Make your own Christmas Prezzies!

Dizzyblonde

MurdyWurdy wrote: »

After reading a post here I went to Aldi and bought the Dijon mustard to use the jars. They cost 47c each, the jars are a nice shape, the kids are plain black and the labels came off really easily after soaking the jars in soapy water overnight. Great bargain!

You're giving kids as prezzies too?

MurdyWurdy

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

You're giving kids are prezzies too?

What a bad typo - giving black kids for Christmas!!!

Animord

Musicmental85 wrote: »

A poster posted last year about mint jars in tesco. Just a head up to those keeping costs low aldi have lots of cheap jars (above freezers). I got loads. Also the apple sauce labels fall off really easy, mustards not so much
There's writing on the apple sauce lids but I'm going to cover it with a sticker/material

Pics with prices attached.

I get all my jars from Alpack in Sandyford industrial estate. They are about half the price of the jars that you mention and though I think you have to buy them in boxes of 50 or so, you'd have them for next year too.

nc6000

I think I'll try these biscotti this year....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/biscotti_with_hot_mocha_60995

Michellenman

Have just made batches of baileys, Nutella and peanut butter fudge this morning. Thought I was doing so well getting ahead of myself with the jars in November but now I've left everything else to the last week!

whiteandlight

Getting there! Beet root relish, strawberry jam, lemon curd and apple sauce all done. Baileys fudge and Nutella fudge bagged and crunchie bagged.

On that note, the cinder crunchie stuff-mine is chewy in the end rather than crunchie-anyone know what went wrong?

I've fairy cakes, biscotti, lip balm and crackers left to make!

dee_mc

Musicmental85 wrote: »

Getting there! Beet root relish, strawberry jam, lemon curd and apple sauce all done. Baileys fudge and Nutella fudge bagged and crunchie bagged.

On that note, the cinder crunchie stuff-mine is chewy in the end rather than crunchie-anyone know what went wrong?

I've fairy cakes, biscotti, lip balm and crackers left to make!

Sugar mustn't have been hot enough when you added the bicarb. Still yummy though? Could coat it in chocolate to prevent it getting sticky, still perfectly good to eat!

DoozerT6

This Baileys/peanut butter/nutella fudge of which ye speak....tell me more!!

Are ye all using the same recipe?

fitzcoff

DoozerT6 wrote: »

This Baileys/peanut butter/nutella fudge of which ye speak....tell me more!!

Are ye all using the same recipe?

That's what I want to know too

Michellenman

Baileys fudge is the microwave one from here.

Nutella I got online, found here: http://kirbiecravings.com/2013/09/5-minute-microwave-nutella-fudge.html

Peanut butter I got online too, here; http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/peanutbutterfudge_93630

All very easy to make

Michellenman

Just tasted the peanut butter fudge, would not recommend. Maybe because of the dark brown sugar but it's very bitter tasting. Almost burnt tasting but not burnt... Might give it one more go but with golden castor sugar instead.

whiteandlight

Baileys is the microwave one, Nutella is a version of the microwave one. I experimented today after reading about Nutella fudge and realising there was a tub of it sitting in front of me when I was finishing the fudge! Tried adding some instead of baileys, consistency is different but tastes damn good

Michellenman

And I'm done 11 hampers made.

Contents were;

Mulling syrup
Lemon and lime smooth marmalade
3 fruit marmalade
Strawberry and apple jam
Grape jelly
Tomato chutney
Beet root relish
Chilli sauce
Baileys fudge
Chocolate and hazelnut fudge
White chocolate and pecan biscotti
Cranberry and almond biscotti
Vanilla cake pops
Chocolate cake pops
Cranberry sauce
Lemon curd
Chocolate mould lollipops for the kids.

Last year I tried the chilli jam recipe but it never set so I packaged it as sauce. Everyone raved about it, loved it! Decided to make it again this year, bought the bottles and all and I managed to make it jam, musphys fecking law, eh?!

All packaged up in one of these boxes from ikea. They're shallower than they look online. The ones I got were black too. I bought a gold paint marker and decorated I the outside of it and wrote the contents on the back, then covered it all in cellophane wrap. Woop, time to relax now!

Princess Peach

I made my chilli jam sauce last night :pac:

I'm nearly finished too,
Red onion marmalade
Lemon Curd
Mango Chutney
Chilli sauce
Mulled wine kits
One gift of a litre of turkish delight vodka
Cinnamon oat pancake mix
Hot chocolate mix
Sugar cookie mix
Honeycomb
Chocolate pistachio fudge

Have some little ornaments and candles to go in the baskets too.

Dunno if I'd do it again next year though, took way more time than I really had to spare!

dee_mc

Princess Peach and Michelleman, I'm PMing you both my address right now - I'm fine with not getting my hampers til after Christmas
Well done to you both, anyone would be delighted to get all those delicious goodies as gifts

Michellenman

Princess Peach wrote: »

I made my chilli jam sauce last night :pac:

I'm nearly finished too,
Red onion marmalade
Lemon Curd
Mango Chutney
Chilli sauce
Mulled wine kits
One gift of a litre of turkish delight vodka
Cinnamon oat pancake mix
Hot chocolate mix
Sugar cookie mix
Honeycomb
Chocolate pistachio fudge

Have some little ornaments and candles to go in the baskets too.

Dunno if I'd do it again next year though, took way more time than I really had to spare!

