Christmas Hampers 2014

Calcat

lulu_92 wrote: »

I had a big baking day yesterday and made loads of fudge. I made Vanilla (which turned out AMAZING), whisky (which I will have to melt again to make the pieces thicker) and chocolate (which came out too thin once set so I dusted with cocoa and made truffles!)

Poundworld are selling lovely rectangular tins with a hinged lid so loads of the fudge will go in there and be given to people.

I'm also making Jamie Oliver's EPIC Hot Chocolate (recipe on Stop the Cavalry Thread). All of the dry ingredients will be going into a jar and will be gifted alongside a big mug (Poundworld again), a bar of chocolate (big bar, I'm nice that way) and 2 or 3 MASSIVE marshmallows that are being sold in the American food sections of supermarkets.

Made my sister a small bottle of Skittle Vodka, and I'm going to use the rest of my whisky to make an infused beverage.

Sainsburys are selling Belvoir Mulled Winter Punch for £2.50 per bottle. I tried some at a Xmas event at a garden centre last week and it's lush (but almost twice as expensive) so I stocked up on Saturday

Which fudge recipes do you use ? I am always scared to make fudge early as I am not sure how long it keeps for. I usually make it for our school Christmas Fair and I only make it 2 days before. The same with truffles, I usually make the ones with cream in them and I make them on the 23rd to give on the 24th. Recipes that can me made further in advance would make my life a lot easier Thanks.

Were the hinged lid tins you got red with white spots and Reindeer on the lids ? I got some of those in what was Discount NI I now called Bargain World I think or something like that. I liked them as they are a good size.

lulu_92

Calcat wrote: »

Which fudge recipes do you use ? I am always scared to make fudge early as I am not sure how long it keeps for. I usually make it for our school Christmas Fair and I only make it 2 days before. The same with truffles, I usually make the ones with cream in them and I make them on the 23rd to give on the 24th. Recipes that can me made further in advance would make my life a lot easier Thanks.

Were the hinged lid tins you got red with white spots and Reindeer on the lids ? I got some of those in what was Discount NI I now called Bargain World I think or something like that. I liked them as they are a good size.

I can't remember the site, will link later when I get home.

I made the basic fudge recipe which was:
2 cups sugar
8tbsps unsalted butter
3/4 cup evaporated milk
(for chocolate add 4-6 tbsps cocoa powder)

Bring that to the boil and stir it constantly and eventually it will thicken up. leave it to cool and add your flavour of choice (I used 2 tsp vanilla in one batch and 4tbsps scotch whisky in the other) and stir it in. I used an electric handheld mixer with only one beater attached which did the trick. You'll know when it's done (I had never made it before and the vanilla is amazing)

Pour it onto greaseproof paper (i rested my paper on a roasting tray which gave me lovely thick chunks - I used a silicon cake tin for the whisky one and it didn't set right) and let it cool

If when it's cool it is a bit too soft you can melt it again and make it thicker.

Like I said I will link the proper recipe later.

Yes those were the tins! Lovely size and deceptively big!


Lucky with the fudge I know how to make it now so I can always make it the day before christmas eve if needs be

Calcat

Thanks Lulu 92 the one I usually make is with condensed milk rather than evaporated. I will have to try that one. I have never used Whiskey in fudge, only Rum and Bailey's. I was at a craft fair once and someone was selling the alcohol flavoured fudge in plastic shot glasses which I thought was a cute idea, I haven't tried it yet but it would be something that might look good in a hamper.


Those tins are great, I am using mine for Shortbread and Flakemeal Biscuits.

redbooties

Thanks for the suggestions for the coffee hamper. I think I'm might add some biscuits to bulk it out a bit too.

out_of_debt_at_last

Thanks for this thread, I have just ordered some popcorn, jelly beans and branded coke(rare treat) and a dvd for my 13 year old and a pick n mix, and will make a movie night hamper he will love this, will have a look for a plastic popcorn box! thanks again for the idea!

Peppapig

Thanks Hezza, will have a look at the links and might give it a go this year.

Hezzawithkids

Peppapig wrote: »

Thanks Hezza, will have a look at the links and might give it a go this year.

No problem! I'll post more pics of my hampers once they have the shrink wrapping on

mum2one

Calcat wrote: »

Thanks Lulu 92 the one I usually make is with condensed milk rather than evaporated. I will have to try that one. I have never used Whiskey in fudge, only Rum and Bailey's. I was at a craft fair once and someone was selling the alcohol flavoured fudge in plastic shot glasses which I thought was a cute idea, I haven't tried it yet but it would be something that might look good in a hamper.


Those tins are great, I am using mine for Shortbread and Flakemeal Biscuits.

can i be cheeky and ask for the recipie for the fudge, sounds amazing xx

mum2one

out_of_debt_at_last wrote: »

Thanks for this thread, I have just ordered some popcorn, jelly beans and branded coke(rare treat) and a dvd for my 13 year old and a pick n mix, and will make a movie night hamper he will love this, will have a look for a plastic popcorn box! thanks again for the idea!

this sounds so daft but never thought of making a movie hamper for DD (shes 12), she'd love it, know she loves Mrs Browns boys... and pop corn etc.

thank you xxx

lulubella89

redbooties wrote: »

I'm thinking of doing a coffee hamper for my neice who has just moved to uni and she seems to be spending alot of her student loan in coffee shops. I'm not a coffee drinker so I'm struggling for ideas. I've looked at the costa coffee thats in the supermarket and i think thats just to use in filter coffee machines, can anyone tell me if thats right and give me some suggestions please

This sounds like a really lovely hamper, I can't see why she wouldn't love it! I would buy her a small cafetiere if she doesnt already have one, you can pick them up from as little as £4 from some supermarkets - http://direct.asda.com/george/george-home/George-Home-Black-360ml-Cafetiere/001451920,default,pd.html?cgid=D24M04G01C07
With a lovely mug (or a travel mug, as someone already mentioned), a couple of bags of nice filter coffee, then an added treat like some chocolate covered coffee beans, some syrup or possibly even a mini bottle of baileys or rum, she'd have everything she needed to make her own great coffee