Christmas Goodies....

[tk1999]

I have started making my chrissie goodies... well the dough for the cookies at least LOL

[briggsy's girl]

just wanted to post an observation on the peppermint bark - it was delish but the centre milk/bittersweet choc layer didn't set very well - i think it just has too much cream in that recipe. i'm going to make it again for christmas with no cream at all - i think it will work better...

[*star*]

Mum and I do:

- shortbread wreaths piped in circles and decorated with glace cherries
- almond toffee crisps
- starry night tarts
- stained glass biscuits (cut out a shape in the middle and fill with crushed lollipops before baking - these can be hung on the tree)
- chocolate truffles
- cherry ripe
- apricot balls

I am sure there are more, but that's a start!

ETA - mince pies, too!

[Snacks]

OMG, you'd better share about those almond toffee crisps! They sound delish!

[Olive]

ive just finished cooking my puddings (for two gatherings) a total of 8 hours of a huge saucepan boiling on the stove does my head in but i loooove pudding!

[MrsFabuloso]

Oh, my....chrissy is only 6weeks away!!! EEEKKKK!!!! Not sure how much baking I will feel like doing, being 30++weeks pg tho...

But here's some recipes I found the other day which I though sounds lovely!!

Chocolate, Raisin & Hazelnut Pudding

Ingredients

375gRaisins
160g Sultanas
90ml rum
250g butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
3 eggs
1 cup plain flour
½ cup self raising flour
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups fresh white breadcrumbs
120g Dry Roasted Hazelnuts
200g dark chocolate, finely chopped
1½cups buttermilk

Method
Preheat oven to 170ºC.
Place raisins, sultanas and rum in a bowl and set to one side.
Prepare 8 pudding basins – grease well and line base with baking paper circles.
Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
Sift flours, mixed spice and cinnamon. Add breadcrumbs, finely chopped hazelnuts, chocolate, buttermilk, rum soaked fruit and butter mixture and mix well to combine.
Evenly divide mixture between prepared pudding basins. Place basins into the baking dish and pour in enough boiling water to ½fill the baking dish, cover with foil. Steam bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake for a further 20 minutes. Serve cooked puddings in their basins with ice cream and a chocolate curl if desired.


Fruit & Nut Brittles

Ingredients

600g dark OR white eating chocolate, place in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on a medium heat for 3 – 4minutes
Dark Chocolate Brittle
½ cup Raisins
½ cup Currants
120g Dry Roasted Almonds
120g Dry Roasted Hazelnuts

White Chocolate Brittle
½ cup Sultanas
½ cup Park Cranberries
110g Dry Roasted Macadamias
80g Pistachios

Method
Use the same method for dark or white chocolate brittle. Combine fruit and nuts, gently fold ⅔ through chocolate and pour into a greased and baking paper lined 17cm x 27cm slice tin. Spread into a slab, sprinkle with the remaining ⅓ of fruit and nuts and leave to set. Break into desired pieces and serve.

Tip and Storage Instructions:
Tip: For a thinner brittle simply spread chocolate mixture over a greased and baking paper lined shallow baking dish.
Storage Instructions: Brittles will store in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks.

[Jaycee]

I've just read over this entire thread and I am so excited now! I'm going to bake up a storm for christmas this year and do hampers for my family.

So far my hampers will have:

BB Fudge
Rum Balls
Coconut Ice
Rocky Road
Stained Glass Cookies
Gingerbread Men
White Christmas
Fruit Mince Pies

So, I've got quite a few recipes from this thread, but I'm after a couple more. The recipes I need are for:

Rum balls (white choc and dark choc)
Coconut ice
Rocky road
Stained glass cookies
Gingerbread Biscuits

Can anyone help me out with these?

Looking forward to chatting about our christmas creations!!

[tk1999]

This year I am doing 2 hampers one for my parent's house and one for DPs parents house for over the festive season to new year (and beyond) - well maybe 3... might need one for our house as well LOL

Not sure what will be in them but there were some real hits from what I made last year

[JCE0810]

This year I am doing 2 hampers one for my parent's house and one for DPs parents house for over the festive season to new year (and beyond) - well maybe 3... might need one for our house as well LOL

Not sure what will be in them but there were some real hits from what I made last year

There were some definate hits last year, you did well. I'd like to request that you atleast make that white christmas/white chocolate fudge thing you made last year, it was delicious!!!.

