Choc Strawberry Santa Hats - Cute Recipes For Xmas!

Ingredients (makes 24)

• 100g red glace cherries, finely chopped
• 400g sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup (250g) brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons glucose syrup
• 125g butter, chopped
• 180g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup (30g) shredded coconut
• 380g white chocolate, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup (125ml) cream
• 18 strawberries, stems removed

Method

Line a 20cm by 30cm slice pan with baking paper.

Place condensed milk, sugar, syrup and butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Cook, stirring, without boiling for 10 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is glossy.

Increase heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer, stirring. Cook, stirring constantly, for 6 minutes or until the mixture thickens and comes away from the sides of the saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in dark chocolate, cherries and coconut until combined and the chocolate has melted.

Working quickly, pour the mixture into the prepared slice pan and smooth the top. Be careful when trying to lick the remaining fudge from the saucepan as it will be hot… Refrigerate fudge for 30 minutes until slightly firm. The fudge should only be about 1cm high in the pan – if you are making the fudge on its own and wanted it to be a thicker slab, just use a smaller slice pan.

Using a 5cm round cutter, cut rounds of the fudge and place onto a plate or tray lined with baking paper. Set rounds aside.

To make whipped chocolate ganache for the hats, place the white chocolate and cream in a small saucepan and stir constantly over a low heat until chocolate has melted and mixture turns glossy. Place into a mixing bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Once ganache has fully cooled, beat at high speed for 2 minutes or until mixture resembles smooth whipped cream.

Place a tablespoon of ganache onto a round of chocolate fudge and use a spoon to smooth to the edge. Place a strawberry cut side down into the ganache and press down firmly. Then roll a small amount of the ganache into a ball (roughly 1cm in diameter) and place firmly onto the top of the strawberry. Repeat this process to make a scrumptious collection of Santa Hats. Refrigerate “Santa Hats” for 2 hours for fudge to go firm and ganache to set. Enjoy!

Simple Christmas Treats - Chocolate Candy-cane Hearts

These are one of my favorite simple Christmas treats.  A perfect addition to a plate of Christmas cookies, and so simple they are a project the kids can help with too.

You’ll need…

A box of mini candy canes (see “note” below)

White Chocolate

Semi-sweet Chocolate

Sprinkles

~Directions ~

1.  Place waxed paper liner on a baking sheet.

2.  Lay two mini candy canes next to each other, creating a heart.  Continue filling the baking sheet with heart shapes.

3.  Melt the white and semi-sweet chocolates (in separate bowls), using short intervals in the microwave, or in a double boiler.

4.  When the chocolates are melted, spoon or pour into a piping bag or thicker ziplock type bag. Cut off a tiny tip from the bag, and begin filling in the heart shapes with chocolate.  I like to use both flavors of chocolate for each heart.  So if I do a layer of white chocolate first, then after it cools a bit, I add a layer of semi-sweet chocolate on top.

5.  After adding both layers of chocolate, top with sprinkles of your choice.

6.  Set the baking sheet (of chocolate filled hearts) in a cool place (or the fridge) while the chocolate cools. Once cool, remove hearts from baking sheet and store in an airtight container.

NOTE-  I have found that the candy canes that work best for this project are ones with a dull finish (not shiny).  It seems candy canes with a shiny surface tend to get sticky after a day or two.

Christmas Trifle Recipe

Christmas Trifle Recipe 

Ingredients

• • 4 x 85g packets strawberry jelly crystals
  • 2 1/2 cups boiling water
  • 1/2 x 800g light fruit cake, cut into 3cm cubes
  • 2 tablespoons brandy (optional)
  • 2 cups Pauls Double Thick French Vanilla custard
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
  • 125g fresh strawberries, hulled, sliced
  • 300ml thickened cream
  • 1 teaspoon icing sugar mixture, sifted
  • 50g white chocolate, grated fresh raspberries and hulled, quartered strawberries, to decorate
  
  
• 1. Step 1
     Place jelly crystals in a heatproof bowl. Add boiling water. Stir to dissolve crystals. Stir in 400ml cold water. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until just starting to set (it should have a thick, syrupy consistency).
  2. Step 2
     Arrange cake in a 13 cup-capacity serving bowl. Drizzle with brandy, if using. Spoon half the jelly over top. Top with custard. Sprinkle with raspberries and strawberries. Spoon remaining jelly over top. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.
  3. Step 3
     Using an electric mixer, beat cream and sugar in a bowl until soft peaks form. Fold through chocolate. Spoon mixture over trifle. Top with raspberries and strawberry quarters. Serve. You could use leftover fruit cake or pudding in this trifle. Pauls Double Thick custard is twice as thick as pouring custard, and ideal for the whole family. Check out the handy resealable pack for recipe suggestions. You could replace brandy with orange juice. Top trifle with grated chocolate.

Christmas Stawberry Santas - Made with Fresh Stawberry & Fresh Cream!

Christmas Strawberry Santas

HOW TO MAKE

250g strawberries
Can of whipped cream or whipped cream and a piping bag (whichever you prefer)
Some sesame seeds or Choc Drops for decoration.

SIMPLE ASSEMBLY... 

Wash and remove the green top from the strawberries, making sure the bottom is nice and flat to stand on.

Cut the tips off , then standing each on their large flat end apply a small squirt of cream, place the tip on top of the cream and then apply a tiny amount to the top for the Pom Pom on Santa’s hat.

Use three sesame seeds or choc drops for his eyes and mouth.

There you have it a plate full of Strawberry Santa’s

Easy isn't it.

Vodka Jelly Shots!

Jelly Shots

Makes 40

 

Ingredients

Packet of Aeroplane Jelly x 2 - whatever flavour you like

250ml x 2 of boiling water

100ml x 2 of cold water

100ml x 2 of alcohol of your choice - rum / vodka / etc

Cooking spray - optional

Plastic shot glasses - I found mine in a Discount Store $2.50 for a pack of 20

 

Method

Empty jelly packet mix into a bowl and add 250ml of boiling water and stir well until dissolved.

Then add 200ml of the cold water / alcohol mix and stir in - For the Raspberry Vodka I did a half and half mix so 100ml of water and 100ml of vodka. For the other batch Lime Rum I made stronger with 80ml of water and 120ml of rum. Both set the same but the rum ones did taste stronger.

Pour the mix into a jug and then pour into each cup and fill almost to the top place in fridge and once set they are ready to serve. 

*You can spray the shot glasses with spray on oil to prevent sticking... otherwise serve with a toothpick decorated with a peice of fruit so people can easily remove it.