Only a week to go…how are you all travelling?
We’re doing pretty well – Pete has our Christmas jams made (apricot, nectarine and raspberry, strawberry and chilli) and my various fruitcakes are maturing in the fridge. There’s not much room in there for anything else at the moment!
If you’re slightly daunted by the looming “deadline”, maybe these last minute gift suggestions will help. They’re all easily made in the kitchen, and much less intimidating than trying to navigate the shops at this time of year!
1. Chocolate chip cookies: these never, ever fail to please and the recipe we use results in over three dozen cookies. If you can’t find good choc chips at this late stage, try chopping up blocks of good quality chocolate (Lindt is particularly nice). Once cool, these cookies freeze brilliantly, so you can keep a stash in the freezer and package them up for gifts as needed. Click here for the recipe.
2. Butterscotch bars: if we had a recipe de casa, this would be it. It’s an absolute breeze to make, but its success is contingent on the quality of the chocolate you put in it. We use Callebaut, but we’ve also had great results using Lindt bars and balls from the supermarket. One batch will cut into 32 small pieces, giving you lots to share around. The recipe is here.
3. Lemon or lime curd: make this in the days leading up to Christmas, and keep it in your fridge as a ready gift. It only takes a few minutes in the microwave. If you buy a bag of lemons, butter, sugar and a carton of eggs, you can make three batches (about nine jars worth) in under an hour. The original lemon curd recipe is here, and the lime variation here.
4. Amaretti: these are super-quick to make, and they’re nutty and Christmassy and look lovely in a cellophane bag with a colourful ribbon. This gluten-free recipe doesn’t even need a mixer!
A packaging tip: baked goods look gorgeous and rustic wrapped simply in a sheet of parchment paper and tied with ribbon or raffia. Added bonus – it’s foodsafe packaging!
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Please see our Christmas page for more gift ideas!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Oh how I wish I was there to share some of your delicious Christmas goodies. And even more … share some Christmas fun with your fabulous self. Sigh….
Don’t worry, love, you’ll be home soon enough. In the meantime, enjoy your white Christmases – we don’t get them here, remember? :)
I would be thrilled to get ANY of those as a gift… but I might just make the lemon curd and keep it for myself!
Tomorrow might be chocolate baking day, just choosing which of your glorious recipes to start with…… :)
SK, when you realise how quick it is to make, you’ll want to make more than one batch. It’s very useful – you can also make the lemon curd and then pour it into a prebaked tart shell for an instant dessert. Hope you enjoy it.. :)
Jo, it’s chocolate day here too – I’ve got truffle centres firming up in the fridge, and I’ve made some moulded milk chocolate for the kids. Have to go and get more milk chocolate to make some hot choc mix for Small Man. The bejeweled choc bars have been a hit, so more of those are on the cards as well… :)
I’ve made the butterscotch bars and they are in fact disappearing too quickly to get packed up as presents. So there is only one thing for it, do more baking!
Glad you like them Jo, thanks for letting me know! Aren’t they easy? :)
Oh, I so wish I was close by you Celia….I have a feeling I wouldn’t want for jam…and a lot more. I love the final packaging tip. Easy but fabulous.
Unfortunately, I haven’t had time to do anything this year….like last year. I think I’ll spend Thursday making cookies with my girls. Christmas happened upon me..so suddenly this year :-)
Oz, I made speculaas!! I was thinking about you yesterday as I was rolling them out! I’ll post about them shortly.. :)
Yes, it would be great if you lived closer, then you could teach me how to get the flaky almonds to stick to the dough..hahaha…
Cheers, Celia