RECIPE: 12 Christmas food gifts to make

GINGER-ORANGE COOKIE WITH ROYAL PECAN ICING

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Makes about 1kg of cookies

INGREDIENTS

375g unsalted butter

190g icing sugar

90g eggs

500g flour

Zest of ½ orange

4g grated ginger

FOR THE PECAN ICING

70g icing sugar

20g egg white

13g pecan nuts, toasted and ground

DIRECTIONS

1 Preheat the oven to 180 deg C.

2 Cream the butter and icing sugar in an electric mixer until the mixture is light and creamy.

3 Add the eggs and mix well with the butter mixture. Add the flour, orange zest and ginger and mix well.

4 Pour the cookie mix into a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe into a rosette on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

5 Bake the cookies for 20 min until golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.

6 To make the pecan icing, mix the icing sugar and egg white in an electric mixer. Fold the pecan nuts into the mixture.

7 Using the piping bag with a star nozzle, pipe the icing on the cookies and let it set for 2 hours.

CHOCOLATE MACARONS

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Makes 10

INGREDIENTS

2 egg whites

60g granulated sugar

110g ground almonds

2 tbsp + 1 tsp cocoa powder, sifted

For The Ganache

50g dark chocolate

20g milk chocolate

90g whipping cream

DIRECTIONS

1 Beat the egg whites and sugar until stiff. Gently blend in the ground almonds and cocoa powder to make the batter.

2 Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

3 Place the batter in a piping bag. Pipe 3cm-rounds of batter onto the baking tray. Stand at room temperature for 30min until a crust forms, then bake for 12min in the oven pre-heated to 150 deg C.

4 For the ganache, place the dark and milk chocolates in a metal bowl. Boil the cream and pour over the chocolate, in two batches. Whisk until well mixed, then chill for an hour until it is firm.

5 Beat the ganache in a mixer for 2min until it’s soft. Spread on both halves of two macarons. Sandwich the two halves together and refrigerate for at least 12 hours before serving.

CHOCOLATE AND WALNUT SNOWBALL COOKIES

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Makes about 40

INGREDIENTS

5g unsweetened baking chocolate

275g butter, softened

125g icing sugar, plus more to coat the cookies

30g cocoa powder, sifted

325g cake flour, sifted

180g walnuts, crushed into bits

DIRECTIONS

1 Place the baking chocolate in the microwave oven for 10 secs to melt it. Set aside.

2 Using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and icing sugar together at low speed until the icing sugar is no longer visible in the mixture.

3 Still using low speed, add the cocoa powder, cake flour, melted baking chocolate and walnuts. Mix until it becomes a dough.

4 Chill the dough for 30min, then remove from the fridge and cut it into 8 portions.

5 Roll each portion into logs, each 3cm in diameter. Chill for 2 hours until they harden.

6 Preheat the oven to 170 deg C. Remove logs from the fridge and cut into 1cm pieces.

7 Place the cookies on a baking sheet and bake for 15min.

8 Remove the cookies from the oven and cool. Roll in icing sugar to coat them evenly.

SALTED CARAMEL COOKIES

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Makes 75 cookies

INGREDIENTS

For the salted caramel

150g sugar

1 tsp salt

50g salted butter

½ cup double cream or whipping cream with at least 35% fat

For the cookie base

190g unsalted butter, cut into pieces

225g plain flour

125g sugar

DIRECTIONS

1 To make the salted caramel, melt the sugar and salt over low heat in a wide and deep pot, until the sugar melts and the mixture is a light brown – about 5-8min.

2 Add the butter immediately and whisk. Add the cream and continue whisking until the mixture bubbles and expands to three to four times its original volume.

3 Boil the mixture for another 5min until it is thick. It should drip slowly off the back of a spoon. Transfer it into another pot to cool for 2 hours.

4 Preheat the oven to 160 deg C.

5 To make the cookies, rub the butter into the flour to form a soft dough. Add the sugar and knead into a large dough ball.

