Christmas hampers ideas please

Cafe Society
1

This year I’m making 5 Christmas food hampers for friends and family.

So far I have made:

Arencello
Sloe gin
Pickled onions
Pickled pears
Green tomato chutney

And am about to make:
Fruity Christmas biscotti
Sweet and spicy nuts
Whiskey and caramel sauce
Double ginger gingerbread men
White choc chip fudge
Seeded oatcakes (I’ll throw in a Stilton to go with those. Store-bought; cheese making is waaay beyond me)

I’d like to make 3 or 4 other items to go with that lot, something to perhaps complement what’s there already.

There are no vegetarians or allergy sufferers among the recipients.

Recipes, or links to recipes would be fabulous.

Any ideas anyone?

Thank you in advance.

2

I have a friend who used to make vokda-infused cherries that everyone liked. I think you just let maraschino cherries soak in vodka for a while.

3

Can you make a sixth? I’ll send you my address.

4

Sorry old bean, it’s all spoken for :stuck_out_tongue:

You can have a photo though*. I dun all my own labels an’everyfing!

I do have a metric buttload of green tomato chutney though. Summer in the UK was awful this year, so I was left with 10kg of unripened tomatoes, which is what started this whole thing off in the first place.

  • OK I admit it, it’s because I’m quite proud of my achievements so far and I want to show them off.
5

People do this? I live in an unromantic world where people give “cookie plates”. Christmas hampers sound like a Frances Hodgson Burnett book. Like your butler opens the front door of your white townhouse and there’s a wicker hamper with a sprig of holly sitting there, collecting snowflakes.

sigh

Anyway, I’d go for more savory things to balance out the sweet stuff. Cheddar or sesame seed crackers? Nonsweet treatment for more nuts? A smoked salmon spread or pate if refrigeration isn’t an issue? Pepper jelly?

6

Great looking labels. You made your own sloe gin?? How does that work?
As for things to make, cheese straws?

7

I assume from your spelling of “savory” that you are an American of the United States variety. Well I can assure you madam, that in England, we all have butlers. Do you really expect us to do out own buttling? Harumph.

Thanks for the suggestion though :slight_smile:

8

Thanks kayT. Sloe gin is dead easy.

  1. Pick sloes. There are plenty of blackthorn bushes on my 200 hectare Suffolk estate, and the butlers do an adequate job of picking them if flogged sufficiently

  2. Prick sloes. This allows the sloe juices to leach out nicely.

  3. Pour 1 litre gin, 500g sloes and 250g sugar into a kilner jar.

  4. Shake jar gently once every couple of days to ensure even distribution of ingredients.

That’s it! After about 3 months, strain, bottle, drink!

Cheers, pip-pip and toodle-oo

9

I’m making mini-hampers for friends. I’ve already made some bramble jam, so I’m planning to make some small brioche to go with it. Then I’m going to add a bag of homemade pretzels and some apple crisps. I’ve got a cookie gun, so my 4-year old and I will be making some gingerbread spritz cookies to put in as they’re nice and seasonal.

I also had a buttload of green tomato chutney, which was due to go into the hampers, but my husband found where I was hiding it and has worked his way through the entire batch.

10

They look amazing! Please, please can we be friends? :slight_smile:

11

Why yes, yes we can :slight_smile:

12

All sounds good, thank you.

Sorry to hear about hubby nomming his way through your stash. You must make killer tomato chutney :slight_smile:

13

Make a flavored vinegar by adding a sprig of tarragon or some raspberries or other fruit to white wine vinegar. Recipes on the web for lots of them.

14

There I was being proud of my cordial labels, but you’ve outdone me by far. The food looks delicious too. Kudos to you RobDog.

15

Here I was feeling all proud of myself as well for making pork rillettes and limoncello for my outlaws this holiday season.

Way to go RobDog - I will be the laughingstock of my family this year. I hope you’re happy.

16

Why thank you kindly :slight_smile:

You’ve made me realise what I’m missing though… MEAT!!! That’s a great idea.

Do you mind me asking about your rillettes? I can find recipes no problem, but I’m not sure about containers and shelf-life. The recipes assume one is going to store them in open-topped terrines or tins until eating, and then eating them soon after making.

I guess small screw-top jars are OK for storage?

How about timings; if I make some now, will they be OK kept in the fridge until Christmas?

Thank you

17

They’ll keep for around 6 months in the fridge. I put them in little Ball jars and pour some rendered duck fat on top and then screw the lid on tightly. Hell the flavors will have just come together by Christmas.