Anything Alcoholic !!
Christmas Gifts
Well I hope you find something on this page (and previous pages) that gets you started, if you would like to see more Christmas foodie gift ideas, let me know I have really enjoyed researching this and have lots more in a file.
Turkish delight vodka
Now I am not dropping hints here, but if anyone wishes to makes these for my christmas present I would and will be delighted.
Ingredients
1l bottle vodka
1 tsp rosewater
1 tsp caster sugar
100g Turkish delight, chopped, plus a little extra for packaging
Method
Pour 100ml out of the vodka bottle – you can keep this in the freezer for Christmas cocktails. Mix the rose water and caster sugar together until the sugar dissolves, then pour into the vodka bottle using a funnel.
Wash any sugar off the Turkish delight, then put it in the bottle. Screw on the lid and leave to stand for up to a month, swirling occasionally until the Turkish delight dissolves. Serve with soda water and ice, or drizzle neat over vanilla ice cream for a boozy treat.
or
Christmas cream liqueur
this is so yummy you will want to make a few...one for you to keep and one for a present.
Ingredients
300g dulce de leche
1 tbsp instant coffee dissolved in 1 tbsp boiling water
1 tsp vanilla extract
300ml brandy
284ml/9½fl oz and 142ml/5fl oz pot single cream
Method
Spoon the dulce de leche into a bowl, then beat in the coffee, vanilla and brandy until smooth. Stir in both pots of cream until well mixed.
Pour into 1 large or several smaller sterilised bottles. This will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks. Drink in liqueur glasses or serve over ice.
or
Rumtopf (rum pot)
The tradition of the Rumtopf in Germany goes back centuries as a way to preserve fruits of the season. Now it has become a favorite way to celebrate any special occasion or to enjoy whenever you want the taste of delicious fruit soaked in rum. This is a Quick version so you can have it ready for Christmas. If you would like the more traditional version please let me know.
Ingredient
Canned sliced yellow cling peaches16 Ounce (1 Can)
Canned bartlett pear halves16 Ounce (1 Can)
Canned pineapple chunks15 1⁄2 Ounce (1 Can)
Canned mandarin oranges11 Ounce (1 Can)
Rum1 Cup (16 tbs)
Cinnamon stick1
Seedless raisins1⁄2 Cup (8 tbs)
Directions
Drain fruit reserving syrup in medium saucepan. Add rum and cinnamon stick to reserved syrup. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cool. Layer fruit and raisins in rumtopf pot or large jars. Pour syrup mixture over fruit. Refrigerate. Allow 1 week to mellow.
or
another version made with berries (well mostly)
There are many variations. Take this recipe as a more general blue print for your own recipe. The traditional way of making this beverage starts as early as the fresh fruit are available in spring / summer and ends with the last fresh fruit in autumn. But today you can make in "1-step", because you can get always fresh fruit in the supermarket.
INGREDIENTS
2lbs fruit (strawberries, plums, cherries, peaches, pears,
raspberries, currants, blueberries, gooseberries, ...)
1lb sugar
3 cups rum (54%)
DIRECTIONS
The general rule for making is: for 2 parts fruit you need 1 part sugar and approximately
3 cups Rum.
Wash fruit, pat dry and cut into bite sized pieces, if necessary. Measure them.
Add half of weight sugar, mix and let stand for about 1 hour. Fill fruit into your Rumtopf and add as much Rum, so that fruit are completely (fingerbreadth) covered.
Close Rumtopf and set aside in a cool place.
Repeat these steps with other fruit "until" your Rumtopf is completely filled or fresh fruit season is over.
Take care of your Rumtopf. Fill up with Rum if necessary. It is important that fruit are always completely covered.
After you have added the last "layer" fruit, sugar and Rum let stand for about 6 weeks. Enjoy.
NOTE: 1-step preparation. Use any kind of fruit you like. Use a good mixture of different fresh and ripe fruits. Prepare them as describe above. After you have put them into the Rumtopf cover them with Rum. The Rumtopf should be completely filled. Let stand for 6 weeks. Enjoy.
NOTE: let stand at least for 6 weeks or even more. And keep the Rumtopf always in a cool place.
NOTE on fruit: you can use almost any fruit, but use a mixture of different ones like stone fruit (plums, peaches, nectarines, cherries), berries (strawberries, gooseberries, cranberries, grape wine, and others), you can use figs, apples, pears. Just keep in mind that the fruit will be in the Rum for a long time, so the fruit should be firm enough.