6 Roll the dough into small balls. Place them on baking trays lined with greaseproof paper.

7 Make a small hole in the middle of each ball and fill them with the caramel mixture. Bake for 15min.

ROSEMARY CRYSTAL COOKIE

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Makes about 50 pieces

INGREDIENTS

280g unsalted butter

130g sugar

1 egg

¼ tsp rosemary powder or

½ tsp ground dried rosemary

330g cake flour

DIRECTIONS

1 Mix the butter and sugar in a bowl. Add the egg and mix well.

2 Add the rosemary powder and flour. Mix to form a soft dough. Divide into 2 equal portions.

3 On a floured surface, roll the dough into logs and place in the freezer for 4 hours.

4 Preheat the oven to 150 deg C. Remove the cookies from the freezer and cut into thin round slices. Place them on a baking tray and bake for 20 min.

RASPBERRY JAM

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Makes 500ml

INGREDIENTS

400g sugar

500g fresh or frozen raspberries

Juice of one lemon

DIRECTIONS

1 Mix all the ingredients in a pot and chill overnight to draw out the pectin from the raspberries. Pectin is a gelling agent for jams which is found in some fruits.

2 Cook the mixture over low heat for one hour, stirring every 10min to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.

3 While the jam is cooking, wash empty jars and their lids with warm, soapy water. Sterilise by heating in a 110 deg C oven for 10min, until they’re dry.

4 To test if the jam is ready, dip a spatula into it, then run your finger over the spatula. The jam is of the right consistency when the two lines that were parted by your finger don’t merge.

5 Transfer the jam to a jug, then pour it into the jars, filling each up to the collar.

6 Seal the jars while the jam is still hot. The hot air between the jam and lid creates a vacuum that seals the bottle. The jam can last up to six months at room temperature. Once opened, chill and consume within a month.

NANA’S RUM-LACED BROWNIES

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Makes 12

INGREDIENTS

For the brownies

1 cup salted butter, plus extra for greasing

170g unsweetened chocolate

3 cups granulated sugar

6 eggs

3 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1½ tsp baking powder

A pinch of salt

1½ cups chopped walnuts

For the glaze

6 tbsp salted butter

113g unsweetened chocolate

¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

Rum or brandy, to taste

Walnut halves

DIRECTIONS

1 Preheat oven to 190 deg C.

2 Grease and flour a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.

3 To make the brownies, melt the butter, chocolate and sugar in the top of a double boiler over simmering water.

4 Beat the eggs with the vanilla extract. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix all the ingredients together and stir in the chopped walnuts.

5 Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 35 to 40min, until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool before frosting.

6 To make the glaze, melt the butter and chocolate. Mix in all the other ingredients, except for the walnut halves.

7 Remove from heat and spread the frosting evenly on the cooled brownies.

8 Cut into squares and decorate with the walnut halves. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

MILLIONAIRE’S SHORTBREAD

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Serves 8-10

INGREDIENTS

For the shortbread:

125g unsalted butter, cut into 3cm cubes

185g plain flour

60g castor sugar

For the caramel:

45g heavy whipping cream

150g castor sugar

20g corn syrup*

100g salted butter, cut into 3cm cubes

100g unsalted butter, cut into 3cm cubes

For the chocolate ganache:

300g dark chocolate

DIRECTIONS

1 Mix all the ingredients for the shortbread in a mixer to make a dough.

2 Roll it out on a floured surface to about 1.2cm thick and transfer it onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Chill for 1 hour until firm.

3 Preheat the oven to 160 deg C. Bake the shortbread dough for 20-25min until lightly golden brown. Set aside to cool.

4 To make the caramel, bring the whipping cream to the boil in a small pot. Remove from heat and set aside.

5 Heat up a separate pot. Add 50g of the sugar and all the corn syrup and cook until the sugar dissolves.

6 Add the remaining sugar and cook until the mixture turns amber. Slowly pour in the warm whipping cream, whisking constantly until well-mixed. Remove from heat.

7 Whisk the salted and unsalted butter into the hot caramel cube by cube. Mix well before adding the next cube.

8 Pour the caramel evenly over the shortbread. Leave to cool at room temperature and freeze for 2 hours to set.

9 When the caramel is set on the shortbread, make the chocolate ganache. Heat the dark chocolate in the microwave oven, for 30 seconds at a time, until it melts.

10 Pour the melted chocolate over the shortbread and freeze for another 10min to set. Run a small knife along the edges of the tray to remove the shortbread.

