Christmas Gifts for Foodies

Video HERE

Red Wine Ganache

4tbsp Red Wine*
200g Milk Chocolate
100g Plain Chocolate
120ml Double Cream
Pinch of Salt
Red Sprinkles
*Choose something with a lot of flavour, it needs to stand against chocolate after all. You could even go for a white wine, prosecco or Champagne

1. Put the wine in a small pan and simmer gently until reduced by half.*
2. Melt the chocolate and cream together in a bain marie or microwave.
3. Stir the wine and salt into the chocolate until smooth.
4. Pour into a lined tin then leave to cool to room temperature.
5. Cover the top with a layer of sprinkles** then transfer to the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours - the wine will make these a rather soft-set ganache.***
6. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

*You could use a rich port or other fortified wine instead of reducing one.
**If these are going to be around for any length of time, or if they're going to be taken out and then returned to the refrigerator, you may want to leave the sprinkles off until serving because a difference in temperature can cause condensation to wash out the colour.
***Alternatively you can tip the ganache into a piping bag, cool to room temp then pipe into moulded shapes, which is probably a better option if they're going to be sitting out for any length of time.

Candied Peel

Citrus Peel*
Caster Sugar

1. Cut the peel into pieces - I had some in 1/2" squares and some in sticks for dipping in chocolate.
2. Put the peel in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 25 minutes.**
3. Drain, then use a cup to measure over enough cold water to cover the peels. Dry the cup, then measure the same amount of sugar into the pan.
4. Heat, stirring, until the sugar melts.
5. Add a sugar thermometer and boil until the syrup reaches 115C/240F.
6. Drain the peels, then scatter onto a sugared plate and toss to coat.***
7. Spread the peels on a wire rack to dry for a couple of hours before transferring to a jar.

*You may find it easier to stockpile your peel in the freezer until you have a decent amount - about 2 cups is good.
**Some recipes have you bring the peel to a boil, then drain, cover and repeat a couple of times. I find that this way works better for orange, the other for lemon - depending on the time you have in the kitchen.
***When completely covering these in chocolate I don't bother sugaring, but spread the peels pith-side up on a plate and leave them in the fridge until dry to the touch before dipping. If you're just dipping one end then you'll need the sugar.

Shortbread

For someone with hot hands, like me, pastry recipes (IE. those that are mostly flour and butter and require handling to roll or cut into shape) are a trial. Whilst hot mitts make bread making easy they really make a mess of pastry. I love making shortbread, but regularly find it turns into a greasy mess - until I found this recipe which needs absolutely no hand-contact (if you have a food processor)... until you stuff them into your mouth, that is.

300g Plain Flour
60g Rice/Corn Flour*
250g Butter, fridge cold, cubed
115g Caster Sugar + 2-3tbsp
85g Flavouring**

Preheat Oven 170C/325F/GM3

1. Line 2x 20cm (8") tins (or a 30x20cm square pan (12x8")).
2. Mix the flours in a bowl (or in a processor for the hot-handed) then rub in the butter (process in pulses until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs).
3. Stir in the sugar and flavouring (Quickly pulse in the processor to mix but avoid chopping the pieces too small).
4. Divide between tins and press very firmly*** with a spoon, then prick with a fork.
5. Score into segments then bake for 35-40 minutes until golden.
6. Re-score whilst hot then dust with more sugar and leave to cool in the tins.

*Rice flour helps make these crisp, cornflour does as well, but not as well.
**Glace Fruits, Candied Peel, Raisins, Chocolate Chips, Chopped Nuts... whatever you like.
***More than you think it needs. I use 2 matching tins and use the bottom of one to compress the other, THEN press firmly with the back of a spoon. If a lot of crumbs pop up when you start pricking with a fork then it needs more pressing.

Biscotti

This biscotti recipe fits neatly into a 1ltr Kilner jar. It's a great gift to give to someone who doesn't bake often, and simple enough for a baking novice - also tasty with a mug of coffee.

