your culinary skills with your loved ones. After all, Christmas is a time for giving and receiving gifts, and I, like most of you I’m sure, love opening presents on Christmas morning. Whether it be stockings neatly placed at the end of the bed or the blind-folded parade into the living room to be greeted by a dazzling tree in all its glory and glistening parcels.

For me however, there is nothing better than being presented with a homemade gift, especially if it’s edible. Every year, I put together festive hampers for family and friends, packed with various homemade jams, chutneys, pickles, sloe gin, mulled wine, truffles and baked goodies. It’s incredibly easy, great fun to create, something the children can muck in with and the smile on the lucky receiver’s face makes it all worthwhile.

Therefore, I encourage you to take to your kitchens and have a bit of fun - pour yourself a glass of mulled wine, (warm spiced apple juice for the children), get those Christmas tunes blaring and the apron on as here I have for you a few of my favourite festive gift ideas – Merry Christmas!

 

Santa’s Cookies – Dark Chocolate, Orange

and Cinnamon

Makes 22

Ingredients:

200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

120g brown muscovado sugar

160g caster sugar

225g butter

2 large eggs

2tbsp orange peel

1tsp vanilla essence

2tsp cinnamon

525g plain flour

1½tsp bicarbonate of soda

½tsp salt

 

Method:

• Preheat the oven 180’C
• In a bowl, cream the butter and both sugars until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
• Beat the eggs and add to the mixture along with the orange peel and vanilla essence.
• Combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon and gradually stir into the mixture.
• Mix in the chocolate, wrap the cookie dough in cling film and place in the fridge for 2 hours until its firm enough to handle.
• Put the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and roll out ½ inch thick and cut out each cookie using a 3 inch cutter.
• Place the cookies spaced out on a sheet of greaseproof paper and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
• Remove and place on a cooling rack to cool.

 

Snowy Rocky Roads

Makes 20

Ingredients:

500g white chocolate, roughly chopped

50g pistachio nuts, shells removed

50g dried cranberries

50g ginger biscuits, roughly chopped

50g pink marshmallows, roughly chopped

1tsp cinnamon

Method:

• Line a rectangular tin (roughly 10inches by 8inches) with greaseproof paper
• Put the chocolate into a bowl with a tablespoon of water and place the bowl over a saucepan of boiling water, stirring until the chocolate has melted
• Stir in the pistachios, marshmallows, cranberries, biscuits and cinnamon.
• Spread the mixture evenly into the tin, an inch thick (optional décor - add silver balls) and place in the fridge/freezer for 2 hours until firm.
• Chop into squares, 2ins by 2ins and dust with icing sugar.

Sloe Gin Truffles

Makes 25

Ingredients:

25g unsalted butter

75ml double cream

225g good quality Belgium chocolate

75g stoned sloes, roughly chopped, softened using a pestle and mortar (dried cranberries or raisons are a good alternative

2tbsp sloe gin

 

To finish/for decoration:

 

100g good quality dark chocolate

Chopped roasted hazelnuts

Edible glitter

Christmas sprinkles

 

Method:

• Line a Swiss roll tin with baking parchment paper
• In a saucepan, add butter, cream and slowing bring to the boil, stirring constantly, keeping on the heat for one minute before removing
• Break the chocolate into small pieces and add to the cream, mixing until melted
• Mix in sloes and sloe gin
• Pour mixture into tin and chill in the fridge for 2 hours
• NB – very important that you thoroughly lick the bowl clean, mixture should always be tested!
• Cut truffle mixture into pieces, roll into balls, then place back in the fridge for 30 minutes
• Finish by melting chocolate, dip balls into chocolate, allowing excess to drip off, and then roll in hazelnuts/edible glitter/Christmas sprinkles.
• Place in paper cases and back in the fridge to set

 

Peppermint Creams

Makes 30

Ingredients:

350g icing sugar

1 large egg white

½tsp peppermint extract

Method:

• Whisk the egg white and peppermint extract until fluffy but not stiff
• Gradually add the icing sugar, whisking until mixture it stiffens
• Sprinkle icing sugar onto a board and roll the mixture out ½cm thick
• Cut out shapes and place them on baking paper and place in the fridge overnight firm up
• Extra inspiration: half dip each shape into some melted dark chocolate and leave to harden for at least 2 hours