What 'yummies' do you always make / are going to make for Christmas?

[RememberToPlaywiththeKids]

I've done christmas pud, mincemeat and about to do cake - all delia's (will they all taste the same i wonder?!!)

I'd like to make some special things that I can take as tokens when we go to other people's houses over the festive period.

Truffles?
Gingerbread stars, iced if you like
Fudge
Cheese straws

Not that I will have time to make any, but in my fantasies...

delia's xmas cake and pudding are great imho
for extras i'd suggest
mince pies
homemade pickles/relish/sauces/brandy butter
shortbread
petits fours
mulled wine
mini xmas puds

I make up trays of Rocky Road - it is v easy and quick to make and can be made simply with store cupboard stuff. Then, when chilled, cut into squares and put into a cellophane bag, tied with a pretty ribbon. Lovely.

Also home made mini muffins v popular, home made big muffins and even a traybake - depends on who am visiting.

Home made cookies too, especially ones cut out in festive shapes.

I make Nigella's festive cranberry muffins on Christmas morning. The advantage is muffins are very easy to make, they are not too filling and they are full of all the Christmas spices so the smell wafts around the house when they are baking. I eat them with real butter (!) and luxury marmalade

I always make;

Mince pies
Spiced apple and date chutney
Glazed ham (to eat on xmas eve)
Cranberry jelly

This year i'm goning to have a go at making a pork and apple pie, Mmmmmmmm

I'm going to make a Panforte using the hairy Bikers recipe in their new Xmas book.

Oh I love the hairy bikers, must get new book.

oooh how do you make spiced apple and date chutney??

Rocky road is great idea.

keep em coming - I love baking and once I start there's no stopping me!

White choc and cranberry fudge from mumsnet recipes. Totally yum, festive, and great as a gift.

Mincemeat, Christmas puding, pickled onions, elderberry cordial (first attempt this year - v successful!), sloe gin.

I cant find the white choc fudge recipe

Cheese and marmite twists

Have made green tomato chutney, red tomato chutney and pink grapefruit marmalade. Just made a very small batch of vanilla pear puree.

Always make cranberry macadamia cookies as gifts the week before Christmas and trays and trays of mince pies which I make in Nov and freeze raw ready for guests in Dec. I make Sarah Raven's cranberry compote in early Dec and give a few jars as gifts. I also have some anemones and hyacinths forcing in the garage ready as Xmas presents.

Feeding my cake with Amaretto weekly.

Just got a wonderful Donna Hay festive treats insert free with Dec issue of Living Etc magazine, it has some fabulosa looking festive shortbread I may make too.

I'm going to make a Chocolate Yule Log - not too difficult to make

Dracschick

White choc and cranberry fudge recipe

Wail no more.

Any chance of your rocky road recipe Scuttlebutter?

Spiced apple and date chutney;

2 bramley apples (cored and chopped)
1 large onion (chopped)
100g chopped dates
50g sultanas
50g granulated sugar
25g muscavardo sugar
1tsp ground ginger
1tsp crushed cumin seeds
1 tsp crushed mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
200ml cider vinegar

Cook apples and onion slowly on a medium heat in a large pan until soft.

Add remaining ingredients and continue to simmer for about 10 mins until all the vinegar is fully absorbed.

Spoon into warm sterilised jars, seel and allow to cool.

Makes 3 medium jars.

If you use whole spices, toast them in a hot dry pan before crushing to release the flavour.

This chutney is delish with cold cuts, mature chedder and a glass of cider. Mmmmm .

cake, pudding and biscuits plus nigel's brownies as gifts

Thank you very much for the chutney recipe!! Yummy it looks fab - now by medium jars, what do you mean exactly? Jam jars or small kilner jar sizes?

and also the white choc fudge and I MUST make cheese and marmite twists - how do i make those???

and how long does the chutney need to mature before eating??

Chutney (in general - its not my recipe!) should be allowed a minimum of 4 weeks maturing before eating, but ideally 3 months.

Ive stopped wailing ty x

Peppermint bark
Pounds of my own hot choc mix (for pressies)
Pumpkin scones
Almond cookies
Homemade truffles in a variety of flavours(pressies)

I love the idea of incorporating some recipes from different traditions at Christmas. So: I recommend melomakarona and kourabiedes, both standard and super delicious greek Christmas pastries/cookies. Recipes in Tessa Kiros' new fabulous book of Greek cooking. But you can also find the recipes online I'm sure.

RememberToPlaywiththeKids I use jam jars. I will make mine next week in time for xmas. I have always done this in early november which is fine.

At the moment i am boiling up some beetroot and salting some red cabbage ready for pickeling