g/c from pregnancy but what fab ideas! i'm going to bookmark too! last year i made different flavoured fudge for everyone (i have a really simple and yummy recipe - if anyone wants it let me know!) this year i'm due on the 2nd dec so i was planning on making jams and chutneys as i can do those way in advance. only problem is i've never made jam or chutney before! if anyone has a good chilli jam recipe it would be much appreciated! another idea i had was to make a few different cupcakes and put a variety in a box for people. i got nice gift boxes with lids from card shops near christmas time last year. xxx
oh yeah and another idea i'd love to try, though i'm not sure how difficult it would be to find the right sized jar is something that apparently is quite popular in america - find a really simple cookie or cupcake recipe and then layer up all the dry ingredients in a big jar and attach a label with instructions (such as "combine all ingredients in a bowl and then add an egg and some milk") would be lovely teamed with some pretty cupcake cases too. xxx
Glass Kilmer jars- i was looking for these to pit candles in outside of wedding venue last year- they seemed quite expensive online, then cMe across some in asda ??1 each, the night still have them..if not then ikea might? Xx
For anyone planning to make food items ahead of time, have you thought about flavoured olive oil? Incredibly easy (just put the oil in the bottle with the flavouring - chilli, garlic, lemon zest, rosemary - and leave to marinate) and can look really special if you get nice bottles. Or what about mince meat? Again, easier than jam and appropriate for Christmas.
Hi, g/c have got this thread bookmarked, my baby is due end of October so don't fancy trying to xmas shop with a 4-6 week old! Last year or the year before I made hampers for everyone, they all contained the same thing which made life a lot easier and kept costs down. I made shortbread (so easy to do!), iced cookies, chocolate truffles, peppermint creams, florentines and a couple of other bits. The only issue I found was that most of them had to be done at the last minute so they wouldn't be stale which stressed me out a fair bit but they went down really well so that made up for it.
I think i'm going to do a few different types of fudge this year as they last a bit longer than cookies and muffins! Cookiesandcream could you post your fudge recipe, i'd be really interested in trying it! Is it easy to add other ingredients to it i.e nuts, chocolate etc? Never made fudge before so it'll be interesting to see how it comes out!
Love this thread - I'm feeling festive and inspired! Just wanted to say - for those looking for Kilner jars, Wilkinson is selling them very cheap. ??2 for a large jar and ??1 for a small jar. I got some to make home-made pickled onions for family. HTH.
I make a Christmas pud for my parents, inlaws and bro/sis in law and wrap it in pretty paper and ribbons, and might make cakes this year too. I also make Nigella's Puddini bonbons - basically left over Xmas pud, chocolate and golden syrup shaped into bonbons, drizzles with White chocolate and decorated with red and green glac???? cherries like a holly sprig - they're amazing!!! OH makes jams, chutneys or pickled veg in mini kilner jars and we get them back each year. We buy personalised labels for the jars.
I live getting handmade stuff.
Ooh...also mix CDs...introduce people to new stuff!
[Modified by: Muffin Mammy on August 27, 2010 02:10 PM]
I have not made a christmas present since I hit double figures in 1998!!!!!! They're great ideas but sound time consuming! I'm not sure mine or OH family would go in for it as they expect 'proper' presents, but I'd love to be given any of the above gifts. In case anyone wants to send me one. The best thing is to buy presents from car boots and so on, my gran always wins loads of stuff at wist drives & the like (toiletries etc) and I tend to give these as presents to people I see less often. Also I'm criminally stingy at christmas and try to only buy for the major family etc xx
Hi, sorry i forgot about this thread and have just re-discovered it! not very helpful when i promised a fudge recipe - sorry! anyway here it is still in time for christmas! ingredients: 200g chocolate 1/2 397g can condensed milk 100g golden icing sugar (it works fine with white icing sugar if you can't find golden - it just tastes a bit nicer with golden!) 1tsp vanilla essence your choice of dried fruit or nuts (optional)
method: 1. melt the chocolate with the condensed milk over a pan of water
2. remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients
3. pour into a lined tin and leave to set in the fridge.
and thats it! its really really easy! i experimented with a few combinations last year and ended up doing dark chocolate and walnut, milk chocolate and baileys (i just added a slosh of baileys wit hthe chocolate and condensed milk - it made it softer but still very nice!) and white chocolate and apricot. pecan and cranberry would be quite a nice festie one too. oooh or coconut fudge with either chopped creamed coconut or dessicated coconut. this is making me want to make some now! lol
thanks for the good food muffin mix - that sounds great i'll definitely be giving it a go!
Oh wow cookiesandcream that sounds yum and a lot easier than the recipies I found! Was a bit nervous about finding the right sugar temperature etc! How long does it usually take to set?
i just made some myself! happened to have all the ingredients and it had made me want some thinking about it! oh well i can blame it on preg cravings! i've made white choc and coconut so i'll let you know how it turns out! xxx
Replies
another idea i had was to make a few different cupcakes and put a variety in a box for people. i got nice gift boxes with lids from card shops near christmas time last year.
xxx
xxx
g/c have got this thread bookmarked, my baby is due end of October so don't fancy trying to xmas shop with a 4-6 week old! Last year or the year before I made hampers for everyone, they all contained the same thing which made life a lot easier and kept costs down. I made shortbread (so easy to do!), iced cookies, chocolate truffles, peppermint creams, florentines and a couple of other bits. The only issue I found was that most of them had to be done at the last minute so they wouldn't be stale which stressed me out a fair bit but they went down really well so that made up for it.
I think i'm going to do a few different types of fudge this year as they last a bit longer than cookies and muffins! Cookiesandcream could you post your fudge recipe, i'd be really interested in trying it! Is it easy to add other ingredients to it i.e nuts, chocolate etc? Never made fudge before so it'll be interesting to see how it comes out!
http://www.candigifts.co.uk/items/product-range/wicker-baskets~trays/wicker-packing-trays/list.htm
Very cheap! They also sell cheap candles, bath bombs etc.
I love making gifts and much prefer receiving something someone has put time into making, rather than just getting something from a shop.
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2920/christmas-muffin-mix
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/68602/baileys-and-white-chocolate-fudge
HTH x
Love the muffin one x
Just wanted to say - for those looking for Kilner jars, Wilkinson is selling them very cheap. ??2 for a large jar and ??1 for a small jar. I got some to make home-made pickled onions for family. HTH.
I live getting handmade stuff.
Ooh...also mix CDs...introduce people to new stuff!
[Modified by: Muffin Mammy on August 27, 2010 02:10 PM]
ingredients:
200g chocolate
1/2 397g can condensed milk
100g golden icing sugar (it works fine with white icing sugar if you can't find golden - it just tastes a bit nicer with golden!)
1tsp vanilla essence
your choice of dried fruit or nuts (optional)
method:
1. melt the chocolate with the condensed milk over a pan of water
2. remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients
3. pour into a lined tin and leave to set in the fridge.
and thats it! its really really easy!
i experimented with a few combinations last year and ended up doing dark chocolate and walnut, milk chocolate and baileys (i just added a slosh of baileys wit hthe chocolate and condensed milk - it made it softer but still very nice!) and white chocolate and apricot.
pecan and cranberry would be quite a nice festie one too.
oooh or coconut fudge with either chopped creamed coconut or dessicated coconut.
this is making me want to make some now! lol
thanks for the good food muffin mix - that sounds great i'll definitely be giving it a go!
xxx
xxx
i've made white choc and coconut so i'll let you know how it turns out! xxx