I wanted to make sauce and I made jam by accident, damn it! Wasn't even planning on making it originally but my boyfriends nephew loved it last year and he's a very picky eater so I couldn't refuse him

I have a problem, I'm looking at the mango chutney you made and wondering how how quickly I could get it done and in to the hampers. I need to know my limits!!

I did most of mine in two days. But those days were literally 9am til 11pm. And I was absolutely knackered the next day. The worst part for me was all the labelling, decorating and packaging and wrapping etc. have just wrapped up three so far' as they're heading down the Clare with my boyfriend for his family this weekend. Still have the package up there rest, dreading it

Faith

Wow, Michellenman, that must have cost you a fortune in both money and time!

I took the easy route this year and just made cakes for people.

MurdyWurdy

I feel bad about doing such small hampers now!

I did

Sweet chilli and cherry tomato jam
Blackberry and apple jam
Red onion marmalade
Lemon curd
A decorated christmas cake
Bottle of sherry

Plus some small things like mini hand cream and things

Michellenman

Faith wrote: »

Wow, Michellenman, that must have cost you a fortune in both money and time!

I took the easy route this year and just made cakes for people.

Expense wasn't really that bad. When you're making it in as big amounts as I did then it costs very little more to make 10 jars than six. Also I was clever in my use of ingredients. I used the juice of my oranges in one recipe, the rind in another and then the flesh in the mulling syrup. That's why a lot of the recipes have some of the same key ingredients ( like cranberry sin everything ) in terms of time I just took two full days to do it. Now in fairness, on those two days I didn't do anything else at all. I'd say it took me, in total, a full three days to do everything from start to finish. Something's that were quick I would just do when I got in from work at 10pm, the fudges were quick, the curd takes no time, cranberry sauce was a ten minute job etc. would make them in triple batches and I could have ten jars filled in the space of an hour before bed I really enjoyed it this year, feel like I was a lot more prepared than last year!

PigeonPie

'Hampering' has been a lot more work than I thought. So far I've given out 5, about another 5 to go. Forgot to take photos of them to post here. In them I put chilli sauce (like everyone else jam wouldn't set!), mincemeat, mango & apple chutney (didn't turn out as nice as last time), lemon & lime curd, choc truffles and choc covered honeycomb. I made a gluten free Christmas cake and cut it into 4 mini cakes and iced them separately and they went into the gluten free peoples hampers. Don't think I'll go to the bother making more truffles. Think I'll buy them in lidl.

Pistachios & cream

Yup my hampering this year is less then previous years,
I just didn't have the time I had other years to label to the a same standard. I also found that I was a bit of a victim of my own success as my family were getting stuff off me to give to others.

But for me half the enjoyment comes from making these! I always find I mark something new. Just the other day by making a mistake with a recipe for peanut brittle I ended up creating a peanut brittle recipe I prefer!

MurdyWurdy

Where's the best place to get cellophane stuff? I only just realised I need some and I don't really have time for shopping. I'll be in Dundrum for an hour or two on Monday morning. Is anywhere there likely to have it?

whiteandlight

I'm done and have presented the parents one which they loved! I did:

Lemon curd
Strawberry jam
Beet root chutney
Cranberry sauce
Apple sauce

Cranberry and nut biscotti
Crackers for cheese (salt, black pepper and seseme versions)
Oatmeal biscuits for cheese
Fudge in three flavours:plain, Nutella and baileys
Honeycomb
Cranberry and nut bark
Honey lip balm

All items in my parents, variety in everyone else's depending on quantity.

I had fun, thanks to boards and you guys for this amazingly inspiring thread!

oscarBravo

MurdyWurdy wrote: »

Where's the best place to get cellophane stuff? I only just realised I need some and I don't really have time for shopping. I'll be in Dundrum for an hour or two on Monday morning. Is anywhere there likely to have it?

We got some in a flower shop yesterday. Her Indoors explained what we needed it for, and they gave her a few metres for a couple of euros.

ElleEm

Any art and craft shop should have cellophane.

Toto Wolfcastle

I'm very impressed with all the effort you've all gone to! The hampers sound amazing. I only made fudge. Sadly not all of it would fit in the box so I selflessly stored it in my belly.

curly from cork

8 mini hampers containing choc truffles, sable biscuits, pickled cucumber , chilli jam ,marinated feta, red pepper relish . Fudge disastrous so abandoned it ... Thanks for all the tips . Happy Christmas all. image.jpg

dee_mc

curly from cork wrote: »

8 mini hampers containing choc truffles, sable biscuits, pickled cucumber , chilli jam ,marinated feta, red pepper relish . Fudge disastrous so abandoned it ... Thanks for all the tips . Happy Christmas all. image.jpg

Gorgeous. Also, I love your kitchen!

jam_mac_jam

MurdyWurdy wrote: »

Where's the best place to get cellophane stuff? I only just realised I need some and I don't really have time for shopping. I'll be in Dundrum for an hour or two on Monday morning. Is anywhere there likely to have it?

Sorry, I don't know dundrum but if you are in town both Tiger and Reads have it.

RosyLily

I've done cranberry and orange biscotti, lemon curd, apple and cranberry chutney, gingerbread cake, mince pies and chocolate cupcakes. I'm knacked!!:p

Had the curd on the lowest flame of the smallest ring and it still begins to scramble!!:( Thankfully, I only lost about 1/4 of a jar.