What treats are you making/baking/buying?

[MostlyColouringIn]

Anyone willing to share what treat-y foods they are making/baking/buying this Christmas? Im always looking for something new to try, doesnt matter how tricky it is (if making/baking), i dont mind a challenge! Could be sweet or savoury, nibbles or puddings. I try to buy in a couple of interesting puds for when i dont have time to make one, Im currently liking the look of the Tesco Finest Passion fruit Panna Cotta!!

After reading this I'd love to make chilli jam. I just had a read through of Nigella's recipe it seems easy enough but am I right in reading that you don't stir it?! Could someone give me fool-proof instructions please?!

That Black Forest fudge looks amazing Taffeta.

Any other fudge experts care to share their recipe?
Please?

Chilli jam - I make Lorraine Pascale's and I stir it occasionally. I keep it boiling throughout. Then when it starts to really thicken, I stir it more to stop it sticking and catching.

I'll be making some truffles/sweets for teachers, a gingerbread house and the usual mince pies etc. For Christmas Day I'll be making the normal dinner, plus a chocolate orange trifle.

I do this chilli jam. It's lovely! And easy. 🌶🌶🌶

Buying:
Toblerones for the DCs
German chocolate coins
German chocolate Santas and other figures
Chocolate truffles
Chocolate orange
Candy canes to stir hot choc with

• mostly from Aldi; I fill their (4") stockings with chocolates

Baking:
Cookies, using Scandinavian style cookie stamps I found recently at a second hand shop
Other cookies - chocolate crinkles, gingerbread shapes, biscotti, nut horns, Nigella cutout cookies.

Making for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the week after:
Scottish tablet
Tiramisu
Pumpkin pie
A pie that rejoices in the name of 'vinegar pie' but is actually delicious
Chocolate pie or lemon meringue pie
Pavlova
Buche de Noel
Mince pies with piped Viennese whirl top and also frangipane mince pies if I have time.
(I am in the US and traditional Christmas cake is very unfamiliar to my DCs, as is Christmas pudding. I fear it would be a waste of time and ingredients to make either one. They are cautious enough about mince pies...)

Also for Christmas morning - cinnamon rolls.

We will be having roast beef for Christmas this year as DD1 can't stand turkey, so I will make Yorkshire pudding.

I’ve made Christmas pudding vodka for my team and I am going to make some Christmas shaped chocolates -not hard but time consuming as I have a big team. I am also going to make a gluten free Christmas cake for a relative. Can’t make that too far in advance, not sure what else, I may do the crispie treat wreath.

Oh and I am working Christmas Day so we have a buffet so will make some cheese straws although I expect I will do them Christmas shaped instead of straws.

Usually make mince pies, stollen and Christmas Cake. Thinking about making chilli family and sugar free coconut ice.. in the last few years DS1 has taken over the stollen because he's a huge bloke and better at the kneading

I make mini Christmas cakes (use those small baked beans tins as the cake tin) they fit perfect in those cupcake cases from homebargains decorate the top and give as gifts to family.
I also make Cranberry and white chocolate cookies (Santa loves them). This year we are going away for Xmas so have done a test of making the dough and freezing it, will defrost it next week and bake to make sure they still taste as nice. If it does I will make some dough and freeze to take to the cottage and let the kids bake cookies Christmas eve.

I make mince pies and Christmas pudding.
I also make a Christmas themed birthday cake as ds has his birthday on 23rd Dec. If anyone has any ideas re theme is be grateful btw I've done a snowman and Christmas tree in the past but I'm not good at decorating

I’m making:

Christmas rocky road (Nigella) for little gift for adults in the family. Going to use veggie marshmallows this year hope they work ok.

Chocolate orange vodka also for gifts, I’ve previously done cranberry and Christmas pudding flavour.

Two Christmas cakes. Made my first one last year to a Delia recipe, went down a storm with the inlaws who were with us for Christmas, and at my sisters where we went for New Year. This year we’re at sisters for Christmas and I’ve been asked to bring the cake. I’ll make a smaller one to give the inlaws as a gift.

Mini star topped mince pies - Nigella again

Going to have a little Christmas ‘party’ for my other sister and the nephews and nieces I won’t see on the day. Totally stealing the crispy cake wreath, also going to do some Christmas cookies and gingerbread. Chocolate orange cheesecake for kids and Baileys chocolate cheesecake for the adults. Not planned the savouries yet.

