Christmas Hamper!

This christmas I decided to not only make my annual pot of chutney for father but to go the whole hog and make and bake a hamper of delightful goodies for my parents!

I made a batch of Sweet Chilli Jam

• 4  red peppers , deseeded and roughly chopped
• 4 red chillies , roughly chopped
• finger-sized piece fresh root ginger , peeled and roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves , peeled
• 200g can cherry tomatoes
• 325g golden caster sugar
• 125ml red wine vinegar 

Just pop the chopped peppers, chillies, ginger  and garlic into a blender and when its 'finely chopped' or just kind of mooshy as mine turned out tip it out into a pan (as heavy based as you have- though I just used a regular one as its all I have!) Add the vinegar, tomatoes and sugar! Bring to the boil! Then simmer for about 50 mins but keep and eye on it and give it a stir now and again until its thick and sticky!

Let it take a chill pill and cool down a bit before you put it into sterilised jars and it can then get thoroughly chilled out! It keeps for about three months and is DELICIOUS! Sweet! Tangy! Hot! Sooo good with cheese, meat...anything really omnomnom!





Oatcake Pigs

 100g Oatmeal
100g plain flour
pinch salt
pinch sugar
1 egg yolk
50g butter, softened/almost melted

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and then make a well in the centre, pour in the butter and egg yolk and a tbsp of  water and mix it up so it forms a dough.

Dust a surface with oatmeal and roll out the dough VERY thinly (5mm), then I cut them out with pig shaped cutters but obviously you could use a more conventional shape...or an even crazier one...like a whale...but be careful because the biscuits are very delicate and break alot!  
Chill them in the fridge for 20 mins!

Bake for 8 mins or so in a 180 oC oven! make sure they don't go a distasteful shade of brown!

Chocolate Caramel Shortbread

Make some shortbread in quite a deep baking tray...I can't remember the exact recipe I used   but it wasn't one using polenta as I don't see why its neccessary...but just use one you like!
I used the Carnation Recipe for the caramel filling
Basically 150g butter and brown sugar in a pan untill the sugar dissolves and then add the condensed milk and bring it slowly to the boil and tada! STIR ALL THE TIME. 

Tip this over your baked shortbread in its tin and once its set melt ample chocolate to cover the top, I used a darkish milk chocolate and then drizzled it with melted white chocolate once set.

Festive Muesli


Pesto with Sun Dried Tomatoes

• 50g pine nuts
• large bunch of basil
• 50g Parmesan 
• 150ml olive oil , plus extra for storing
• 2 garlic cloves 
• few sundried tomatoes in oil

Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan until golden .  Put everything into a blender and blitz untill smooth! Don't forget the garlic...I did and got all the way to putting it in the jar before realizing that that was why it tasted so bland...
I chuck in some sundried tomatoes and give it a last whizz before pouring it out into a jar (again) and topping with olive oil.

It'll keep for a longish time in the fridge like this!



Vanilla Snowflake Biscuits



I also made a orange and cranberry christmas cake!