Make your own Christmas Prezzies!

WesternNight

Ended up making chocolate biscuit cakes for several people, they seem to have been well received

I also made chocolate truffles and cranberry sauce, but they're for us

Wurly

xxxkarenxxx wrote: »

No problem Here it is

Three Fruit Marmalade
Ingredients:
1 grapefuit, washed
1 Orange, washed
2 lemons, washed
1.35(3lb) granulated sugar

Half the fruit and squeeze to extract the juice, strain this into a large saucepan, reserving the pips.

Scrape out any soft flesh from the shells and add to pan. Scoop out the membranes and some of the white pith and add to the pips. Put the pips and membranes and pith in muslin and tie with string to make a bag.

Thinly shred the fruit peel or finely chop in a food processor. Add to the pan with 3 pints of water and the muslin bag. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 1 and a half hours until the peel is really soft and the liquid has reduced by half.

squeeze as much juice from the muslin bag as possible then discard. Add the sugar and stir over a gentle heat until it has dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 15/20 mins until the setting point is reached.

Skim off any scum from the surface. Leave to stand for ten minutes then stir well to redistribute the peel evenly. Ladle into warm sterilized jars, seal and label and store in a cool dark place.

*I picked up a handy reusable muslin bag in kitchen compliments. It was great for this!

Hey xxxkarenxxx, can the marmalade be frozen? Thanks.

namurt

I hope everyone's presents went down well. My dad is trying to eat healthily so I put in a few healthy options. Ended up with yoghurt, muesli, fig compote, sugar plums, and then fudge as a treat. Also made a gingerbread house...just for fun.
Thanks Eviledna for posting the recipe for the gingerbread house all the way back on page 5. I had my doubts but it worked really well, both in looks and in taste, and was great fun to make.
Thanks also to whoever suggested the euro shop for jars. (Just realised that was you too Eviledna lol)
It's great to have so many helpful and enthusiastic people on this thread.
Best wishes until next year lol

xxxkarenxxx

Wurly wrote: »

Hey xxxkarenxxx, can the marmalade be frozen? Thanks.

Hi im not too sure about freezing. Although the recipe states that once opened, the marmalade can be stored in the fridge for up to 12 months. I hope this helps!

Popel

Here´s hoping this picture shows Eek, sorry that it´s so big, I can´t figure out how to make it normal sized.

So the jam-making bug has stuck, I´ve just finished making blood-orange marmalade just for fun.

As christmas presents I made quince jam, chilli jam, mandarin marmalade, three-citrus marmalade and pomegranate jam with cloves.

The pomegranate jam was my favourite, but it was also the most work extracting all the seeds and then getting the juice from three of them. The chilli jam turned out pretty hot, which means it lasts forever. The marmalades are all lovely, and I highly recommend the quince, I´d never tasted it before, but it has a lovely fruity, slightly pineappley interesting sweet flavour. Just don´t use jam sugar with it like I did, it has enough pectin in it and mine unfortunately came out with a very strange thick consistency from too much pectin.

I´m looking forward to continuing practising all year long and giving jam presents again next year. I also recieved a homemade marmalade and home made spiced oil as a present, so maybe the spiced oil is an idea for people too.

gonker

I made the pomegranate vodka. Minded it and shook it and my daughter took it out last night to have a drink and smashed it to pieces on the ground:mad:

BaBaBluesheep

Hi, happy new year everyone

thanks to everyone on this thread, I was inspired to make foodie presents this year too. I forgot to take pictures though as I was in a rush at the end. Most of the recipes were taken from this thread and the rest were googled. I made:

cherry & almond biscotti
coconut star biscuits
cookie dough truffles
nigellas choc fudge(won't be doing this again though nice)
chilli jam
Apple, date & chilli chutney
Beetroot chutney(with abit of orange juice added)
Delias apricot and almond preserve

and put them together with different combinations of cheeses & bought oatcakes etc

looking forward to xmas 2012, or might just make them earlier:)
xx

livinsane

I am reviving this thread REALLY early but I've made my first christmas pudding this week so thought I'd throw up the photos to get others in the mood. It was simple and my plastic bowl just fitted in my spud steamer. I covered it with tin foil for the process.