11 Cut the shortbread into 5cm by 3cm rectangles. Keep chilled until ready to eat.

CHOCOLATE WITH SLIVERED ALMONDS

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Makes about 120 pieces

INGREDIENTS

1kg Varlhona chocolate

500g almond slivers, toasted and cooled

DIRECTIONS

1 Preheat the oven to 180 deg C. Roast the almond slivers until golden. Remove and set aside to cool.

2 Melt the chocolate in a microwave oven for 1 min. To check if it’s ready, dip a teaspoon into the mixure and let it set on the table. The chocolate should harden after a few seconds. If you have a food thermometer, the temperature of the chocolate should be 32 deg C.

3 Add the roasted almond slivers into the melted chocolate.

4 Use a spoon to scoop and form pieces of chocolates. Place on silicon paper. Set aside for 10 min to harden.

GREEN TEA BUTTERSCOTCH COOKIES

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Makes about 1kg of cookies

INGREDIENTS

275g butter

250g sugar

250g light brown sugar

8g green tea paste

125g eggs

550g all-purpose flour

10g baking soda

40g green tea powder

8g salt

425g butterscotch chips

DIRECTIONS

1 Preheat the oven to 175 deg C.

2 Cream the butter in a large bowl. Add the sugar and light brown sugar and mix for 5 min.

3 Add the green tea paste and eggs slowly.

4 Mix the all-purpose flour, baking soda, green tea powder and salt. Sift the mixture, then add it to the dough and mix lightly. Add the butterscotch chips.

5 Bake for 10 min.

ALMOND BISCOTTI

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Makes 15-60 pieces

INGREDIENTS

1 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

½ cup cornmeal*

120g unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp pure almond extract

¾ cup sliced almonds

DIRECTIONS

1 Preheat the oven to 170 deg C.

2 Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt, then add the cornmeal and whisk again. Set aside.

3 Beat the butter and sugar in an electric mixer on medium speed, until light and fluffy.

4 Add the eggs, one at a time, until well mixed.

5 Add 1 tsp almond extract and beat for 2min until smooth and creamy, then add the remaining almond extract and mix well.

6 Scrape down the bowl with a spatula and incorporate the dry ingredients until it forms a soft, sticky dough. Add the almonds and mix well.

7 Shape the dough into a 30cm-long rectangular log. Bake for 15min until slightly golden and springy to the touch. Transfer to a rack and let it cool for 30min.

8 With a long serrated knife, cut the log diagonally into 0.5 to 2cm-thick slices, depending on how thick you like them. Place the slices in one layer on a baking sheet and bake for 15min until golden.

CHESTNUT, PECAN AND MAPLE MUFFINS

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Makes 8

INGREDIENTS

200g or 2 cups all-purpose fl our

100g or cup caster sugar

2 tsp cream of tartar, sift if lumpy

1 tsp baking soda, sift if lumpy

½ tsp salt

60g or ½ cup coarsely chopped or broken pecans

150ml or ¾ cup low-fat or skimmed milk

100ml or ½ cup light vegetable oil

100g or ½ cup chestnut spread*

3 tbsp maple syrup

1½ tsp vanilla extract

8 whole pecans, for garnishing

*Available at the bread spread section in supermarkets

DIRECTIONS

1 Preheat oven to 180 deg C.

2 Line a muffin tray with 8 paper cases. Set aside.

3 In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Mix thoroughly with a whisk before stirring in the pecans.

4 Make a well in the middle of the mixture. Add the milk, vegetable oil, chestnut spread, maple syrup and vanilla extract.

5 Continue stirring until you have a batter. Do not mix beyond this or the muffins will turn out heavy.

6 With an ice cream scoop, transfer a generous amount of batter into each muffin case. Top with one whole pecan each. Bake for 20-25min, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of each muffin comes out clean.

7 Remove from the oven and let cool. Serve them warm with coffee, tea or cold milk.

Tip: If you can’t find cream of tartar, replace the milk with lowfat yogurt, although the texture will not be as light.

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RECIPE: 12 Christmas food gifts to make

From salted caramel cookies and almond biscotti to chocolate macarons and rum brownies, these delicious homemade treats make great and thoughtful Christmas gifts.

Privacy Menu

S / Shopping

RECIPE: 12 Christmas food gifts to make

From salted caramel cookies and almond biscotti to chocolate macarons and rum brownies, these delicious homemade treats make great and thoughtful Christmas gifts.

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