Easy Sweets for Christmas

Hi there,

Here's some easy sweets for Christmas, put them in some nice boxes with acid free tissue paper and they're a nice homemade gift and everyone likes sweets.

Ingredients:
White from one large egg or two small eggs
8 oz icing sugar (one cup of frosting if you live in the US)
Peppermint essence or peppermint oil

Method:
Beat the egg white in a bowl with a fork and sieve (sift) in 6 oz of icing sugar (frosting). Mix well with a wooden spoon and slowly sieve in more icing sugar, half a tablespoon at a time until you have made a stiff paste. Shake a little icing sugar on the work surface and empty the paste onto this. Add 3/4 drops of peppermint essence or oil and gently knead it together with your fingers until you have a smooth paste. Have a taste of a small piece and if the flavour is not strong enough, add a few more drops of the peppermint.

Rub icing sugar on a rolling pin and roll the paste to quarter of an inch (0.5cm) thick. Cut out individual peppermint creams with a cutter - a round one or any other shape you have handy. Cover a plate with non-stick parchment or greaseproof paper (vegetable parchment) and place the peppermint shapes on the paper. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave overnight in a cool place (but not the fridge). Store in small paper cases in an airtight tin

Vanilla Fudge
Ingredients
oil for greasing
300ml milk
350g caster sugar
100g butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
You will need:
18cm square cake tin, measuring jug, scales, measuring spoons, heavy-based saucepan, wooden spoon, sugar thermometer
Method
1. Grease an 18cm square cake tin.
2. Put the milk, sugar and butter in a heavy-based saucepan. Heat slowly, stirring all the time, until the sugar has dissolved and the butter melted.
3. Bring to the boil and boil for 15-20 minutes, stirring all the time.
4. When the mixture reaches the soft-ball stage (115°C on a sugar thermometer), remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Leave to cool for 5 minutes.
5. Beat the mixture with a spoon for a few minutes until it starts to thicken and the gloss disappears.
6. Pour into the prepared tin and leave to set at room temperature (do not put it in the fridge).
7. Once set, cut the fudge into small squares and store in a sealed container.

Liqueur Truffles
Ingredients
200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa content), broken into pieces
200ml liqueur of your choice
cocoa powder, to dusting
You will need:
Scales, measuring cup, bowl, 2 saucepans, wooden spoon
Method
1. In a bowl suspended over a pan of simmering water, slowly melt the chocolate until smooth and glossy.
2. Heat the liqueur in a saucepan until warm.
3. Pour the warm liqueur onto the melted chocolate and mix well until incorporated. Mix in the liqueur.
4. Place aside to cool and firm-up.
5. Once cooled take teaspoons of the mixture, dust with cocoa powder and roll into even-sized balls.
6. Place aside to set.

Classic Truffles
Ingredients
200g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa content), broken into pieces
200ml double cream
chilli powder, to taste (optional)
cocoa powder, for dusting
You will need:
Scales, measuring cup, bowl, 2 saucepans, wooden spoon
Method
1. In a bowl suspended over a pan of simmering water, slowly melt the chocolate until smooth and glossy.
2. Gently heat the cream in a saucepan until warm.
3. Pour the warm cream onto the melted chocolate and mix well until incorporated. Mix in the chilli powder.
4. Place aside to cool and firm up.
5. Once firm, take teaspoons of the mixture, dust with cocoa powder and roll into even-shaped balls, then leave to set.


Happy cooking (and tasting)

Hth :beer: :j