Christmas Goodies....

[Sarah_H]

For Christmas I'm going to make both my parents & my ILs a basket with some Christmas goodies. So far I'm making

* The evil BellyBelly fudge
* Rum balls (some white choc, some dark choc)
* Peanut butter squares
* Edinburough rock (I've made it before years ago, so might be adventurous & do it again!)

The only things I can't use is coconut - so coconut ice & rocky road are out.

So who has some more suggestions for me.......
Christy I know you do this sort of thing as well - what do you usually make?

[Mother Goose]

Sarah I always include shortbread and gingerbread biscuits in mine.
And I often do hand made choccies (all sorts including truffles - i have receipes for craisin, port and dark choc; dark choc and ginger; peanut butter and milk choc).
What about fruit cake? I have heaps of different receipes and they're not all those really complex ones you have to start in the middle of the year! Even have one for 'frozen choc fruit cake pudding'.
I also have a "receipe" for a choc christmas tree I can post.
Are you into making jam/conserve/jelly at all? What about preserved lemons/nectarines etc. They don't have to be eaten but can be put in a nice jar for display.
My IL's love to put dried fruit in the baskets they make for church. They have one of those things where you stew (I think) the fruit, put it on this tray thing and let it dry then cut/break it into pieces and it's like those fruit straps you buy. I always make them bring me a batch when they visit from interstate!
What about mince slice bites? (Can post the receipe)
almond nougat?
pistachio shortbread mounds
passionfruit butter yoyo bites
cream cheese filled brandied dates
stained glass christmas cookies (really really popular when I took them to work!)

If there is anything you want receipes for - let me know and I will post them.

What is the Edinburough Rock? Sounds interesting!

MG

[Astrolady]

When I was a kid mum and I used to make stuff that looked like mini puddings we'd pour white chocolate on top of them (custard) and them mum brought green glaze stuff and just it into small strips for leaves, and then we'd finely chop a cherry and place it on top. They were fiddly to make and we did it for a couple of years till mum couldn't be bothered anymore, and I wasn't interested in helping anymore LOL. But they were totally awesome and heaps yummy. She probably still has the receipe for them too.

Love

[Sarah_H]

MG Edinburourgh Rock is a hard lolly. Can you post the recipes for your truffles, mint slice biscuits & stained glass biscuits please No so much into the fruity thing this time, we're going totally norti

Kathryn sounds similar to what we make sometimes - it was a biscuit base with choc covered marshmallow thing as the pudding.

Yep Edinburough Rock is pretty well the same thing Jillian. You just have to be really careful at the pulling stage cos it is really really HOT! Your popcorn ideas are good Jillian, thanks. What's Hawaiian Crunch though?

Edinburgh Rock
1pound sugar
½ pint water
pinch cream of tartar
icing sugar
peppermint essence
cochineal (red food colouring)

Dissolve sugar in water, stirring gently all the time.
When solution is nearly boiling, add cream of tartar.
Boil until a temperature of 285oF is reached.
Remove from heat and pour onto and oiled surface.
Allow to cool slightly.
With a spatula, turn sides to middle.
Divide the mixture into 2 parts; add peppermint essence to one and cochineal to the other.
Coat fingers with icing sugar.
Pull each portion, keeping it straight until it is dull and almost set.
Twist lengths around each other, cut into equal lengths.
Leave on wax paper in a warm room for at least 24hrs, until it becomes powdery.

[Mother Goose]

oooooo the rock sounds great! Will have to make that! I'm at work at the minute Sarah but will post those receipes as soon as I get home tonight.

MG

[Lucy]

Sarah, I do a hamper full of goodies for my great Aunt and as well as the things you have mentioned, I also do a few pots of homemade jam or marmalade.......(I use the breadmaker) and label them up and trim them nicely......

[~Kim~]

Sarah where can I find this evil fudge recipe????

hmmm in the Breadmaker Lucy??? and here I was going to sell mine. What a great idea.

[Niliac]

Great idea Sarah! I think I'll be doing this too, you know my fave white christmas mmmmmmm!

OooOooooOooo Lucy you are a gem I'll be making some jam this year I think

*hugs*
Cailin

[Lucy]

Breadmaker jam is easy peasy! I can never be bothered with all the faff of making a huge pan of jam......too much laborious prep and too many sticky heavy pans.......but breadmaker recipes usually make a smaller amount, and it is just set and forget.......most of the breadmaker instruction books have a recipe section with a jam recipe in it.....but if anyone wants mine, let me know.........

[Sarah_H]

Yes please Lucy, can you post a recipe for me, I lost my breadmaker recipe book!

OMG I just searched the entire recipe forum & the fudge recipe is goooooone Someone pretty pretty please can I get a copy of it.

[wardygirl]

I didn't find the fudge straight away - I'm sure I've got it somewhere - but I did find this. I don't even remember making it but it sounds good.

Malteser Fudge Slice

Serves 16

1 Cup self raising flour
¾ cup cocoa powder
120g maltesers
2 eggs lightly beaten
¾ cup sugar
2 tbs vegetable oil
2x 200g light vanilla fruche
Icing sugar (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 180 and coat a lamington tin with cooking spray

2. Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a large bowl. Stir in the maltesers.


3. combine the eggs, sugar, oil and Fruche and fold into the flour mixture

4. Spread into the prepared tin and bake for about 30 mins or until firm to touch.


5. Cool in the pan. Cut into 16 pieces and dust with icing sugar

[littlerigger]

Can someone please post the recipe for this "evil fudge"? This year we're making sweet treats for the adults and only buying presents for the kids (BIG family) and that fudge would be an awesome inclusion in a hamper

[Sarah_H]

I think it might be Nell's recipe.... Might have to con her into coming in here to post!

[littlerigger]

that would be great Sarah! I think it would be an AWESOME addition to our xmas hampers

[Niliac]

I thought the fudge recipe was mel's? The really easy one with condensed milk and chocolate? I might have it in an email.

*hugs*
Cailin

[christy]

Searching for the recipe too...

Sarah I do these for friends yep, I put in fudge, rocky road and generally a shortbread. Sometimes I get really creative & make butter biscuits cut out into Christmas shapes like stars and trees and put icing & hundreds & thousands on them, YUM! LOL... but thats about all I do.

[Niliac]

MIL has it she's finding it for me so its a race between her and mel LOL!

*hugs*
Cailin

[Snacks]

Melting moments are always a favourite with my family. I usually package them up in a 'tube' shaped package and tie a pretty ribbon at each end...
I have a recipe for triple chocolate fudge brownies, if that's not too much along with your evil fudge. They usually go down pretty well too.
Oh, and lemon butter is really nice as well if you have a double saucepan.
Those little mini christmas puddings that Kathryn was talking about look really effective as well. We used to cheat and buy ready-made puddings and just scoop it out and roll it into balls... Much easier.