Mulled wine and possibly mulled cider.

In laws with us for New Year’s Day - planning some kind of salmon en croute with roast spuds and veg and maybe a champagne (prosecco!) sauce. MIL will do pudding.

Buying:
Nutella to make Nutella hot chocolate
M&S chocolate truffles
Cadbury’s chocolate biscuit selection
All the cheese - especially the ‘drunken monk’ variety again from the Christmas markets in town.
Lebkuchen - Aldi or Lidl
Gingerbread lattes from Costa whilst shopping!

I have made Delia's Creole Christmas cake and her Christmas pud. I will make her sausage rolls as well. (Delia's Christmas is my bible!). Then for Christmas day it will be raspberry pavlova for the non xmas pud eaters.

I may also make KC's truffles (see above) and probably some spiced nuts.

AIBU to come round to each of your houses trick or treat style to collect a slice of all of these treats???

I forgot about the chocolate mint vodka, last year DH also made Hairy Biker's Christmas pudding vodka but with rum

I will definitely make white choc rocky road again this year, included turkish delight, dried cranberries, coconut and bits and bobs out of the baking cupboard (choc chips and choc beans, like tiny smarties) , it was lush!

I've just made apple and chilli jelly.

I will prob do mulled apple juice for non-drinkers.

I’ll be making gingerbread men and and gingerbread house with the kids. Cookies for Santa, I want to try cranberry white chocolate and orange ones. Chocolate brownies and slow cooker hot chocolate for our Christmas Eve treat before bed. Merengue for our Eton mess dessert and some wheaten bread for Xmas morning. Not sure how well it will work out with three babies under 6 but I can dream 🤣

I have made spiced arancello today after a recommendation on an earlier thread- some for gifts but hopefully enough to keep some too!
Also made mincemeat. Will aim to make own pastry but also have some ready roll in the freezer- DD is dairy free & this is suitable for her.
Other than that not fully decided- liking the gingerbread truffles & crispie cake wreath ideas- could make that one dairy free if I used suitable dark choc.
Last year I made a couple of batches of rocky road using dark choc & cheap biscuits to avoid the dairy! One lot flavoured with peppermint & the other with orange & they turned out well so will maybe do something like that again...
will probably do some biscuits too but not planned that far yet!

private parkin how do you make fudge in a slocooker and is it an idiot proof way ( i have a lot of failure with making fudge)

I'm making chocolates!

For the silicone Christmas ones from Aldi - melt and pour chocolate!
I practiced the half white and half milk yesterday so have lots of yummy samples to eat
I've ordered xmas cellophane bags from amazon to out them in!

Last year I made piñata snowmen! Big and little balloons - paper mache. Fill with sheets. Cover in cotton wool balls and decorate.
Make a giant candy cane (I wrapped up an old kids ummbrella with paper mache) and whack away!
Best post xmas dinner fun we've had for years

Also make sausage rolls, mince pies, shortbread and cake - because I'm GF. Aldi have GF xmas puds in so I have bought one of those.

@Jayfee it's so easy and totally fool proof. If I try not make it in a pan the normal way (heating the mixture to a certain temperature etc etc) it's always rubbish, but the slow cooker one is so easy. It's probably a bit like the Nigella fudge I think, in that you have to keep it quite cool if poss. It'll be ok out of the fridge for a couple of hours if you're giving it to someone as a gift though. www.kidspot.com.au/kitchen/recipes/slow-cooker-chocolate-fudge-3636

@MostlyColouringIn you would be v welcome!!

@PrivateParkin Look out for me in Decemeber

Getting lots of lovely ideas from this thread - I'm going to make a gingerbread house with my daughter on Christmas Eve but not decided on anything else yet.

Ah Stormy we did that last year, it was loads of fun. I used a kit though (from Aldi), because I couldn't really be bothered to make and cut out all the shapes. We didn't actually eat ours because my DS decided to make it into a snow scene involving Lego figures shoved into the icing! But it was a nice centre piece will make one this year too.

Just something else that's easy to make is peppermint bark.

Basically melted chocolate poured into a lined tin then crushed candy canes sprinkled on top. Break or cut in to pieces once set.

I might steal the wreath idea for this.