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Thinking of buying a picnic hamper for a Christmas gift? Why not make these 3 easy recipes below to place inside, adding a personal touch to your Greenfield Collection gifts that the recipient will love!
Strawberry Jam Recipe
Ingredients
- 900 g strawberries
- 1 kg jam sugar
- juice of ½ lemon
- Jam Jars with metal lids
- Wax discs
Method
- Pre-heat oven to 160’c.
- Remove the stalks and slice up the strawberries into chunks.
- Add the strawberries and lemon juice to the pan, using a medium heat to cook them for 2-4 minutes.
- Turn down to a low heat and add the jam sugar, stirring until all the sugar has dissolved.
- Turn heat up to boiling point and let it bubble for 6 minutes.
- Using a spoon, take a small amount of the jam mixture out and place in the refrigerator for several minutes. Take out and press the jam with your finger. If it wrinkles up then it is ready, if not, then continue to boil the mixture and repeat the testing process again.
- Take pan off the heat, scoop out any froth on top and leave to cool for 15 minutes.
- While the mixture is cooling, place the clean, empty jam jars and lids onto a baking tray and leave in the oven for 15 minutes also.
- Using oven gloves, remove the jars and spoon in the mixture until almost full. Place the wax disk on top and screw on the lid tight. As the mixture cools down, this will create a vacuum and seal the jar.
- Use sticky labels, fabric, ribbon or string to personalise the jar.
Shortbread Recipe
Simple, yet delicious shortbread biscuits are loved by many and go perfectly with a nice warming cuppa! Take a look below at our easy recipe. You could even add some dried cranberries, chocolate chips or a sprinkle of cinnamon to give them extra festive flavours!
Ingredients
- 180 g plain flour
- 130 g butter
- 60 g caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method
- Pre-heat oven to 180’c
- Grease a baking tray with a small amount of butter
- Using a sieve to ensure there are no clumps, pour the flour into a bowl.
- Add the butter and sugar. Use your fingers to work the mixture together.
- Add the vanilla extract.
- Roll mixture into a big dough ball, and then using a rolling pin roll out to be about half a cm thick.
- Cut out circles using a cookie cutter.
- Place on a baking tray then with a fork or skewer, prick several holes in the top.
- Leave in refrigerator for half an hour before placing in the oven.
- Bake for 10-15mins. Checking regularly. Cooking time will vary according to the thickness of your biscuits.
- Once they start to turn slightly golden on the edges, take out of the oven.
- Sprinkle with sugar and leave to cool on a cooling rack.
Chocolate Truffle Recipe
Truffles are an all time favourite treat at Christmas. If you want to show someone you care, why not make your own? See our recipe below for a super simple recipe that will be sure to tantalise the tastebuds of any chocolate lover.
Ingredients
- 200g of dark baking chocolate chopped up into small pieces
- 150ml double cream
- 25g butter
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
Method
- Pour cream and butter into a heat-proof bowl and place in a saucepan of water, heating until the butter and cream are warm., being careful not to boil the mixture.
- Add the chocolate and briefly stir in.
- Take off heat and leave it for a few minutes for the chocolate to melt.
- Carry on stirring until the mixture is of even colour.
- Allow to cool to room temperature before transferring to a refrigerator to set for 1-2 hours.
- Once cooled, the mixture should be firm enough to shape. Using a spoon, ice cream scoop or melon baller, scrape out the desired size and with your hands roll into a ball.
- Place on a baking tray and dust with either coco powder, desiccated coconut or shelled pistachio nuts, depending on your preference.
- Place back in the fridge for another hour to set and enjoy!
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