Make your own Christmas Prezzies!

angeldelight

These all look lovely. I wish I could make these for pressies but I just don't have enough people to give presents to who are into food :-(

trackguy

I made lemon curd tonight. It was different to ones I've made before as it involved using whole eggs rather than just yolks but the it turned out great!

kerash

I hear a lot about Sloe gin at the moment - it's something unusual one could make as a gift, sloes are free in the hedgerows! have to pay for the gin or vodka tho :P http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/oct/10/nigel-slater-classic-sloe-gin-recipe
http://www.channel4.com/4food/on-tv/river-cottage/extras/sloes
^ Recipes from my 2 favourite chefs.

kiersm

This year I'll be making the Lemon Curd again, and Chili jam(I hadn't enough vinegar last year, and substituted with some Balsamic and the result was gorgeous!) I've been surfing around my favourite sites and have come across Peppermint Patties, Peanutbutter Cups(nom), and Sweet and salted Roast Chickpea's.

Was just looking at the Peanutbutter cups and can sumone tell me the conversion rate for cups to ounces/grams pls and what exactly is shortening. Thanks

xxxkarenxxx

I made a couple of jars of cookie mix today ...the look really well.



175g unsifted flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
90g soft brown sugar
90g caster sugar
175g chocolate chips

Layer all the dry ingredients into the jar starting with the flour. It makes a cool sand art effect.

Write the following instructions on paper and attach to jar:
Pre heat the oven to 190 degrees. Combine half teaspoon of vanilla extract, one egg and 110g butter in a bowl and mix until creamy. Gradually beat in the jarred cookie mix to form a dough. Cut into slices, place on a baking tray spaced apart and bake in the oven for 11 minutes.

Deki

I have a book of those gifts in a jar thing but they are all in US measures and temps so guess they wouldn't be of much use to anyone.

shinikins

kiersm wrote: »

Was just looking at the Peanutbutter cups and can sumone tell me the conversion rate for cups to ounces/grams pls and what exactly is shortening. Thanks

You can use an online converter for cups to ounces here. Shortening is basicaly vegetable fat, they use Crisco in the States, but something like Cookeen or Frytex is the closest here. I tend to use Cookeen as its easiest for me to get locally.

kiersm

Thanks for that cos I was going to try that recipe over the weekend so I'm looking forward to it

kerash

Deki wrote: »

I have a book of those gifts in a jar thing but they are all in US measures and temps so guess they wouldn't be of much use to anyone.

they might be, we can use a google to convert! Measures are probably in cups that's grand most people have cup measures.
Post up any nice ones!:)

xxxkarenxxx

I did Nigella's Chilli Jam today it smelt absolutly delicious when cooking! I am definitly keeping a jar for myself :pac:

Popel

I also made Nigella's chilli jam, yesterday, and today I made quince jam I have eight jars now (almost) ready to give as christmas presents, and am planning on trying out the lemon curd a bit closer to christmas.

I also have four pomegranates and am thinking about how to turn them into something jammy too. Maybe with cloves and mandarins? I'm not very sure yet.

Would love to upload photos of the quince and chilli jams, but I'm not sure how. I'll try to figure it out later or tomorrow.

xxPopel

Betsysquared

hi all,

I think I read that Nigellas chilli jam lasts for about 3 weeks?
is this correct or does it last longer, just trying to figure out when i have to make it
also thinking of making marshmallows and fudge, both Rachel Allen recipes, any tried them?

xxxkarenxxx

Popel wrote: »

I also have four pomegranates and am thinking about how to turn them into something jammy too. Maybe with cloves and mandarins? I'm not very sure yet.

Im planning on making Nigella's pomegranate vodka! That jam your thinking of making sounds like it would be yummy too!

xxxkarenxxx

Betsysquared wrote: »

hi all,

I think I read that Nigellas chilli jam lasts for about 3 weeks?
is this correct or does it last longer, just trying to figure out when i have to make it
also thinking of making marshmallows and fudge, both Rachel Allen recipes, any tried them?

