Lemon Bars
Ingredients:
-
225g/8 oz butter
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300g/10 oz flour
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110g/4 oz icing sugar
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4 beaten eggs
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225g/8 oz sugar
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4 tablespoons flour
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4 tablespoons lemon juice
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1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
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Sieved icing sugar
Method:
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Heat oven to and bake at 162°C / 325°F / Gas mark 3.
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Blend butter, flour and icing sugar. The mixture will start to resemble breadcrumbs. Squeeze together into a soft dough with fingers then pat into ungreased 13x9x2-inch pan and bake for 18 to 20 minutes.
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Allow to cool.
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For the filling, blend together eggs, sugar, 4 tablespoons flour, lemon juice, and lemon peel.
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Pour over first layer.
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Return to oven and bake at 162°C / 325°F / Gas mark 3 for 20 minutes.
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Loosen around edges, cut into bars and sift icing sugar over the top while warm.
Truffles
This one is really easy to do with young children too.
Ingredients:
- 230g of semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate (high quality, 62% cocao content or higher), well chopped into small pieces
- 120mls heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon / 5ml of vanilla extract
- Other flavours that can be used Almond essence / Orange essence / Rum Essence / Mint Essence.
- Cocoa powder or (Drinking Chocolate Powder if sweeter coating required )
- Finely chopped walnuts
- Finely chopped almonds or ground almond
Method:
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In a small, heavy saucepan bring the heavy whipping cream to a simmer (this may take a while, be sure to stir and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula every few minutes).
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Place the chocolate in a separate bowl. Pour the cream over the chocolate, add the vanilla, and allow to stand for a few minutes then stir until smooth. (This chocolate base is called ganache)
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Allow to cool, then place in the refrigerator for two hours. Remove and with a teaspoon roll out balls of the ganache. Roll in your hands quickly (as it will melt from the heat of your hands) and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the refrigerator overnight
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Roll in cocoa powder or chopped nuts and serve, or place back in the refrigerator until needed.
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Makes 30-40 chocolate truffles.
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Serve in sweet paper.
Shortbread
Ingredients:
- 125g/4oz butter
- 55g/2oz caster sugar
- 180g/6oz plain flour
Method:
- Heat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas mark 5
- Beat the sugar and butter together until pale
- Stir in the flour to get a smooth dough. Turn out onto a work surface and roll out.
- Cut into rectangles and prick with a fork, or roll into little balls and press thumb onto each ball to flatten to make shortbread rounds.Can also use festive-shaped cookie cutters.
- Sprinkle with a little caster sugar.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Cool on a wire rack.
Flavoured Oils
This is a very popular present for foody friends and relatives, and so easy to make. Try and find interesting shaped bottles.
Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- Rosemary, tarragon, chillies, tarragon, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian herbs
- Empty bottles
- Labels
Method:
- Take labels off tall empty bottles, and run through dishwasher to ensure clean
- Insert flavouring into the bottle, e.g. long sprigs of rosemary or tarragon, or chillies (go for a mix of green and red ones), or garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and Italian herbs.
- Use a funnel to fill with olive oil and seal bottle with a cork. Don’t leave much air between the oil and the cork.
- Make decorative labels
Related : Alternatively, see our recipes Chocolate Tree Decorations & Christmas Star Biscuits
Finish your presents off with some Homemade Christmas Tags
Also, this is a good website for labels, printables – most of them free to download.
Have you made any of these, or do you have ideas for any Christmas Food Gifts?
Share them here in the comments!
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