Just like most people, I used to spend a small fortune and many hours buying Christmas presents for friends and family. A few years ago I decided that I’d had enough – it wasnβt just about the money but I found most presents impersonal, unimaginative and repetitive. If I wanted to get something truly individual, it cost even more and I had to spend a lot of my time thinking about, then trying to find, the right present for every single person. Well as you get older, particularly when you have kids –Β you no longer have the luxury of the time to google and shop for ages. Also, most of my friends and family members had everything they needed.
So what could you get people who donβt really need anything? Food! Lovely homemade Christmassy food! I know you can get luxury chocolates, cookies, mince pies and so on from most stores and posh delis – but they are not unique, they are not lovingly homemade by someone you know. So a few years ago I started to make
Chutney, jam, pickle and other preservesΒ
Mince pies
Even with the best ones you can buy at delis donβt compare with homemade mince pies. To my surprise they were actually quite easy to make. Even the pastry. But you don’t have to make your own pastry, the topΒ quality ready-made ones from the supermarket are perfectly good. The real secret of a good mince pie is in the
And here are the links to my favorite mince pie recipes – I actually prefer the puff pastry versions, which are super easy to bake and are perfect withmulled wine!
- Easy mince pies
- Super easy mince pies
- Orange mince pies
- Gluten-free mince pies
- Puff pastry mince pies
- MincemeatΒ swirls
- Mince pie twists
Home-made Christmas cookies
Christmas cookies always go down really well as gifts. Theyβre tasty, decorative and smell divine. Β They are the ideal gift for teachers, neighbours and colleagues. You can make lots of them in a batch –Β and you can involve the kids too! Here are links to my tried-and-tested and best loved Christmas Cookie recipes:
- Honey and cinnamon Christmas cookies
- Coconut star cookies
- Chocolate Christmas tree cookies
- Ginger and orange cookies
- Lemon Christmas cookies
- Vanilla Christmas cookies
- AlmondΒ Christmas cookies
- Christmas biscuit salami
- Easy gingerbread biscuits
- Coconut macaroons
- Shortbread stars
- Honey and cinnamon spelt cookies
- Gingerbread cookies
- Orange shortbread
- Vanilla shortbread hearts
Home-made Christmas truffles
Home-made truffles are intense, delicious andΒ are sophisticated gifts! Yet most of them are so easy to make! Here are some examples:
- Danish rum balls
- White chocolate truffles
- Cherry and coconut Christmas pud bonbons
- Orange and hazelnut Christmas pud truffles
Home-made Christmas cakes
When I go to a Christmas party I take a freshly baked Christmas-themed cake with me. I like the look of those gorgeous Chrismas cakes in magazines – but most of them take ages to make. So I normally bake a simple cake using Christmassy spices & ingredients such as cinnamon, ginger, orange, almond, chestnut and the result always makes people very, very cheerful! And that, as far as I’m concerned, is worth the hour or so of my time I spend on baking these treats! These particular cakes were a great success at Christmas:-
- Oaty ginger cake
- Marble bundt cake
- Orange and almond cake
- Christmas strudel
- Almond and apricot cake
- Chocolate and cherry cake
- Flourless chestnut and chocolate cake
- Fig panforte
Home-made Christmas muffins and brownies
Brownies and muffins are really easy to bake – even kids can make them. These recipes are absolutely yummy, get their little fingers to help you!
- Mincemeat and walnut brownies
- Chestnut brownies
- Christmas muffins
- Orange and walnut brownies
- Chestnut muffins
- Chocolate muffins with rum and walnuts
- Orange and poppy seeds muffins
- Mini chocolate and cherry muffins
- Fig and orange muffins
- Gluten-free brownies
- Chestnut and pumpkin muffins
How to wrapΒ homemade gifts
- Start collecting paper boxes & bags (white or brown) –Β and decorate these with stencils, stickers or wrapping paper (you can pad them with festive tissue paper strips, if you like). Then wrap the food gifts in wax-paper, festive tissue paper or grease-proof sheets andΒ put these into the box/sack.
- Alternatively use tins or Β large glass jars – decorate these with festive stencils or stickers, then Β wrap them with a ribbon!Homemade Christmas food gifts in a jar>>
- My favourite gift wrap is cellophane – itβs cheap, easy to use and looks fabulous tied with a festive ribbon.
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