Hi! once the jam is made it should be kept for at least a month before using to allow the flavours to develop. It keeps for a year as long as the jars have been sterilised properly and then once opened keep for a month in the fridge

hootietootie

Betsysquared wrote: »

hi all,

I think I read that Nigellas chilli jam lasts for about 3 weeks?
is this correct or does it last longer, just trying to figure out when i have to make it
also thinking of making marshmallows and fudge, both Rachel Allen recipes, any tried them?

I've made marshmallows before from Alton Brown's show-they are AMAZING!! We always give them as Christmas presents, but they only keep a couple of weeks, and are very messy. Will never eat shop mallows again!

neuro-praxis

Yesterday and today, my husband and I have made Nigella's Chilli jam and the Baileys microwave fudge from this thread. We also made cucumber pickle, spiced peaches and tomato relish.

We're delighted with the results, and will be making up some hampers (not Christmas ones) in the next couple of days, adding smoked salmon pate, cheeses, wines etc. Can't wait.

One question about the chilli jam - a lot of people have commented on it being runny. Mine is runny too. Does it stay runny, permanently, or will it become more jam-like at some stage? It's more like a sweet chilli sauce than a chilli jam.

This is a great thread - thanks everyone for your contributions.

ElleEm

neuro-praxis wrote: »

Yesterday and today, my husband and I have made Nigella's Chilli jam and the Baileys microwave fudge from this thread. We also made cucumber pickle, spiced peaches and tomato relish.

We're delighted with the results, and will be making up some hampers (not Christmas ones) in the next couple of days, adding smoked salmon pate, cheeses, wines etc. Can't wait.

One question about the chilli jam - a lot of people have commented on it being runny. Mine is runny too. Does it stay runny, permanently, or will it become more jam-like at some stage? It's more like a sweet chilli sauce than a chilli jam.

This is a great thread - thanks everyone for your contributions.

Did you use jam sugar? It's the pectin in that that solidifies the jam.
Also, you have to be sure not to stir the cider vinegar and sugar while it dissolves. I only stir it when it's been boiled with the chillis and pepper in it, just as I'm about to take it off the heat.

trackguy

I made mango chutney, from a Delia Smith recipe. I made it last year as well.



On the chilli jam issue, if you use the jam sugar it should be ok. I made it last year and my gf made it this year. It set fine both times.

neuro-praxis

ElleEm wrote: »

Did you use jam sugar? ...
Also, you have to be sure not to stir the cider vinegar and sugar while it dissolves. I only stir it when it's been boiled with the chillis and pepper in it, just as I'm about to take it off the heat.

Yes, I did use jam sugar.

And I confess - I stirred once! Will that cause me problems?

Also - did you make it, and it wasn't runny?

Deki

This is to be placed in layers in an ordinary wide mouthed quart sized canning jar. Pack each layer before adding next. Layer in order given.

2 cups quick oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup all - purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup instant dry milk
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Attach a gift tag with the cooking directions

Eviledna

neuro-praxis wrote: »

Yesterday and today, my husband and I have made Nigella's Chilli jam and the Baileys microwave fudge from this thread. We also made cucumber pickle, spiced peaches and tomato relish.

We're delighted with the results, and will be making up some hampers (not Christmas ones) in the next couple of days, adding smoked salmon pate, cheeses, wines etc. Can't wait.

One question about the chilli jam - a lot of people have commented on it being runny. Mine is runny too. Does it stay runny, permanently, or will it become more jam-like at some stage? It's more like a sweet chilli sauce than a chilli jam.

This is a great thread - thanks everyone for your contributions.

Hi neuro, yes it does stay a little runny, more of a soft set than a jam really, but nigella herself says thats how it's designed to be. There's a link earlier in this thread somewhere...argh can't find it
Absolutely loving all the contributions, thanks to everyone, it will be hard to choose what to make this year!

