Homemade Christmas Gifts 5 Ways

Method

Brandy Truffles

1. Add the dark chocolate to a metal or glass bowl, and place the bowl over a saucepan containing 2cm (approx. 1 inch) of hot water. Bring the water to a gentle simmer on a low heat (make sure the water level isn’t high enough so it’s contact with the bowl). Stir the chocolate occasionally.
2. Once the chocolate has melted completely, remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the coconut milk, vanilla extract, brandy and a pinch of salt, then place the bowl in the fridge for 2 hours.
3. Remove the bowl from the fridge and roll a tablespoon of the truffle mixture between your hands until it forms a ball. Repeat until all the chocolate mixture is used up.
4. Add a couple of tablespoons of cocoa powder to small bowl and roll the truffles in the cocoa powder one-by-one.
5. Transfer the truffles to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days until ready to gift.

Pecan Nutella

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan / 400°F.
2. Transfer the pecans to a baking tray and place in the oven for 10 minutes.
3. Remove the pecans from the oven and place them in a food processor and process until they become smooth and runny like a nut butter, scraping down the sides as you go.
4. Add the dark chocolate to a metal or glass bowl, and place the bowl over a saucepan containing 2cm (approx. 1 inch) of hot water. Bring the water to a gentle simmer on a low heat (make sure the water level isn’t high enough so it’s contact with the bowl). Stir the chocolate occasionally.
5. Once the chocolate has melted completely, remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the processed pecans, cocoa powder, maple syrup, vanilla extract and 1 tbsp of olive oil until smooth and totally combined.
6. Transfer the pecan nutella to a jar and keep it at room temperature until ready to gift.

Gin Berry Jam

1. Add the blackberries and maple syrup to a small saucepan on a medium heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until all the berries are mostly broken down. Note: you can break up the blackberries with a wooden spoon if needed to reach your desired consistency.
2. Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the chia seeds and the gin.
3. Leave the jam to cool completely.  
4. Transfer the jam to a sterilised jar and store in the fridge for up to 3 months.

Raw Salted Caramel Fudge

1. Line a 450g (approx 20cm x 10cm) loaf tin with baking paper.
2. Transfer the cashews to a small bowl and cover with hot water straight from the kettle.
3. Remove and discard the stones from the dates, then add the dates to a food processor along with the almond butter, vanilla extract and a generous pinch of salt.
4. Drain the cashews and add them to the food processor, then process until the mixture forms a dough.
5. Transfer the mixture to the lined loaf tin and smooth it out until totally even.
6. Place the loaf tin in the fridge for 2 hours.
7. Remove the loaf tin from the fridge and slice into 3cm pieces.
8. Store the fudge in the fridge until you’re ready to wrap it up for a gift.

Red Onion Chutney

1. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a frying pan on medium-low heat. While the oil heats up, finely chop the red onion and the red chilli, discarding the seeds. Add both to the pan and fry for 25-30 minutes stirring occasionally, until the onion is cooked and translucent.
2. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, sugar and pinches of salt and pepper, and leave to simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the chutney to cool completely.
4. Transfer the chutney to a sterilised jar and store in a cool dark place for up to 6 months until you’re ready to gift it. The longer you leave it to sit, the more the flavours will develop. But it will be ready to consume within a week if you're feeling impatient!