Basket of ingredients (minus the cider)



Mixed ingredients:



After 8 hours steaming:

leahyl

livinsane wrote: »

I am reviving this thread REALLY early but I've made my first christmas pudding this week so thought I'd throw up the photos to get others in the mood.

LOVE it!!:D Can't believe this thread is coming up again - extra early this year:pac:

Coincidentally I was reading about lemon curd and the uses for it as loads of people on this thread were making it last year for gifts etc but I didn't really know what to use it for if I did make it so came across this blog about it:

http://mycustardpie.com/2011/11/09/a-jar-of-sunshine-home-made-lemon-curd/

fizzylizzy

I am reviving this thread REALLY early but I've made my first christmas pudding this week so thought I'd throw up the photos to get others in the mood. It was simple and my plastic bowl just fitted in my spud steamer. I covered it with tin foil for the process.

loving your christmas pudding! i know you have pictures of the ingredients you used up but is there any chance you could put up your recipe? i want to attempt making some this year and have no idea where to start thanks

livinsane

fizzylizzy wrote: »

loving your christmas pudding! i know you have pictures of the ingredients you used up but is there any chance you could put up your recipe? i want to attempt making some this year and have no idea where to start thanks

Will put up later - its really easy you'll be glad to know!

............

Traditional Christmas Pudding
Serves 12

125g self raising flour
175g fresh white breadcrumbs
175g currants
175g sultanas
125g pitted dates chopped
250g pitted raisins
175g shredded suet
50g cut mixed peel
50g blanched almonds chopped
1 apple peeled, cored and grated
Grated rind and juice of 1 orange
1/2 teaspoon of ground mixed spice
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
4 tablespoons cider or brown ale (I used cider and added a bit more)
250g soft dark brown sugar
3-4 tablespoons brandy to serve

Mix all ingredients

Grease pudding bowl (I used plastic mixing bowl covered with tin foil) - fills 3 litre size

Steam for 6-8 hours

Allow to cool.

Wrap in fresh greaseproof paper and foil.

Can be stored for up to six months

I had a sneaky taste and it was delicious.

When you are serving it, boil for another 3-4 hours. Warm brandy, pour over and set alight for some pizzazz!

Tabitharose

So I spent the other night reading the whole thread (did last year too but did nothing) and last night I tried to make microwave fudge, using a slightly different recipe, and while it looks like and tastes like fudge it was impossible to cut correctly , anyone any idea where I went wrong?

ladypip

Did you leave it to cool down long enough? Use a sharp knife? Follow the recipe to the letter?. If you did then maybe its a bad recipe. you could try the one on here and see how you get on.

Tabitharose

hmmm no to the sharp knife, and it was still warm when I tried to cut it.... this was the recipe:
Tin of Condensed milk (around 400g?)
125g Butter
500g Castor Sugar
put all in very large bowl (as it rises in bowl when it boils)
cook on high for only 9-10 mins (mine is 850w)
stir every 3 mins
be very carefull it doesnt boil over
after 10 minutes take out and add 5ml vanilla essence
add any other flavours, or things like raisins, whisky, what ever you like
eat when cool............

- which I got here:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=1951773

Thanks for your reply, I'll try the one on here next time (& a sharp knife with fully cooled fudge)

Tabitharose

made the chilli jam, was very surprised that it wasn't too difficult to make:

ladypip

Where did you get those stickers? they are really nice. Also I read the replys on the moneysavingexpert.com site about the fudge and a few people said it was crumbly so I think its a bad recipe.

Tabitharose

Thanks ladypip, they're kilner jar labels, got them in Heatons, reduced:

http://www.heatonsstores.com/Product/Fruit-Bloosom-Labels-Pack-Of-24/271375/5010000000

They're only a euro (love a bargain)

rozmiss

Just want to say thanks a million to the previous posters. I'm trying to make christmas presents this year and i have started all my trials. I tried the first recipe chilli jam and it was amazing. We've already ate a whole jar. We got our chillis in Aldi for 2e and the peppers (yellow not red - i didn't really care for trial purposes!) 50c each in tesco!

