Christmas Edible Gifts ~ Part 1

Anyone can buy a present from a shop, but if you want to go the extra mile, why not make something yourself? Homemade gifts make really thoughtful and often better value presents. So imagine my excitment when I received my copy of Nigella Christmas and came across the great section in the book with recipes and ideas for edible gifts. Since then I’ve been looking forward to making a start on the Christmas Hamper for my in laws and also our home. As of last week I made a start on my gifts. I started with the Christmas Spiced-Salt, which reminds me of holly berries in the snow. This salt is perfect sprinkled on steak or chicken to add some oomph! The delicious Cranberry and Apple Chutney is a perfect gift as chutneys mature with age. This chutney is wonderful with cheeses, pates and cold meats. I always make the traditional mincemeat every year but this truly delectable Cranberry-Studded Mincemeat really caught my eye and the recipe only makes 600ml, not a huge amount, so you won’t have jars left over after Christmas. This is part 1 of my edible gifts, so there is more to follow shortly!


Happy Cook at My Kitchen Treasures is hosting a great event of Home Made Christmas Gifts and she kindly invited me to join. If you are you interested in joining, the event is running until the 20th December. Please visit her blog for further details. My Kitchen Treasures

Cranberry-Studded Mincemeat

Makes approx. 600ml – enough for 50 mince pies

Ingredients
60ml ruby port
75g soft dark brown sugar
300g cranberries
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
75g currants
75g raisins
30g dried cranberries
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 Clementine/Satsuma
25ml brandy
1/8 teaspoon or a few drops of almond extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 x 15ml tablespoons honey

In a large saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the ruby port over a gentle heat. Add the cranberries to the saucepan. Then add the cinnamon, ginger and cloves, with the currants, raisins and dried cranberries and the zest and juice of the clementines.

Simmer for 20 minutes or until everything looks pulpy and has absorbed most of the liquid in the pan. You many need to squish the cranberries a little with the back of a wooden spoon to incorporate them.

Take off the heat and, when it has cooled a little, stir in the brandy, almond and vanilla extracts and honey and beat once more, with your wooden spoon to encourage it to turn into a berry-beaded paste.

Spoon the mincemeat into sterilized jars.

Cranberry and Apple Chutney

Makes about 1 litre

Ingredients
750g cooking apples, peeled, quartered, cored and chopped small
250g dried cranberries
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
350ml cider vinegar
200g caster sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
2 teaspoon Maldon salt or 1 teaspoon table salt

Take a medium-sized (not too big) saucepan and chuck into it all the ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon and then put the pan on the heat.

Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat a little to let the pan cook, uncovered, on a fast simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the chutney has thickened slightly and the fruit is soft.

Spoon into your warm, prepared jars and seal them.



Christmas-Spiced Salt

Makes enough to fill 1 x 500ml jar

Ingredients
250g good-quality sea salt or Maldon salt
2 teaspoons red/pink peppercorns
2 teaspoons crushed dried red chillies
4 star anise

Sterilize your jar and leave to cool.

Put the salt into a bowl with the peppercorns, dried chillies and star anise.

Toss everything about, then carefully tip into your cooled, prepared jar and seal tightly.