Home Made Food Gifts - merged

SugarSpun

I'm at work and will post all recipes once I get home this evening.

I have an actual measuring cup that I got from Ikea, so not much help there, sorry

Siren137

Thanks Sugarspun I look forward to seeing whats in the hot chocolate! Think I may have to pick up a cup measuring thing as well.

SugarSpun

Rosemary Pine Nut Shortbread

2 cups white whole-wheat flour (or unbleached all-purpose flour)
scant teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup (natural cane) sugar
zest of one lemon
2/3 cup pine nuts, toasted and loosely chopped
1 1/4 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Combine flour and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
In a separate large bowl or stand mixer cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and lemon zest and mix again, then add the flour mixture, nuts, and rosemary and mix until the dough goes just past the crumbly stage, and begins to really clump together (you don't want to over mix it, but under mixing will make the dough seem a bit dry, which can make it more difficult to handle). Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead the dough just once or twice to bring it together, then divide it into a ball and flatten into a disk 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper of a Silpat mat. Roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into whatever shapes you desire, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Sometimes I chill the dough in the freezer for another 10 minutes, it seems to help the cookies hold their shape - but you don't have to. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cookies are beginning to brown on the bottom. The baking time will vary depending on the size of the cookies, taking less time for smaller cookies.

Hot Pepper Fudge
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken in pieces
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper or other chile pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, in pieces
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, honey, chocolate,
salt, and milk. Place over medium-high heat, stir constantly, and
heat until the chocolate melts, about 3 minutes. Cover with a lid
and heat until the mixture comes to a full boil, about 1 more minute.
Uncover and cook until the mixture becomes shiny and thick,
about 4 minutes, stirring often. When the fudge is ready, it will
register 236F to 240F on a candy thermometer. (Or a small amount of
fudge dropped into a glass of cold water will form a soft, solid wad
on the bottom of the glass.) Remove from the heat and stir in the
chipotle pepper and cinnamon.
Place the butter on the fudge and set aside to cool. When the
fudge has become tepid, about 20 minutes, add the vanilla and
stir until the fudge starts to firm. While still pourable, scrape
into a loaf pan and even the top. Set aside until the fudge is firm.
Cut into 36 squares

Hobnob Recipe

Ingredients

8oz sr flour
8oz sugar
8oz porridge oats
8oz margarine
1tbsp golden syrup
1tbsp hot water
1/2 tsp bic soda

Instructions

Mix the flour, oats and sugar, melt marg, syrup and water in a pan. Stir in bic soda and add to dry mix.

Then mix well and make into smallish balls which you then put on a greased tray and flatten slightly with a fork. Put in the oven at 180 degrees C for 15 mins... and cool on the tray. The aim is to get them golden in the oven not brown.

Spiced Coffee

10 tablespoon ground coffee
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a jar.

Instructions for making: as normal instant coffee. Best with cream instead of milk but good with milk too!
Can (and should) be doubled/multiplied for gifts.

Spiced Hot Chocolate

Makes 6 cups

15 whole cardamom pods
12 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise pods
¾ teaspoon coriander seeds
¾ teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
In a separate bag:
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ teaspoon vanilla

Pour milk into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and add sugar to taste, all spices and red pepper flakes. Cook on low heat to a simmer and stir until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, cover and let mixture steep for approximately 20 minutes.
Add cocoa powder and vanilla and bring back to a simmer, whisking until blended. Strain through a sieve, leaving behind spices, and pour into mugs.
Can be doubled or multiplied as necessary.


I hope this keeps you all busy

princess_leia_3

I would love the Lebkuchen recipe please as its DHs fave and I would love the kids to make him some

I made some baileys truffles a few years back which were really nice, I will see if I can dig that recipe out

EDIT: Heres my original post with the recipes if you want to take a look

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=3300137&highlight=baileys+truffles#post3300137

SugarSpun

Lebkuchen are a pain in the posterior to make - and if you make the almond glace ice them at the last minute because they start to stain through the glace. But they're soooooooooo good.

Lebkuchen
4 eggs
255g ( 9 oz ) caster sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
1 tablespoon of dark rum (we use that foul Old Seadog stuff, hehehe)
140g ( 5 oz ) finely chopped orange and lemon peel
the grated rind of 1 lemon
200g ( 7 oz ) ground almonds
100g ( 3 1/2 oz ) ground hazelnuts
sheets of rice paper cut into circles ( 4 inch ) will do , if you cannot find the proper Oblaten rounds.
whole almonds
1. whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract together until thick and creamy
2. now add the rest of the ingredients and mix into a thick paste
3. if it is to runny, add more ground hazelnuts
4. spread a heaped teaspoon of mixture on top of the rice paper, higher in the center
5. decorate some with whole almonds
6. place on a non greased baking tray
7. bake at 125 C for 30 minutes
8. leave to cool, decorate with almond glace or chocolate glace
Chocolate glace:
200g ( 7 oz ) powder ( icing ) sugar, sifted
30 g cocoa, sifted
enough hot water to make thick runny mixture to brush on
Almond glace:
200 g ( 7 oz ) powder ( icing ) sugar, sifted
1 or 2 drops of almond extract
enough hot water to make a thick runny mixture to brush on

ETA: Thanks for the truffle recipes. I love adding chili to chocolate - it brings out such a depth of flavour, even if you can't taste the kick. Mmmmmmmmmmm

BigMummaF

I'm thinking that you could make a selection box up out of the various biscuit & cookie recipes lurking on the Grocery Challenge.

There's also an excellent connoction that tastes very much like a commercial brand of a chocolate covered coconut bar

BOUNTY BALLS MAKES APPROX 24

200g condensed milk
100g dessicated coconut
8oz [approx] icing sugar
8oz chocolate of your choice

1. Mix together the milk & co!!!! & add enough icing sugar to make a stiff dough.
2. Roll into small ball shapes [some people have found it easier to line a baking tray with cling film, add the mix & firm down] or roll out mix between two sheets of cling film & cut into shape.
3. Refridgerate--overnight is best.
4. Melt the chocolate & cover the coconut mix. Leave to set.


I'm thinking this might be nice served in those little petit four cases....

ambernora

I made the bounty balls last year and they were gorgeous. I originally done them for gifts but found them too nice to part with. Will definitely be doing them again

SugarSpun

Eeeep! I searched "Christmas recipes" and this didn't come up, so I started a new thread.

If I link the one I started to this one is that ok, or can we merge them?

It's here:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1126785

and I'm pretty well cleaned out of Christmas recipes at this stage, but am looking forward to December (am booking the 8th December to the 5th January off work, whoo hoo!) and a culinary frenzy!

Perhaps I'll be able to teach my mother some cooking while I'm at her place.

BigMummaF

Can I come to play later please, cuz I gutta go to the shops wiv my mummmee now

northernlass_2

Hi there,
there are some chutney recipes on this thread http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1133561
not sure if they are what you want tho.
your recipes sound yummy lOL