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

[BabyDubsEverywhere]

OLD THREAD

We were all on about pinterest, jars, and where we are up to in our christmas planning :)

Lets go...

I don't think that's possible because the two halves are tightly packed together and the filling, as it is, isn't that thick. I don't think the Oreo would hold together if you tried jabbing the stick in but I might have a go just in case! I ended up dolloping on the melted chocolate on one side and then just drew scary faces on it once they'd set in the fridge - kids loved them anyway - I mean what's not to like about an Oreo biscuit partially smothered with thick white chocolate on a stick

Truffle fillings: 300g good chocolate in a double boiler with 100ml double cream. Melt slowly, mix, pour into silicone ice cube trays and leave in freezer to set. Pop out when frozen and bag up for later. You can add flavours at the melting stage. I have had lovely results with oils from here and with alcohol (including home-made chilli voddy) but you MUST add alcohol to cream first or it will make the chocolate seize - very frustrating when it happens! You can also infuse the cream first by gently heating it with herbs, etc in it and leaving it to stand for 30 mins. 2 bay leaves, 10 crushed cardamom pods and the zest only of 1 lemon makes a lovely addition to an all white truffle. When it comes to coating I find white choc easy to work with and it can be coloured with special choc colouring (never with bottles of standard food colour as this will make it seize). I am, however, a disaster at keeping other chocolates' temper (or mine) and prefer to drop them once coated in cocoa powder, real hot chocolate (ie finely grated chocolate) or a smashed up Flake, roll them around and then leave to dry. This is fun for the kids to do too.

I gave truffles with miniatures of home-made booze last year - the bottles came from here and I used the Avery labels that come 21 to a sheet. On the chilli vodka I used transparent labels with mirror writing so the label was read through the vodka. Just because...
I'd love to hear what flavour combo's people come up with by the way - always on the lookout for new ideas

Right Lemon Hand Scrub attempt too was a success and was placed in an old Jam Jar and coloured peach :) and is looking lovely, Snowman Soup and Brown Body Scrub made, now it's just the Brownie in a Jar to do and my vodka!!

Is it ethical to put a Brownie in a jar? Although the little brown uniforms do look cute...

I just spat my leftover lasagne at my screen

Well...just a small brownie, she won't mind

Hello everyone. I have just started my Milkybar and Mint Aero vodkas - smell Lush.

I went to pick up a parcel that had been sitting at the sorting office for a fortnight yesterday. I thought it was a book I had ordered hence it sitting there for so long.

Turns out my lovely lovely Aunt has sent me a carrier bag stuffed with loads of off cuts of gorgeous fabrics. They are so beautiful and varied. I am going to make her a christmas tree garland as a thank you.

Also just ordered 10m of bakers twine from e-bay for the barginous price of £1.50 with free p&p

Ohh, how lovely martry! (Love the name too ). Fabric stashes are the best - you can't replicate that sort of gradually-collected look if you try (or I can't).

I have just made gingerbread biscuits - they are nice and tasty (if I say so myself), but they don't stay very precisely in the shape you cut out. They were jigsaw puzzle shapes (snowflake cutters are on their way, this time was just to test the mixture). Do you know what makes the shape stay crisp?

thoes haloween ghosts (made out of orio's) look really cute. i was wondering if maybe you could adapt them to be snowmen?

so far i've got use 2 orio's and cover in the same way, use writing icing in orange for the nose and black for the mouth, the eyes are the same. take a strawberry cream filled tube and use it as a scarf around the 2 orios (or one of thoes thicker fizzy laces that are flat and wide) and then a dolly mixture for a hat??

do you think that would work? of course the problem is the head and body would be the same size so can anyone think of another buscuit that would work (either smaller for the head or larger for the body??

elladee, its all todo with the recipie, usually the butter content makes the buscuits spread out more. but have you tried re-cutting the shape when they come out of the oven - so take the buscuits out of the oven and while they are still verry hot and on the tray, recut the shaoe you want, then leave to cool??

oohhh attack of the double questionmark. [hblush]

Just making my Mark, thanks for the great ideas x

kirsty I've stolen your wonderful idea and taken pics of my LOs playing with fairy lights - check my profile :)

Elladee The other way to get biscuits to hold their shape is to make sure that the dough is good and cold (i.e. refrigerated) before it goes into a properly preheated oven. It can also help if the baking tray is preheated along with the oven.

Ahhh - thanks tolalola, that's great! I'm afraid I didn't even chill the dough the full half-hour it said (and a half hour isn't long) because I wanted to know if it tasted ok (it must have done, there's only one left because my DH is a pig ). I'll let it get properly cold next time.

Please, please help me...

Why is my honey comb coming out chewy rather than crunchy?

Anyone with a fool proof recipe that can help?

:)

Thanks thunder, alittle like that, i think i may just see what happens. Oooo can you get mini orios? I'm sure I've seen them somewhere.

Addicted I bought mini oreos from Tesco last year for DS's choo choo train birthday cake (loved that cake!), DP ate them all the fatty

Flubba those pictures are beautiful!! [soppy smile]

Finished a button christmas tree last night (foam cone covered in buttons held in with pins) there's a not very good picture on my profile for anyone who's interested.

Next project is DS's Christmas stocking. Have never made one, have no idea how to and have never used a sewing machine either - should be interesting! Will do some research tonight. Anyone got any advice?

I'm loving this thread, hope nobdy minds if i join in?
I've made Werthers vodka and keep meaning to start a xmas pud one, have done a christmas chutney, and orange & brandy marmalade and an apple jelly which I've just noticed is runny and will need saving somehow.
Lots more to be done for hampers, it's just so difficult to choose what to do!

nobody even.

Welcome DoubleMum

Right, I've made far too many felt decorations now, and am about to embark on a homemade advent calendar thingamy. Sitting in fabric chaos watching x-factor . Blissfully happy though :)

I've just ordered all the ingredients for homemade turkish delight and marshmallows. Has anyone tried making either of these?