Make your own Christmas Hampers

phantom_zone · 5 November 2009 at 6:46PM

I thought i'd start a thread to keep my hamper progress in check and shout out some recipes some others might be able to use!

I'm making 10 hampers this year for close friends and family....so far so good and obviously some of it is MSE compliant...some however couldn't be avoided :-S

Each hamper is getting :

cranberry sauce
cranberry jelly
chili jam - done
apple cheese - done
snowman soup - done
bath salts - done
fudges
christmas pudding - done
mulled wine - done
bramble brandy - done
sloe gin - done
mulled pears - done - failed...too strong! Add less cloves next time...
2 types of jam - done
plum ketchup - abandoned - too much work
personalised retro sweet stocking - done
a medium hotel chocolat christmas selection - done
a yankee candle burner with tart and a couple of tea lights ( all from eBay...Christmas yankee tarts 80p ea. ) - done
christmas pot pourri - done
christmas crackers - done
napkins ( Christmas ones....bought in Tesco's ) - done

aside from the napkins and cracker shells, everything else is hand made so its a nice challenge!

I'll list each recipe below ( or a link if its already mentioned here! )

phantom_zone · 5 November 2009 at 6:50PM

Apple Cheese done!

Makes 12-13x227ml jars

2700g cooking apples
1700ml dry cider
1 cinamon stick
12 cloves
granulated sugar

Put the cider and cinnamon into a large noncorrosive saucepan and boil vigorously until reduced by a third.
Wash the apples and cut out any bruises. Roughly chop them – pips, skin, core and all – and tip into the cider.
Simmer for 1½ hours or until the apples turn to mush. Remove the cinnamon & cloves.
Push the apple pulp through a fine sieve and measure the resulting puree.
Allow 340g sugar for every 500ml pur!e. Place the puree and the sugar in a saucepan and stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Then cover your arms to protect against spitting and increase the heat. As soon as the mixture boils, stir continuously for 25 minutes, or until it is so thick it leaves a clean line when a spoon is drawn across the bottom of the pan.
Spoon the puree into the containers and cover with waxed paper, wax side down. Seal once cold and then store.

Tastes great.....works well with cheese and crusty bread!

kinkyjinks · 5 November 2009 at 6:55PM

phantom_zone wrote: »

Apple Cheese done!

Makes 12-13x250ml jars

2700g cooking apples
1700ml dry cider
1 cinamon stick
12 cloves
granulated sugar

Tastes great.....works well with cheese and crusty bread!

I've always wanted to make apple cheese but:eek:I couldn't bring myself to use so much of my cider:o...I may have to half the quantities or something;)

phantom_zone · 5 November 2009 at 6:57PM

Chili Jame done!

Makes 6x250ml jars

150g long red chilis
150g red peppers
1kg jam sugar
600ml jam sugar

Dead easy!

Steralise jars
put chili and peppers in food processor and blitz
dissolve sugar in vinegar in appropriate pan over a low heat ( dont stir! )
scrape chili/pepper mix into pan ( dont stir! )
rolling boil for 10 mins
take off heat and allow to cool...i find this is pan dependant but can take up to an hour
when jelly like, divide into jars
stir now if you like...if its not cool enough the flakes of chili/pepper will rise so make sure its well dispersed!

seal and label....should last at least a year

tastes like sweet and sour sweet chili dip....its really good and stupidly easy!

phantom_zone · 5 November 2009 at 7:04PM

Mulled Pears done!

makes 2x1litre jars

125g granulated sugar
500ml cider
1 1/2kg small pears
cloves
cinnamon sticks

steralise jars
put the sugar in a pan with 500ml water and heat until dissolved,
meanwhile, peal the pears and keep in slightly salted water so they dont brown
when the water has boiled, take off heat and add the cider ( add another 100ml if you like to ensure jars filled well! )
if pears are small enough, then you dont need to cut them ( the kids ones from tescos are great for this! ), elsewise cut in half
stud with a clove or 2
put in jars head to toe along with a cinnamon stick
fill to top with cider/water/sugar liquid
put lids on jars but dont clip tight and cook in a 150 degrees c oven for 80 mins ( whole ) or 70 mins ( halved )
close jars and leave overnight to sit...

next day test seal...if some aren't airtight, open, check seal and put back in over for 70 minutes and repeat....be patient!

great as a desert or with pate or cheese!

phantom_zone · 5 November 2009 at 7:05PM

Christmas Puddings done!

I stroked this recipe from the JO site....great and very easy to do....i doubled and made 11 pint size puds using Lakeland tubs!

http://www.jamieoliver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=27618&p=3

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/lidded-pudding-basins/F/productimage/3493_3496_3497?returnURL=/lidded-pudding-basins/F/keyword/pudding/product/3493_3496_3497

takes about 2 hours start to finish but really worth it...even ate one last night as a tester lol

phantom_zone · 5 November 2009 at 7:43PM

Mulled wine done!

a bottle of cabernet sauvignon ( Tesco are doing good half price deals at the minute )
muslin ( get it from eBay....plenty of 'beer' muslin which you can use to fill with :
4 inch cinnamon stick
30 cloves
20 allspice berries
2 cardamon pods
1 tsp mixed peel

seal above in muslin with string or thread,

fancy up bottle and tie muslin bundle to bottle ( seal muslin in bag first to avoid any loss of flavour! )

method : add bottle and muslin bag to pan along with 3 tbsp sugar and (optional) sliced orange,
simmer for 15 mins,
enjoy

phantom_zone · 5 November 2009 at 7:44PM

kinkyjinks wrote: »

I've always wanted to make apple cheese but:eek:I couldn't bring myself to use so much of my cider:o...I may have to half the quantities or something;)

i know what you mean, but being *your* cider its shouldnt be as painful