Unfortunately it did not set very well any ideas what i did wrong?

shinikins

It's not really a jam in the traditional sense-it's fairly runny, more like a thick sauce than a set jam. If you prefer a thicker set, then maybe add a little more jam sugar, and simmer it for longer. It's delicious either way!!

rozmiss

Thanks Shinikins. At least i did not do it wrong!:)

Off to buy a thermometer.... i'm trying to make yellow man (honeycomb) and i am just not getting the hard crack stage. Was about to give up when i saw a post here about not guessing and using a thermometer.

mackes

Nigella's honeycomb recipe is fool proof and you don't need a thermometer - I make it with kids every year and it's really simple. This amount makes very little but it will give you an idea of how to make it for a trial run and then you can increase the amounts but remember that the thicker the layer you put out to dry, the less brittle your honeycomb will be so have your foil/parchment ready to go and have lots of it!

Ingredients

Switch to Imperial

• 100 Grams Caster sugar
• 4 Tablespoon Golden syrup
• 2 Teaspoon Bicarbonate of soda

As featured in
NIGELLA EXPRESS


Method

1. Put the sugar and syrup into a saucepan and stir together to mix. You mustn't stir once the pan's on the heat, though.
2. Place the pan on the heat and let the mixture first melt, then turn to goo and then to a bubbling mass the colour of maple syrup - this will take 3 minutes or so.
3. Off the heat, whisk in the bicarbonate of soda and watch the syrup turn into a whooshing cloud of aerated pale gold. Turn this immediately onto a piece of reusable baking parchment or greased foil.
4. Leave until set and then bash at it, so that it splinters into many glinting pieces.

mackes

Just to let you all know that Homestore and More are doing 3 for 2 on some Kilner jars. Handy for those of us making edible presents...

muckety

Does anyone know of any current offers on perserving jars? Or a good website... the Homestore offer is over! Thanks

ballymac676

Hi I live in Mayo and a store in Ballina - Wispy's is selling 4 kilner jars for €4.99. I had bought six elsewhere and paid €2.25 each

Faith

I'm thinking of doing homemade mulled wine as a gift this year. I assume it wouldn't keep terribly well though? Should I just do mulled wine kits instead?

Ophiopogon

Faith wrote: »

I'm thinking of doing homemade mulled wine as a gift this year. I assume it wouldn't keep terribly well though? Should I just do mulled wine kits instead?

I think bottled mulled wine is gak so I would do the spice mix instead. You can just wrap the spices in muslin.

Also, I can never afford the real jars so I just save nice looking jars through out the year and then cut out christmas fabric and tie with nice ribbons to the top. I've been stock piling all year so have a good stash now, just have to decide what I'm making now.

Tabitharose

don't want to drag the thread off topic, but Ophiopogon just reminded me of an article I read this morning, which is just Health & Safety gone mad IMO

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2213975/Tradition-selling-jam-used-jars-breaches-EU-health-safety-rules.html

biddywiddy

Faith wrote: »

I'm thinking of doing homemade mulled wine as a gift this year. I assume it wouldn't keep terribly well though? Should I just do mulled wine kits instead?

I gave this recipe for mulled wine syrup (just add wine!) a try last year.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/851643/mulling-syrup

The resulting mulled wine was YUM, but the syrup itself looked a bit murky and crap, and not the most appetizing gift. I guess it was the colour, as I don't think there was anything floating in it after we sieved it. Maybe I simmered it for too long though.

Faith

senelra wrote: »

I gave this recipe for mulled wine syrup (just add wine!) a try last year.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/851643/mulling-syrup

The resulting mulled wine was YUM, but the syrup itself looked a bit murky and crap, and not the most appetizing gift. I guess it was the colour, as I don't think there was anything floating in it after we sieved it. Maybe I simmered it for too long though.

Oh that's a great idea!

Blingy

Found this website. Some great ideas!
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/recipes/christmas/christmas-gifts/