All the homemade Christmas people over here please, lets share our ideas :)

[BabyDubsEverywhere]

Do we have a 'Homemade Christmas Thread' going yet? Ive linked to last years below, I am determined to MAKE MAKE MAKE this year and bugger the responses

I need a fail safe mulled wine kit to give people please if anyone can help, Thankyou :)

Last years thread!

Where are you getting all of these recipies from?

Just thought Id stop buy and check out the progress, I have just written my list for shopping tonight, all for the homemade hampers, so excited :) I have orange and lemon slices drying in the oven and the smell is amazing :) This is probably the skintest I have even been at Christmas but its going to be fabulous I know it :)

I have had a brain fart.

I make Jaffa Cake muffins, which arfe divine, but i can't help but wonder... could i make Mince Pie muffins, or would they be grim?

Jaffa cake muffins are basically muffins with a hidden inside of shredless marmalade, topped with chocolate. I thought i could replace the marmalade with mincemeat, and top with a good dusting of icing sugar - what do you think???

That's better than a brain fart! It's a glitter explosion. Make a tray - I'm happy to be a tester

If i get time, i may do some tomorrow - but tomorrow is Christmas baking/making day - the christmas cakes first, then the homemade mincemeat...

Ooooohhhh....another brain fart.... what about instead of icing sugar, a brandy butter buttercream swirl.... or would that be too rich?

That sounds luscious! Bearing in mind my mince pie of choice has a thick layer of Fondant icing on instead of a pastry top. [fat bloater emoticon needed]

deemented I often make mince meat muffins for kidlets teachers at Christmas but the recipe I use stirs a jar of mincemeat into the muffin batter so that the whole becomes infused with the Christmassy spiciness and studded with the fruit mmmmmmm mmmmmmmm But I think a mincemeat filling would also be very good, never thought of jaffa cake ones but am partial to a Jam doughnut one with jam in the middle and cinnamon sugar on the top

I'm thinking of making these mincepie biscuits. Do you think they sound nice?

allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/5897/luxury-mincemeat-biscuits.aspx

Can't quite work out if they're going to be like an English biscuit/American cookie or like English cake/American biscuit!

They sound yum! Maybe you could have a couple of trial runs to see what they come out like - cake/biscuit?

I made my first teacup pincushion last night! I have a photo that I'm going to attempt to upload later - I could do with suggestions of anything else to add to it. It currently has 3 decorative pins in it and a mini pair of scissors charm tied onto the handle.

deemented - I've made those before. they are excellent if you make plain vanilla cupcakes base, or a banana cake base with mincemeat is good too.

oh, i can't wait to buy my first jar of mincemeat, it really marks the start of christmas! must hold off though, as have hellish few weeks at work to get through first!

Kveta - make your own - i'm hoping to do that today, if i've time. I'm doing the Delia recipe, and it looks really simple, so fingers crossed it's good!

I've currently got a Christmas cake in the oven, and it smells divine!!

I'm going to feed it with Brandy fortnightly, then Christmas week, i'll cut it into smaller squares and marzipan and ice them, ready to go into the hampers. Only problem is, i'm not sure how to present them - do i find a nice box, or cellophane?

deemented I'm trying to get some advice about making a Christmas cake, and am leaping on the fact you are making yours today! Do you soak your fruit beforehand? And I take it that I need to get on with it, as I wasn't sure how far in advance I need to make it? Thanks muchly. I might make my own mincemeat too (all inspired now ).

I haven't soaked my fruit beforehand tbh, as i'm not a big alcohol lover, and i'll be feeding it with brandy, so i didn't see a need.

Do you need a recipe? I'm only making mine now as i have ton of things to be getting on with, and it's another job out of the way, iyswim?

Can also give you my mincemeat recipe as well if you'd like it?

I've got Delia's recipe for traditional cake, but will use amaretto soak. I would love your mincemeat recipe, thanks .

FreakoidOrganisoid - I spied that too and want to have a go at making it. It can't be thaaaaaaat difficult!

It's actually Delia's as well - here you go.

Hello all,

I've just made the Lemon Sugar Scrub! I used light olive oil, and essential lemon oil. It's rather nice, but very abrasive. I suppose that's the whole point, but I'm wondering about putting something else in to soften it a bit - maybe some honey, or is that totally bonkers?

Bought a 500ml kilner jar from Wilkinson's for £2. It's quite big, so I'm thinking of getting 300ml ones for the next batch.

I have actually started my Christmas planning - feels weird .

i made 3x rumtopfs yesterday - fruit, rum, sugar. Kilner jars £3 for 3 at Asda. Figured Id do a nice label and a bit of artful rafia/ribonage at the top, et voila, a nice boozy gift for under a fiver.

OOOHHH.. Can I have the recipie for the Lemon sugar scrub please? That is right up my street.

I've spent all afternoon looking after my delightful children playing around on pinterest and making my own boards :o

FagAsh, I got the Lemon Sugar Scrub recipe from this thread - sorry, can't remember who posted it:

20oz of sugar

8 fl oz of Virgin Olive Oil

4 tbsp of lemon oil



Mix well & this makes 2 good sized jars.



I used half these amounts as I only had one 500ml jar. Also, I used lemon essential oil and didn't need nearly as much as 4 tbsps, but other people have suggested using lemon juice.

I'm going to use lavender oil for the next batch - once I've found some more jars ...

Sorry about all those random numbers - I have no idea what happened there!

Try again:

20oz sugar
8 fl oz Virgin Olive Oil
4 tbsp Lemon oil

The other suggestion, which I forgot to add before, is to use light olive oil rather than the full-bodied, stronger-flavoured stuff.

Thank you CJ. Have copied and pasted ready for when I get some sugar and lemon oil.

Hattifatner, how big are the asda jars you mention?

Ooh, making pressies is one of my favourite parts of Christmas. Last year I did fudge (disastrous), seed packets filled with seeds from my garden, something else foodie but I can't remember what and DH did beer. It was all in plain cotton shopping bags which DD1 decorated.

This year my crafty projects are an advent calendar and stockings for DD1 and DD2 and I might make stollen again for all my cousins. I use the Waitrose recipe but make two smaller ones instead of one big one.

I'm also planning on making some body scrubs, I've made some before but I prefer grapeseed oil to olive oil. I thought about making soap but it looks a bit tricky and I've got so much else on at the moment.

I might do lebkuchen as well and I'm going to do some gingerbread men for the DDs' stockings. It's all going to be very Stepford traditional.