Poncetastic thread

[WaitingForEgg]

Is there a poncetastic thread this year? I am itching to ponce!

The sprout wreath is amazing, will definitely try that this year.

Has anyone tried making a bauble garland? It looks pretty straightforward according to these instructions:
www.brit.co/ornament-garland/

I'd need to make one at least 3 metres long to go along the top of the inglenook and I'm not sure how I'd secure it, but I'm tempted all the same.

The sprout wreath was definitely a talking point when anyone came to the door. My neighbour was abut but I loved it!

Doesn't the sprout wreath whiff a bit?

Poncing here is well underway. One of the Christmas stockings is completely finished and looks glorious. The other three are all shaped, they just need decorating and finishing, and all supplies are on hand.

At the weekend I made the Christmas pudding (nobody here likes Christmas cake), tomato chutney and what can only fairly be described as sweet chilli sauce. 48 hours after completion and I can't even pretend it's set like jam should. Waaaah! What did I do wrong, any ideas? I chopped half a pack of chillis after forgetting to put on gloves, so my fingers throbbed all night on Saturday and all I have to show for it is a couple of jars of vivid orange slop. Not what was in my head at all.

Reboil it, if it didn't reach the right temperature for long enough it won't set. Did you do a test with a cold plate? It isn't lost just needs some more time

Thanks Whatabout was wondering if that might work. Didn't do cold plate - it only occurred to me later. I will reboil tomorrow and see how we go.

margot that garland looks fantastic! I've been looking for a new one, the garland I'd been using for years looked very tatty last year. Wonder would it look nice with some lights wound through too...

My pouncing is way behind after a bit of a difficult month! But my paper wreath is done, my cushion cover is about 1/4 done and I have plans for my napkin rings and table settings.

Room for a newbie poncer? I'm a bit behind, hoping to do lots of crafty stuff but haven't got beyond pinning EVERYTHING ever put on Pinterest yet, and have been asked for homemade flavoured rum this year - not entirely sure where to start with that!

Is it best to use white/golden/dark rum? Does it matter? And what flavours - hoping to do about 6 if that's not too ridiculous, but easy ones if poss. Thinking about apple & cinnamon, pineapple (with maybe a bit of mint in?), strawberry, a spiced one (ginger/nutmeg/???) but not sure what else?

Right. My ocado order arrives with all my ingredients in it this afternoon, so I'm ready to ponce - I've already lined up all my jars ready for the dishwasher before I decant into them.

I'm not 'crafty' at all, but have foolishly agreed with a friend that all Christmas presents exchanged between us must be home made. What the hell am I going to give her?! I'm thinking: small jar of chilli jam, mulled wine syrup (haven't decided yet whether I'm going to make it with wine as a mulled wine flavoured syrup, or a syrup to add to wine to make it mulled), small bottle of Xmas Pud rum, a homemade candle, some homemade marshmallows... Anything else? Does anyone have an AMAZING, better than the shops, recipe for truffles?

Thoughts on lovely poncey Christmas desserts? Christmas cake/pudding/mince pies are covered...thinking about some kind of hazelnut torte maybe, and certainly a yule log in poncey decorations! What about something fruit-based? Any favourites?

I'm making this for dessert at Xmas

The sprout wreath didn't go off at all, I'm guessing because it was cold outside.

Oh trixy that's perfect!!

I have now made my chilli jam. It went very well but my fingers are still burning from the chilli heat :(

DH has appointed himself chief quality controller and pronounced it a successful enterprise. My poor fingers though!

So now I know what happens to chilli jam if you boil it toooooo long. Yesterday, chilli sauce, today chilli syrup. Don't forget kids, I do these stupid things so you don't have to.

My Christmas stockings are looking awesome though.

Which recipe are you using Kuri? Nigella's doesn't call for any temperature taking, it just tells you how long to boil it for and it has always worked for me...

I tried Nigella's but I couldn't get the right sugar and Google persuaded me that I could try normal sugar but boil it for longer. S'alright, it looks good now, it just has the texture of golden syrup, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

I have done absolutely nothing yet and so the idea of procrastinating seeking inspiration on the Poncetastic thread has enormous appeal.

1.5L of gin for £22 in Sainsburys for all you flavoured gin makers.

Planning to ponce my way through a practice florentine recipe today so I can have a Christmassy tin filled with cranberry studded chocolate yumminess.

I fear reading through this thread will start off all kinds of other poncing!

I can't ponce yet, Halloween is looming and I promised DS a party so my head is full of zombies and stuff. Can't wait till that's done and I can locate my giant sack of pine cones.

I like the fruit wreath trixy, what a good idea.I have seen a sausage roll wreath which I really fancy doing for Christmas eve.

kuri if you didn't use jam sugar it won't set you need the pectin. if you want to try and save it you can often get pectin in the baking aisle bung some in and reboil it

Mad please let me know how your florentine poncing goes and share the recipe if it's a good one, they've been on my list to make for years.

Miss I used Mary Berry's BBC recipe. It was good and they have come out lovely and lacy but I want something a bit more substantial so will be trying another one. You should have a go, they are far easier than they look!

Now to ponce and paint them with lovely dark Green and Blacks.

Tip from painting: using a pastry brush for the chocolate is much easier than dunking.

Brilliant, thanks so much. I have added them to my list and will do a trial run next week if I get a chance.