Anyone making food as gifts? Recipes?

[Lovemusic33]

I’m making small treat boxes with various things in them (chocolates, fudge, marshmallows) all home made. Was wondering if anyone wanted to share any recipes especially for Florentines and fudge?

I’m not a fan of home made gifts at the best of times but in the current climate, anything made in a domestic kitchen would go straight in the bin - sorry

I agree with PP, not sure it’s the right year for home made edible gifts?

Op, I wouldn't take notice of the first two posters. I know my family and friends would love homemade fudge and marshmallows.

I follow someone on Instagram called gills_cakesandbakes and she puts up amazing looking recipes for fudge and cookies etc. I haven't had a chance to make anything yet but I hear her kinder Buenos fudge is amazing.

People are allowed to give different opinions, it’s just something to consider!!

Depending on who I received it from it would be fine.

I made some meringue kisses last night... I sprayed them with edible glitter. They looked very festive.

Appreciate that people are entitled to their own opinions but I would like to understand why homemade gifts are any more dangerous than shop bought? Need a link to evidence that COVID can be passed on through homemade food.

I think shop bought or even professional homemade are different because the reputation of the seller, and probably their very existence, depends on maintaining high levels of cleanliness and hygiene

That’s not the case in this scenario and, unless I knew the hygienic standards of the giver were impeccable, as I said, it would go in the bin - have you seen the state of some people’s kitchens?

I would eat a homemade gift made in the kitchen of a person whose home I was happy to eat in. I eat lunch at my sister's, so I would eat a food item made at my sister's.

@BefuddledPerson

I would eat a homemade gift made in the kitchen of a person whose home I was happy to eat in. I eat lunch at my sister's, so I would eat a food item made at my sister's.

I wouldn't eat gifts from a dirty kitchen either but thankfully anyone I know likely to give me a homemade gift have kitchens at least as hygienic as my own. I was questioning the 'especially now' comment as I don't believe corona can be passed on via food? Containers yes - but then no different to shops.

The ‘especially now’ comment was because we are all currently sanitising a lot of what we touch so are more aware of hygiene etc - it doesn’t matter if it’s Covid you’re worried about or anything else

It’s the teachers I feel sorry for - they won’t know how clean a kitchen is - and I suspect they get a lot of homemade stuff

I agree a sensible approach is it’s ok if you’d eat in the house

Didn’t expect so many responses.
Hope I don’t out myself but I actually sell my products (mainly to friends and family), my kitchen has been inspected by the local council and I have my food hygiene certificates. I’m very careful when making and handling food. I normally sell cakes but wanted to do something different for Christmas, possibly something I can post to relatives and friends.

I agree with other that I probably wouldn’t ear home made goods from someone unless I have seen how clean their kitchen is and I would like to know that kids haven’t helped in the process of making things 🤣

I was hoping for recipes rather than opinions on home made gifts 🤣

Try the poncetastic thread

OP - “I’m looking for recipes”
Cue PPs - “oh I wouldn’t eat that, that’s a bad idea, you’ll give everyone covid”

OP, my family would all love food items and would actually all prefer homemade. You know your family.

A few years ago I used this florentine recipe which was easy to follow and was well received.

Do you have a slow cooker? We use that for making fudge and it turns out perfectly every time. We just type in ‘slow cooker fudge’ on google and pick at random - perfect for mixing flavours in as well.

If you have a good recipe for marshmallows, please share it!

@999caffeineplease

OP - “I’m looking for recipes” Cue PPs - “oh I wouldn’t eat that, that’s a bad idea, you’ll give everyone covid”

OP, my family would all love food items and would actually all prefer homemade. You know your family.

A few years ago I used this florentine recipe which was easy to follow and was well received.

Do you have a slow cooker? We use that for making fudge and it turns out perfectly every time. We just type in ‘slow cooker fudge’ on google and pick at random - perfect for mixing flavours in as well.

If you have a good recipe for marshmallows, please share it!

Thank you, I will try the Florentine recipe. I’m doing a trial run of things over the next couple days. I have made marshmallows before and it’s pretty easy but the recipe I used wasn’t the best. I have a slow cooker for fudge, I’m not having much luck with fudge making but going to have another go today.

I’d also recommend this peppermint cream recipe.

We omit the green food colouring and just cover them entirely in chocolate, and will use white, milk or dark chocolate depending on who will be eating them.

What about savoury things? I don't like sweet but would love things like pickles and pate with a nice box of crackers

We made lots of sloe gin last year but didn't get any sloes this year

I'd love a recipe for a creamy caramel fudge.

We used to make chocolate fudge for school fairs with condensed milk, dark chocolate and butter. Then you add in whatever extras like nuts or fruit that you like.

I like making Christmas bark-
Melt white and milk chocolate in separate bowls. Line a container with greaseproof paper. Bash candy canes (proper peppermint flavoured one) in a sandwich bag so that there's some big chunks and some powdery fine bits. Mix 1/3 of the candy canes in the white choc and 1/3 in the milk choc. Pour both the chocolates into the container and marble them together with a skewer or knife, don't mix completely. Sprinkle the last 1/3 of candy canes on top. When set, turn out and break into shards. Look really nice in cello bags with a mini candy cane tied on with red ribbon 🙂

My cousin makes me marzipan chocolates and I make her peppermint creams dipped in chocolate, we have done this for years and will again this year, we are both hygienic and responsible adults. However I would not buy any of the uncovered buns from my local bakers who have them sitting on top of the counter.

@pergnet there is a great easy recipe for fudge on the back of some condensed milk tins, the tins all have different recipes, I’m sure it would be on their website. I made it last year and it was heavenly.

Salted almonds: half teaspoon of salt in half a glass of warm water, stir to dissolve. Tip a large bag of almonds into a baking tray and stir in the salted water. Bake at 180 for 20-30 mins. Give them a stir every ten mins until all the water is evaporated and the almonds are dark and crunchy. Leave to cool before placing in festive jar

Our elderly neighbour gave us a icing and cat hair covered Christmas cake one year, it went straight in the bin

My DH would have picked the cat hairs off and eaten the cake.