NOTE: don't forget that as you can buy all the fresh fruit you need in one go at the supermarket, you can do it now and it will be ready in time for christmas. If you don't have a Rumtopf you can use any large jar or pot.
or
BLACKBERRY AND APPLE GIN
For a standard 750ml (1 pint) bottle of gin you will need 225g/8 oz of blackberries and you can use either fresh or frozen berries, whatever you can find, the same weight in apples (any type you like), a bay leaf and 200g/7 oz of caster (super fine) sugar.
you’ll need here are a sharp knife, a large jam/pickle jar (I tend to use the Kilner type as the wide mouth makes it easy to get the fruit in and out), cheesecloth/muslin or kitchen roll and a sieve to strain the liqueur and of course your little bottles for gifting.
Make sure that you sterilise all glassware before use by washing in hot soapy water and drying in a warm oven for 20 minutes. The same applies to lids.
Wash and dry the apples and rinse the berries. There is no need to peel or core the apples, simply roughly chop them and pack into the jar along with the berries.
Pop in the bay leaf and then add the sugar on top.
Now pour in the gin and pop on the lid tightly.
Give this a really good shake and put it in a dark cupboard for 4 weeks remembering to give it a shake every day for the first week to get all that sugar dissolved into the booze.
After four weeks the gin will be a gorgeous deep red colour and the fruit will look rather sad.
Now it’s time to strain the liqueur through the cheesecloth/muslin or paper lined sieve and decant it into those sterilised bottles ready for giving.
Make a pretty label and add a note saying that this is great serves either on its own as a shot (room temperature or ice cold – the choice is yours) or as a long drink with tonic or soda.
Blackberry And Apple Gin makes a great gift for foodie friends, it’s so easy to make and really tasty and unusual too.
or
Chestnuts in Cointreau & orange syrup
Ingredients
1½ kg chestnuts in shells, or 800g prepared chestnuts (vacuum-packed or from a jar)
1 orange
1 vanilla pod
250g granulated sugar
250g light brown sugar
100ml Cointreau
These chestnuts in scented syrup are delicious spooned over ice cream or whipped cream and mascarpone for a seasonal treat
Method
To peel the chestnuts, cut a nick in each one on the flat side. Put 6 on a plate and microwave for 1 min on High. Then, wearing rubber gloves, peel off the outer skin and inner brown membrane. Continue until all the chestnuts are peeled. (If you don’t have a microwave, you can roast the chestnuts in the oven at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 for 15-20 mins.) Put them in a pan, cover with water and bring to the boil, then simmer for 25 mins. Drain well.
Pare thin strips of zest from the orange using a vegetable peeler. Cut the vanilla pod in half lengthways. Put the orange strips, vanilla pod, sugars and 400ml water in a pan and bring slowly to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for about 15 mins until syrupy. Remove from the heat and stir in the Cointreau.
Pack the prepared chestnuts into sterilised jars and pour over the syrup to cover. Seal the jars. The chestnuts will keep in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months.
Boozy mincemeat
Ingredients
500g currant
500g muscatel or Californian raisin (or a mixture)
500g sultana
500g Bramley apple, peeled, cored and chopped fairly small
2x250g boxes shredded beef suet
100g whole blanched almond , coarsely chopped
350g natural demerara sugar
100g dark muscovado sugar
1 rounded tsp ground cinnamon
2 rounded tsp ground mixed spice
1 large, juicy lemon
250g whole mixed peel, chopped into small dice
125ml dark rum
125ml Disaronno Originale liqueur Disaronno
175ml French brandy
Method
Wash the dried fruit thoroughly in a colander under the cold tap (you may find it easier to do this in batches) - whatever it says on the packet, washing the fruit is something that should always done. Tip the fruit on to clean tea towels and dry by patting in the cloths.
Put the dried fruit in a very large bowl with the apples, suet, almonds, sugars and spices. Grate the zest of the lemon into the bowl, then squeeze in the juice. Tip in the peel and the alcohol.
Mix all the ingredients very thoroughly - it's easiest to do this with your (very clean) hands.
Cover and leave to stand for 24 hours, asking the family to stop and give it a good stir with a spoon when they pass by.
Pack the mincemeat into sterilised or dishwasher-clean jars (Kilner jars are ideal) and top with greaseproof paper jam covers. Seal the jars tightly and store in a cool place. The mincemeat will last from one year to the next, but's best used within 6 months.