The basic ratio for 1 Egg: (Makes about 20)
100g Plain Flour
75g Sugar
50-70g Dried Fruit/Choc Chips
50g Nuts
3g Baking Powder

Some flavour variations:

Christmas (Orange & Cranberry)
Use a combination of almonds and hazelnuts, peel and dried cranberries
Replace half the sugar with light brown sugar
Add 1tsp mixed spice

Black Forest
Use a combination of hazelnuts and Brazil's, dried cherries and dark chocolate chips
Replace half the sugar with light brown sugar and 25-30g flour with cocoa
Add 1-1/2tsp Cinnamon

Nut-otti
Use a combination of sultanas and milk choc chips
Use all hazelnuts - best if roasted first
Dip cooked biscotti in warm Nutella, then scatter with chopped nuts

Jar Instructions:*

1. Preheat your Oven to 140C/GM4.
2. Empty the contents of the jar into a sieve and shake the flour through.
3. Add 1 egg.
4. Stir until it starts to come together, then use your hands to incorporate all the flour. [DO NOT ADD ANY LIQUID]
5. Add the fruit and nuts and knead until evenly mixed.
6. Transfer to a floured tray and shape into a rough log 30cm (12") long.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes until risen and brown.
8. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
9. Reduce oven to 110C/GM1.
10. Slice into 1.5cm (1/2") pieces and arrange on the baking sheet cut-side up.
11. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn over and bake for a further 15 minutes until crisp and dry.
12. Wash out the jar and these biscotti will keep well inside for a month or more.

*Normal baking - Put the flour, sugar, baking powder (and spice, if using) into a bowl then continue from stage 3.

Merry Christmas from the Dragon Shed.

Paper Christmas!

[Title Pic to follow!]

This is what happens when a crafter is confined to quarters by a back injury... 12 days of -somewhat- traditional paper decorations.

1. Polish* Spiky Ball

*Apparently these are a traditional Polish decoration... I 'borrowed' the idea from another YouTuber... I think it was YoYoMax12... This one is a little fiddly, but worth it in the long run.

You will need:
10x 2" circles of printed paper or thin card
Scissors
Pointed tool
Needle and thread
Small beads

Method

1. Fold each circle into 8 then cut along the creases leaving about 1/2" in the centre.
2. Fold and roll each segment around a pencil*.
3. Thread a bead onto a doubled-up length of thread then sew through the middle of the first paper circle from the pattern side.
4. Sew through the rest of the circles from the plain side.
5. Separate the thread and add another bead to one side then tie the ends together, pulling the thread tight.
6. Add a knot to the end of the thread and trim the end.

*If making a big one or using card you'll need to glue them in place.

2. 2-Tone Star

A really quick and visually interesting decoration that can be scaled up to however much paper you have.

You will need:
Decorative paper (double-sided or plain backed printed craft paper)
Ruler
Scissors
Glue Stick
Needle and thread
Small bead

Method:

1. Cut your paper into 6 equal squares.
2. Fold each square in half diagonally and cut as shown - depending on the size cut between 3 and 6 slots.
3. Unfold the paper and glue together the corners alternating direction. Repeat with each square.
4. Knot a bead onto the end of your thread. Line the squares up and sew through the bottom corner of each one, then bring the thread together through the button and tie off.
5. Bring the thread up along the middle of one arm and stitch through the top corner, then make a loop to hang on the tree, tie a knot and trim the excess.

3. Poinsettia Flower

Dainty little flowers are rather traditional in paper quilling, but this one is far from traditional - and not at all dainty. Using bold coloured paper and a touch of metallic paint makes a decoration that will stand up against all the other gaudiness hanging on your tree this year.

