Help Your Children Make Their Own Gifts for Christmas

Cooking up some gifts

Cooking up some gifts

Christmas is a really special time of year for family activities.Cooking is a fantastic activity to do with your children: they can learn and practice a whole range of skills. But even more important than that, it's one of the most fun, therapeutic and bonding activities you can do with your children. Why not spend a fun afternoon together making festive biscuits, truffles andchristmas tree decorations which can be enjoyed at home or given away as pressies for teachers, friends and family.

You’ll need to shop for ingredients and set aside a good few hours, it’s not something to do when you are in a rush. Then put on some aprons and get cooking, try not to worry about the mess too much. Once you have made your edible goodies, you can wrap them up in clear cellophane bags, boxes and ribbons. If you're feeling really creative, you could even package them up as a home-made hamper or gift basket. Below are a few easy ideas to get you started….

Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients
200ml double cream
200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) chopped into small pieces

Method

1. Pour the cream into a saucepan and bring just up to the boil.
2. Place the chopped chocolate pieces into a large bowl.
3. Pour over the cream, then stir until the chocolate and cream are well blended and smooth.
4. Cool, then set aside in the fridge until the mixture is solid, about 2 hrs.
5. Scoop out teaspoons of the mixture and roll into small walnut-size balls with your hands.
6. Tip toppings into separate bowls and gently roll the truffles in different toppings until evenly covered. Try; coconut, cocoa powder, chopped shelled pistachio nuts, chopped dried cranberries.
7. Will keep in a cool place for 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.To give as presents, place 8-10 truffles in individual foil or paper cases inside small, lined boxes tied with ribbon.

Fruit and Nut Biscotti

Ingredients
1 large egg, lightly beaten
80g caster sugar
150g plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
20g sultanas
20g dried apricots, chopped
20g shelled hazelnuts
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Method

1. Mix the egg and sugar together.
2. Add all the remaining ingredients into a separate bowl.
3. Add the egg and sugar gradually to the other ingredients, mixing between each addition.
4. Bring the dough together into a ball and shape into a thick sausage shape with damp hands.
5. Place the sausage roll onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper and flatten slightly.
6. Pre-heat oven to fan 160C/conventional 180C/gas mark 4 and bake for approximately 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave for 10 minutes to cool and firm up.
7. Cut the biscotti on the diagonal with a serrated knife and place back into the oven at fan 120C/conventional 140C /gas mark 1 for 10 minutes, then turn the biscotti over and cook for a further 10 minutes.

Christmas Tree Decorations

Ingredients
140g icing sugar, sieved
1 teaspoonvanilla extract
1 egg yolk
250g butter, cut into small cubes
375g plain flour, sieved

To decorate:
150g icing sugar, sieved
edible food colouring, optional
edible gold and silver balls
thin ribbon cut into 10cm lengths

1. Tip the icing sugar, vanilla extract, egg yolk and butter into a mixing bowl, then stir together with a wooden spoon (or pulse in a food processor until well combined). Add the flour and mix to a firm dough. Shape the dough into two flat discs and wrap in clingfilm. Chill for 20-30 minutes.
2. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5 and line two baking sheets with non-stick baking paper.
3. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about the thickness of two £1 coins. Use Christmas cuttersto make shapes and place on the baking sheets. Using the tip of a skewer, cut a small hole in the top of each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden.
4. Lift the biscuits onto a wire rack to cool. Meanwhile, mix the icing sugar with a few drops of cold water to make a thick, but still runny icing. Colour with edible food colouring, then spread it over the cooled biscuits.
5. Decorate with edible balls and thread with ribbon when dry.

Thank you to Smart Raspberry Cookery School for this article and delicious recipe ideas:

Smart Raspberry Cookery School
Tel: 0845 269 2665
Email: Alicia@smartraspberry.com
Web: www.smartraspberry.com

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