More christmas presents

Gingerbread syrup

PREP: 5 MINS COOK: 5 MINS EASY MAKES 500ML

This simple syrup makes a lovely homemade gift and adds a festive flavour to drinks and desserts - stir into hot chocolate, warm apple juice or Prosecco, or drizzle over ice cream

300g golden caster sugar

1 tbsp ground ginger

1 cinnamon stick

edible gold glitter (optional)

To decorate

1 cinnamon stick

ribbon

Put the golden caster sugar, 200ml water and ground ginger into a saucepan. Add the cinnamon stick and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer for 5 mins until the sugar has dissolved, then stir in a little edible gold glitter, if you like. Pour into a 500ml sterilised bottle

To decorate, tie a cinnamon stick around the neck with a pretty ribbon, if you like. Will keep for up to 1 year.

Lasagne recipe kit

PREP: 1 HR COOK: 35 MINS MORE EFFORT MAKES 2

Package up a homemade lasagne kit to give as a gift to those who need a culinary confidence boost or keen cooks who need a break from the kitchen

250g pack dried lasagne sheets

2 x 400g tin whole cherry tomatoes (I used Biona organic)

2 x 187ml bottle red wine

2 x 80g packs grated Parmesan

For the seasoning sachets

4 tbsp dried wild mushrooms

2 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp light brown sugar

1 tsp dried oregan

For the slow-cooked onions

4 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, sliced

3 garlic cloves, crushed

For the béchamel sauce jars

100g butter

100g plain flour

1l whole milk

2 bay leaves

grating of nutmeg

You will also need

sticky tape

string or ribbon and wrapping paper

gift tags and a pen, for labelling

2 x 18 x 25 x 6cm lasagne dishes

2 x 135ml jars

2 x 500ml jars

Open the pack of lasagne sheets and divide between two large pieces of greaseproof paper. Wrap into 2 parcels and secure with sticky tape then wrap in wrapping paper and tie with string or ribbon, adding a label, if you like. Place each parcel into a lasagne dish along with a tin of tomatoes and a bottle of wine.

To make the seasoning sachet, place the dried mushrooms into a small food processor. Blitz until finely chopped then transfer to a small bowl. Stir in the remaining sachet ingredients and mix well then divide between 2 pieces of tin foil. Fold the foil parcels up to contain the mushroom and spice mix inside then wrap each one in wrapping paper. Label and place into the lasagne dishes.

Sterilise your jars and keep warm until needed (see tip). Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a low heat then add the onion and cook gently for 20 mins until really soft. Stir in the garlic and heat for a further 5 mins. Divide the hot onions between the smaller jars, seal and leave to cool.

Now make the béchamel sauce. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the flour and mix really well. Add the milk gradually until you have a smooth sauce then add the bay leaves. Simmer gently and allow to thicken, then season well with salt, black pepper and nutmeg. Divide between the large jars making sure a bay leaf goes into each one. Seal, leave to cool then label as ‘Béchamel sauce’. Once cool, refrigerate the jars until needed then add one to each lasagne dish along with a pack of Parmesan. Write or print out the recipe below and fix to a gift tag.

Crunchy peanut & toffee bonbons

PREP: 30 MINS COOK: 5 MINS plus chilling EASY MAKES ABOUT 30

Serve these gorgeous peanut butter and milk chocolate balls as a party buffet sweet treat, or wrap up as an edible gift

100g smooth peanut butter

50g softened butter

140g icing sugar

2 Dime or other toffee bars, chopped

100g milk chocolate, chopped

100g salted toasted peanuts, chopped

Put the peanut butter, butter and sugar in a food processor. Pulse until it comes together. Add the toffee and pulse again. Remove and, using the palms of your hands, roll mixture into small balls. Place on a tray. Chill for 30 mins.

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl in the microwave on High for 1 min or set over a pan of boiling water (make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water). Using a fork, dip the balls, one at a time, until half covered in chocolate. Roll in the peanuts. Put on a tray lined with baking parchment and leave to harden (about 2 hrs).

Store between layers of baking parchment in a covered container and keep chilled. Will keep for 1 week in an airtight container.

Macadamia & cranberry American cookies

PREP: 20 MINS COOK: 12 MINS EASY MAKES 55

These freezable biscuits are completely irresistible and make a great gift for kids to give to teachers or grandparents

3 x 200g/7oz white chocolate bars, chopped

200g butter

2 egg

100g light muscovado sugar

175g golden caster sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

350g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

100g dried cranberry

100g macadamia nut, chopped

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Melt 170g of the chocolate, then allow to cool. Beat in the butter, eggs, sugars and vanilla, preferably with an electric hand whisk, until creamy. Stir in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and cranberries with two-thirds of the remaining chocolate and macadamias, to make a stiff dough.

Using a tablespoon measure or a small ice-cream scoop, drop small mounds onto a large baking dish, spacing them well apart, then poke in the reserved chocolate, nuts and berries. Bake in batches for 12 mins until pale golden, leave to harden for 1-2 mins, then cool on a wire rack.

To freeze, open-freeze the raw cookie dough scoops on baking trays; when solid, pack them into a freezer container, interleaving the layers with baking parchment. Use within 3 months. Bake from frozen for 15-20 mins.

Chewy cranberry choc-nut cookie kit

ready in 15 mins EASY MAKES 1 GIFT JAR

Fill a glass jar with the ingredients for fruity macadamia and white chocolate chip biscuits and present as a gift

1 large (1 litre approx) jar - Kilner or with a good screw lid

100g caster sugar

100g light muscovado sugar

250g self-raising flour

85g macadamia nut, roughly chopped

85g dried cranberry

100g white chocolate chip, buttons, or roughly chopped chunks

Clean the jar and dry well. Layer in the ingredients, starting with the caster sugar, followed by the muscovado, flour, nuts, cranberries and finally finishing with the white chocolate. Close the jar, then add a label with baking instructions, plus a ribbon or pretty cover if you like.

Add the following instructions to your label:

Beat 200g soft butter with 1 large egg,

then tip in the contents of the jar.

Mix together with a wooden spoon.

Space about 25 blobs of dough well apart on baking

sheets and cook for 12-14 minutes at 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

Malty choc chip cookies

PREP: 15 MINS COOK: 10 MINS EASY MAKES 20

Try these easy, chewy chocolate chip cookies with malted milk - pop in the biscuit tin or cookie jar for up to 5 days

140g butter, softened

50g golden caster sugar

100g soft light brown sugar

2 medium eggs

200g plain flour

175g malted milk drink powder (we used Horlicks)

½ tsp baking powder

100g bar dark chocolate, chopped

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment. Beat the butter and sugars in a bowl until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time.

Add the flour, malted milk drink powder, baking powder and a good pinch of salt, then stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a dough. Tip out onto the work surface and gently knead in the chocolate. Divide the mixture into 20 pieces, roughly the size of a whole walnut. Roll each piece into a ball and place on the baking trays, leaving plenty of room for the cookies to spread. Flatten each ball slightly with your hand.

Bake for 10-12 mins until starting to turn golden brown on the edges. Remove from the oven, leave on the baking tray for 5 mins to cool slightly then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Will keep in a cake tin or cookie jar for up to 5 days.