crafty for christmas 2008

Mad-Frog

Thanks everyone for all these good ideas, love the door hangers must try and get myself to hobby craft at some point.

This thread has given me so much inspiration to try and make some homemade gifts I just don't know which ones to try.

Thanks everyone :TI have an idea for storing gardening seeds if I can get it to work I shall let you all know

BigMummaF

Will you let us know when you're foodie thread is up & running please MrsTine?

I'm a bit of a novice with a lot of cooking stuff--guess because we never did stuff like it at home or school--& still experimenting with what things are good together.

I really should list what I want to do & what I've got in:o Hohum...so many ideas.....so little time:D

naturally_2

:rolleyes: Found out what I did wrong with the fudge - the recipe (cheers nestle!) didn't tell me to beat it!

Luckily the neighbours have got a taste for the fudge-toffee that I made, and they are clearing up the ruined lot, and I have got the ingredients to try again- just need the courage now!! :rotfl:

rainmac

naturally wrote: »

:rolleyes: Found out what I did wrong with the fudge - the recipe (cheers nestle!) didn't tell me to beat it!

Luckily the neighbours have got a taste for the fudge-toffee that I made, and they are clearing up the ruined lot, and I have got the ingredients to try again- just need the courage now!! :rotfl:

Go for it, I want to give fudge a go and intend having trial runs as I'm bound to make a hash of it

Thanks for the advice about beating it, I've got the nestle website saved and was intending on making theirs.

xredwebx

Help everyone, trying to have a frugal but fun xmas this year and hoping to make some gifts for friends and family...any ideas and recipes are welcome!

Was thinking a hamper for 2 couples I know, plus one for the in-laws...but what to put in them?!

Also wanted to a baked goods one for a few work friends and brother inlaw, so again any ideas and recipes would be really appreciated, i'm usually pretty good at this but this year I'm struggling!!!

thanks all xxx

C_J

In previous years I have made Christmas Cookies for work friends - I use Nigella Lawson's christmas cookie recipe (below), and use a star-shaped cookie cutter. When baked, I drizzle white icing over them and sprinkle on a few silver balls, then bag up three or four at a time into cellophane bags and tie with silver curling ribbon. Everyone always seems to like them

100g/3½oz unsalted butter, softened
100g/3½oz soft dark sugar
300g/10½oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
pinch of salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
1-2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 large free-range eggs, beaten
4 tbsp clear honey

Bake 20 minutes, medium heat.

xredwebx

great idea!! How many does the recipe make roughly?

I'm going to do jars of sweets for my hubby too!

C_J

It depends on how large you cut them out, but that quantity makes around 25 cookies.

oldMcDonald

MrsTine wrote: »

Ooooo so kinda like cherry chocs that you can buy? Ooooo I like! I might have to expand my liqueur (sp?) making and include other alcohols too! In Russia the traditional one they make is with cranberries & vodka - again not sure how well they'd do in chocs but maybe I could experiment!

Having experimented last year I can confirm that leftover boozey sloes mixed with chocolate is devine:D

Mine were not pretty, though. I put the sloes from the sloe gin into a plastic bag and then bashed them with a rolling pin to get the fruit seperated from the stone, mixed it up with some melted chocolate and plonked small amounts in petite four cases.

Could be prettied up a bit, but tasted very, very nice

C_J

Ooh! I have a demi-john filled with sloe gin which is ready to be decanted and bottled in time for this Christmas, so I know what I will be doing with the leftover sloes now! I bet they'd be fantastic in dark chocolate.