You will need:
Red and Green Paper*
Ruler, Craft Knife and Cutting Mat
Quilling Tool
Glue Stick
PVA Glue
Cork Board or Foam Mat (ideally covered with plastic)
Pins
Needle and Thread
Metallic Acrylic Paint and a Sponge or Q-tip

*I used three different shades of red and only one of green, but you can go for a solid colour or graduated on either petals or leaves or both.

Method:

1. First cut your paper into 3/4" (2cm) strips along its length. You will need 25 red and 15 green.
2. Stick together 5 strips of red and 3 of green.
3. Roll the strips with a quilling tool, release the tension and glue the end before squeezing the ends to make an eye shape.
4. Pin each petal to your board, drawing the centre of the roll down towards the middle and apply a line of glue from the centre to the bottom.
5. Glue each leaf between the petals, holding everything in place with more pins. Leave to dry completely.
6. Once dry sew through the top of one petal then tie off a loop.
7. Add a little metallic paint to the edges of the petals and leaves on both sides. Leave to dry before hanging on the tree.

4. Holly Sprig

These are very simple to put together, but really pack a punch - particularly with added flare from glitter or acrylic gold.

You will need:
Green and red paper
Craft knife, ruler and cutting board
Quilling Tool
Glue Stick
Cork or foam board covered with plastic
Pins
PVA or Hot Glue
Hanging Thread
Metallic Acrylic Paint and a sponge or Q-tip

Method:

1. For each leaf (I made 3) cut 15 strips of green paper to about 3/4" (2cm) wide. Glue them into a long strip.
2. For each berry (I made 5) cut 4 strips of red to the same width.*
3. Roll each green strip tightly, then release and allow to sit and settle on a smooth surface before gluing the end.
4. Pinch each end, then make a few more points by pinching along the sides.
5. Pin each leaf onto the board, pushing in where necessary to create the holly shape. Add a line of PVA along the spine of the leaf, then out to the points.
6. Roll each berry tightly then stick in place at the top of the leaves (I like 2 leaves with 3 cherries on one side and 1 leaf with 2 on the other) Leave to dry completely.
7. Using PVA or hot glue stick the leaves together good-sides out, trapping a loop of knotted thread between the layers. Leave to dry completely.
8. Apply a light touch of acrylic or glitter around the edges of the leaves and cherries and leave to dry before hanging.

*I only had 1 shade of green, but multiple in red and chose to go random with the berries. The choice is up to you.

5. Snowmen

 This ornament is made up of simple, classic quilling rolls... I don't think you need a full step-by-step for this one, but I will give you the roll sizes and details...

Hat - 1xA4 (Colour+Contrast) - Loose roll pinched into an uneven rectangle.
Hat Rim - 1/2xA4 (Colour) - Loose roll pinched into long rectangle.
Scarf - 3x 1/4xA4 (2xColour 1xContrast) - Loose roll pinched into square.
+ 2 small strips for the scarf tails.
Head - 5xA4 (White) - Tight roll.
Body - 10xA4 (White) - Tight roll.
Arms - 2x 1/2xA4 (White) - Loose roll pinched into teardrops.

6. Gifts

Another simple design. I'll give you the parts again and let you follow the video for instructions.

Quarters - 3xA4 (Mixed or graduated colours) - Loose roll pinched into a square.
Ribbon Sections - 4x 1/2xA4 (Contrast) - Loose roll pinched into long rectangle.
Ribbon Centre - 1/4xA4 (Contrast) - Loose roll pinched into square.
Ribbon Loop and Knot - 1x1/2A4 and 2x1/4A4 - Hand-rolled and shaped.

7. Trees

This one looks complicated, but as with all things, once you break it down to its component parts it is really very simple. You will deffinitely need a foam or cork board for this one, hand-gluing so many pieces can be frustrating without it.