I'll have a look through my recipes i used last year and decide what i'm going to make this year.

[Ella]

For the best ever rum balls I seriously recommend Jamie Olivers Adults Only Rum Balls. You can get the recipe off his website. I made them last year, I made heaps and they got gobbled so fast, they were every single persons favourites in the hampers I did.

I put my fruit to soak in the rum about 4 weeks before I'm going to make them and I always do extra fruit and rum because DF loves to have the fruit over ice cream or apple pie. Nom nom nom

I still haven't started my hampers but I'll hopefully be able to start once this bubba comes!

[~Jayne~]

Sarah, I don't know if anybody has mentioned this, as I'm on the fly & haven't had a chance to read through all the replies. But last night I tried Pumpkin Pie for the very first time. We are living in China atm & there is a huge American population where we are & being Thanksgiving yesterday, a lot of hotels put on wonderful buffet dinners - so we went along. I have never heard of pumpkin pie, nor ever tasted it but OH MY GOODNESS I have already googled & saved the recipe into my favourites to make when we are in Aus for Christmas! HTH!

[Jaycee]

Does anyone have any idea how long the evil bb fudge will keep in the fridge for?

I've got a lot of baking to do and I'm trying to make a baking plan so I'm not in the kitchen for 24 hours straight

[Kazbah]

Jaycee - for the stained glass cookies, you just use your favourite sugar cookie recipe, then cut out a hole or pattern in the middle of the biscuit before baking.

Buy some boiled lollies, seperate the colours and smash them to smithereens with a rolling pin in a plastic bag. Heap them in the cut-out of the biscuit and they will melt into the hole.

[Snacks]

Does anyone have any idea how long the evil bb fudge will keep in the fridge for?

If it's in a covered container, it keeps for aaaaaages. I tend to make mine about 4-7 days in advance, mainly so that the shelf life is longer for the person who's getting it. But I've had fudge in my fridge for weeks and it's been lovely. (In an airtight container.)

I made Irish cream this year...

1C cream
1 tin condensed milk
1 and a bit C Irish Whiskey
1t vanilla
1t instant coffee (dissolved in a tiny amount of boiling water)
2T chocolate syrup.

It is really yummy and looks lovely in a pretty bottle.

[~Kim~]

OMG Sarah...we made peppermint bark today from your recommendation.....Nate kept pinching bits and dragging a chair over to the bench to find it, and I've had to hide the container from Cam...a huge hit.

[MrsFabuloso]

Bumpity bump!!

SO who is making what??

Anyone making edible gifts this year?

[Floweryfields]

I would add peanut brittle to that list mmmm.

[MrsFabuloso]

For MG this year, I am going to make some of these...

Reindeer Cookies
1 packet Butternut Snap Cookies
1/3 cup pouring cream
200g (1 block) milk or dark cooking chocolate
65g butter
pretzels cut in half for antlers
jaffas for the nose and some frosting to attach them
White marshmallows cut in half for the snout
mini marshmellows for the eyes
Black icing for the eye centres


Pre heat oven to 180 C or 350 F. Place cookies on a shallow cup cake pan and heat for 3 minutes. Remove from oven and gently press down on the biscuits to form baskets. Repeat with remaining biscuits.
Melt butter, chocolate and cream on the stove over a low heat, stirring constantly until combined and completely melted ( about 7) minutes. Cool in the fridge for 20 minutes, but don't allow to set completely.
Spoon one heaped tspn of chocolate mixture into the biscuit cases. Refrigerate for a further 10-20 minutes so chocolate can firm up a little more.
Decorate with the faces, using a little icing to stick everything on, and serve! Note: Don't refridgerate with the jaffa noses on or they will go dull in the fridge.


Snowballs
250g butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup (110g) pure icing sugar
11/2 cups (150g) walnuts, roasted,
chopped finely
21/3 cups (350g) plain flour
3/4 cup (120g) pure icing sugar, extra


1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line large oven trays with baking paper.
2. Beat butter, extract and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in the walnuts and flour.
3. Roll level tablespoons of dough into balls; place about 5cm apart on prepared trays. Bake for about 12 minutes or until biscuits are pale golden. Cool for 2 minutes.
4. Gently roll biscuits in sifted extra icing sugar. Place on wire racks to cool.
5. Dust again with sifted icing sugar just before packaging or serving.
Do not microwave or freeze.

So excited to make the reindeer biscuites, they're so cute! DD will adore them!