Give the gift of food this Christmas with these recipes for delicious homemade gourmet goodies.
Ready to Bake Brie
Makes 2
Don’t we love receiving a gift that has been prepared? These are a pleasant surprise, ready to bake in the oven and serve warm to
Method
1. To prepare the brie, place each one onto a piece of baking paper in tinfoil for easy wrapping. A fig leaf is a nice touch if you have any. Cut a criss-cross on the top of the cheese.
2. On top, place the garlic, hazelnuts, zest and rosemary.
3. Wrap for gifting.
4. For cooking, preheat the oven to 170°c. Open the parcel and place it on a baking tray. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the centre is soft. Eat while warm with some crunching toasts and a good drizzle of honey.
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Slow-dried Citrus
Makes two jars
There is no limit on the amount of fruit to use for these. It is a great way to incorporate citrus and add a touch of elegance to cocktails, or attach a string and hang them on your Christmas tree.
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 95°c—line two baking trays with paper.
2. Using a sharp knife, slice the fruit thinly, discarding both ends. Pat them dry with paper and place them onto the trays in a single layer.
3. Place them into the oven for 1 hour, then turn them over. The limes and lemon will need a further 1 hour. The orange slices take an extra 1 hour and 30 minutes.
4. Remove and cool on a cooling rack before storing in jars.
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Christmas Chocolate Cookies
Makes 24
Make these smaller to make the mixture go further. Add a higher percentage of chocolate if you like to mix up the sweet with a bit of bitter, or use peanut butter M&Ms, like I did, for an additional scrummy flavour.
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170 °C. Line two baking trays with paper.
2. Place the butter into a medium-sized pot and melt. Remove and cool slightly.
3. Stir through the chocolate buttons, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Then sift in the flour and baking soda.
4. Place tablespoons onto the baking tray, leaving a 3cm gap. Dot the chocolate chunks and red and green chocolate on top.
Bake for 20 minutes until lightly golden.
5. Remove and cool on racks. Keep in an airtight container until ready to package up and gift.