Edit: aha! Post #35, glad I'm not imagining things again! Nigella says it's a soft set...

Ophiopogon

Have to say my chilli jam set to the consistency of a jam, it was not runny at all.

Although, I did boil it till it passed the crinkle test. I liked it at a harder set as any runnier would just make me think it was chilli sauce,

biddywiddy

I hopped on the Christmas cooking bandwagon at the weekend. I made 3 Christmas cakes, which I will feed generously with rum over the next 6 weeks. I also made a batch of red onion marmalade (YUM) as a trial (though I wonder if whether they will actually last ok til Xmas?).

Next weekend: Christmas Puddings!

Oh and I think I'm going to try making homemade coffee liqueur and Nigella's pomegranate vodka this year too.

What a great thread!

anucksunamun

Senelra could you please post up your recipe for red onion marmalade when you have time? love love love it!

biddywiddy

My recipe is based on the BBC Good Food recipe, which I have modified.

Ingredients
2kg red onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
140g dark brown sugar
1 tbsp fresh thyme
pinch chilli flakes
750ml (1 bottle) red wine - I picked up a cheap bottle in Aldi for €3.99
200ml red wine vinegar
200ml port - from a bottle I had from Lidl/Aldi

Heat a good splash of rapeseed oil (or olive oil) in a heavy-bottomed pot on a medium heat. Add the sliced onions, garlic, sugar, thyme and chilli flakes. Give it a good stir, reduce the heat and allow to simmer, stirring every now and then, until all the juices from the onions have reduced. This could take an hour or more. At this stage, the onions will be very soft and the liquid will have reduced so much that the onions are almost starting to stick.

Add the wine, red wine vinegar and port and simmer again until well reduced. It's ready when drawing a spoon across the bottom of the pot leaves a path that is quickly filled with syrupy juice. Now, have a taste. If you find it's too sweet, add a bit more vinegar and reduce. Not sweet enough? Add a squeeze of honey.

Wash some glass jars, dry well and place in a 150C oven for 10-15 minutes. Throw the lids into a bowl and cover with boiling water. When the marmalade is ready, spoon carefully into the hot jars, covering straight away with a lid. As it cools, a vacuum is formed in the jar (so if you have lids with the "buttons" on top, the button will be drawn in).

I got 5 small jars from that batch, all roughly half lb size. So you should get 2 x 1 lb jars with maybe some over.

The biggest hassle with this is slicing all the onions (and all the induced weeping and sniffing). Also, I found the timings on the BBC site were way out - the whole thing takes about 3 hours for me. I leave out the butter in the original recipe as I find that as the marmalade cools, the butter hardens and can be seen through the jar = not very appetising! I also reduced the amount of vinegar as I don't like a sharp taste off the marmalade. It's delicious though, and well worth the effort!

Merrilady

Hey everyone,

Am trying to source the jars, have some .5 litre ones but am lookingnfor smaller ones again for cranberry sauce.
Maybe .25/.35 .. Heatons have them, but at €2.50 they are a little expensive (I need about 15/20 jars )
Am going to head over to Ikea at the weekend to see if I can get smaller ones and small bottles for my chilli oils.

Anyone got anywhere else I could try.

Keep cooking

nice1franko

ikea's your man. they've bottles and jars of all sizes and cheaper than anywhere else I've seen

Merrilady

Nice 1 Frankie

Am heading up there Monday morning first thing

jinxremoving

if you are about the city centre, there is a shop on abbey street next to the side door of m&s. they sell a nice range of minis + mid sizes and prices are about 2euro a pop. v happy with mine! also 2euro shop near kildare street has medium sized ones for a euro

niamh86

Hey all

Great thread. I usually don't make my Christmassy things until Christmas week planning on starting them this weekend. Just wondering where you store them? Going to make red onion marmalade & a few different relishes & sauces. Fridge or just in a press?

Thanks.