Star - 5x 1/3xA4 (Yellow) - Loose roll pinched into a teardrop.
Baubles - 8x 1/8xA4 (Red and Orange) - Tight roll.
Tree Trunk - 1/2xA4 (Brown or Green) - Loose roll pinched into a rectangle.
Branches - Top - 2x 1/2A4 (Green) - Loose roll pinched into triangle.
2nd Row - 2x 1xA4 (Green) - Loose roll pinched into paralelogram.
3rd Row - 2x 1 1/2xA4 (Green) - Loose roll pinched into paralelogram.
4th Row and onwards add 1/2 a strip to each row and continue the pattern.

8. Angels 

These seem complicated, but they're really only fiddly. A pin board is a definite must to pin all the pieces together whilst they glue.

Halo - 1/2xA4 (Yellow) - Loose roll shaped into a crescent around the Head.
Head - 1xA4 (Pink) - Tight Roll.
Upper Body - 1xA4 (White) - Loose roll shaped around the Hands.
Hand - 2x 1/8xA4 (Pink) - Tight roll squeezed into an oval.
Belt - 1x 1/4xA4 (Yellow) - Loose roll pinched into an oblong.
Skirt - 1x 2xA4 (White) - Loose roll pinched square at the top.
Wings - 6x 1xA4 (White and yellow shades) - Loose roll pinched into long teardrops.

9. Garlands 

Now, a garland is a pretty way to hang chains of small flowers around your tree, and an easy way to build quilled flowers if you don't have much time or skill. These are great for children, or you can roll dozens of petals from scrap paper whenever you're watching TV.

There is no set way to build these, you only need a length of string or narrow ribbon, some glue and paper quills. You can either tie the ribbon around a central roll and then glue the petals around it or make a number of flowers and then string them through with a knot either side to stop them slipping, the choice is up to you. Use a ruler or the width of your hand to space them out and simply carry on until you run out of paper or string.

10. Baubles

Before you start to make this kind of bulk rolling project I always advise making up a Puck. Simply layers of white paper strips with a strip of colour every 10. The coloured rings help you to gage the number of strips you will need for a given project - and give you a rough idea of how many of each colour you will need for even layers.

For the yellow bauble I used multiples of 3 (6 strips of the lightest colour, followed by 9, 12 and 15)
The red is in 5's and both have a single strip of A4 for the ferroul(probably the wrong term) on the top - thread through your string from the bottom so that the loose ends are held in place by glue as well as knot.

After the second colour I added a loose roll of white (3 strips) to create a shine effect.

Once rolled you can apply a thin layer of PVA to the front and back to help ond everything together and create a shiny finish.

11. Bells 

Now these are deceptively simple... just 40 strips of A4 quilled together then pushed into shape. I would suggest making a Puck, as described above and on the video - so that you have an idea of exactly how many strips you need.

A few notes:

• You cannot glue the strips down until the end so I would suggest that you put them together in lots of 10 or 12 to make the twisting easier.
• When you're happy with the shape run 2 or 3 lines of glue along the inside to hold the layers in place.
• If adding bells on the inside I suggest you thread each bell individually then tie the loose ends into a loop, don't try and do it in one like I did.
• You can - and probably should - paint the outside with gold acrylic, which will also help to hold the layers together.

12. Candles

(Small typo... didn't realize until I started editing.)
This decoration is the culmination of all the skills I've demonstrated so far. Threading through from the bottom without gluing the flame into place helps add movement, but if you're having trouble with the threading you can just tie a loop an knot it under the flame then make sure it's stuck securely to the candle body, which is quite heavy.

Cradle - 40x 1xA4 (Yellow shades) Tight roll shaped into cup and glued.
Candle - 10x 1xA4 [2 1/2" (7cm) wide]  (White shades, with Cream on the end) Tight roll.
Handle - 4x 1xA4 (Yellow) Loose roll, twisted out.
Flame - 3x 1xA4 (Red through yellow shades) Tight roll, glued and trimmed into shape.

Have fun exploring what shapes you can make and combine for your own crafts and decorations.

Merry Christmas,

Vix