Homemade Christmas Sweets - Recipes please!

[Katnisscupcake]

Hi there,

I've found lots of recipes for various different sweets online, but wondered if any of the lovely MNers have any that they have tried and tested.

I'd like to make some little homemade sweet type presents so I need something that can be made and kept for a couple of weeks before giving them out at Xmas.

Particularly wanting to try some fudge (all different flavours), maybe toffee, honeycombe etc.

Any ideas?

TIA

Marshmallows aren't really 'make ahead' sweets, but they're far and away the most popular of the homemade presents I've foisted on given to friends and family over the years. You can flavour them with rosewater and vanilla, and use various food colour gels to make gorgeous swirly variations. Once you get the hang of the techniques, they're not hard to whizz up, and they look v impressive in those clear bags you can get from Lakeland, tied with silver ribbon.

Turkish delight? There is a YouTube video on how you make it in the microwave. I did it a few weeks a go, was lovely and would keep well.
How about tablet? And fudge is really easy, I've done a chocolate and vanilla one.

Cinder toffee! Cheap, really easy and most people love it. Can't link as on phone but loads of instructions on Internet.

Last year I made little chocolates in the shape of santas ( Lakeland mould and I just melted green and blacks), honeycomb ( google it, dead easy), tiny Xmas tree shaped shortbreads and tiny Florentines. I put each sweet type in little cellophane bags and they all went into a cardboard gift box. I was delighted with them.
But, be warned, not one bugger ooed and ahed. No one mentioned them afterwards, not even a 'the shortbread was nice'. I felt the hours of effort went largely unappreciated. Hopefully your lot are more grateful than mine.

Last year I'd planned to make Turkish Delight, peppermint bark and orangettes - I got the flu the week before Christmas, so plans were abandoned only the orangettes got finished.

I've had requests all year for Christmas Eve sweets....not sure what to go for. Maybe some tablet, choc truffles, jellies, peppermint bark or Turkish delight if I can find a good recipe. Would be very miffed if no one mentioned it - they've been told though, if they don't appreciate my efforts I'm happy to buy sweets.

Soak some pitted prunes for a few weeks in brandy or masala in a jar then dip in melted dark chocolate and leave to set in the fridge on baking parchment. Gorgeous! And technically good for you because of the prunes

[rushes to put prunes on shopping list]

What else can you soak then coat in chocolate? Apricots in brandy?

Cherries?

Wow, thank you everyone - some fab ideas. Off to Google recipes and make myself a shopping list!!

Keep adding more if you try any new recipes! Thanks again.

I've made candied citrus peels (orange, lemon and grapefruit) - the peel is cut into strips, candied, rolled in sugar and then half dipped in in chocolate. Dead easy to make but they look very pretty when put put into bags or boxes and went down well with my whole family (but I'm lucky enough to have greedy, appreciative relatives!). Although they're not sweets as such, biscotti were also popular with my family - they're also easy to make, can be done in a a variety of interesting flavours and and keep well so can be made in advance.

21 thank you! I've had half a jar left of brandy syrup leftover from making nectarines in brandy so just chucked in the leftovers from a bag of pitted dates, dried figs and dried apricots. Hope it works as well for them as it does prunes.

I made this fudge last year. It was quite easy and went down very well although I made vanilla rather than Christmas pudding flavour [[http://www.thepinkwhisk.co.uk/2011/12/how-to-make-fudge.html Pink Whisk Christmas pudding fudge]]. You don't need a stand mixer - I used my hand held electric and it was fine.

Sorry for bad linking - on phone

Bailey's and white chocolate fudge

Peppermint bark - I have hopes for this as the Christmas gift for DS's teacher as it's easy enough for 4 yr old DS to make it

Truffles are the easiest thing to make and look really impressive. Just melted dark chocolate mixed with cream and whatever flavourings you like (brandied fruit, spices, dried fruit or whatever). Cool it in a fridge then dig out spoonfuls, roll it into balls and finish by rolling in cocoa powder or sprinkles or similar!

peter peppermint bark looks great . I was coming back to post this chocolate bark recipe taken from Jo's Blue Aga Facebook notes. Not tried it but looks good as easy to customise

200g chocolate
Toppings of your choice eg freeze dried raspberries, giant buttons, fudge, nuts, crunchies, mars bars, chocolate peanuts, chocolate raisins
50g white chocolate

Melt the chocolate.

Pour onto a baking tray lined with parchment and leave to set slightly.

Add your toppings

To finish melt the white chocolate, put in sandwich bag, snip off the corner and drizzle over the top.

Leave to set.

My peanut butter truffle cups go down well with my lot made 200 last year and they still complained when there was none left

The recipe is pretty much made up.

4-5 bars of asda/morrissons budget white chocolate melted in a Bain Marie, take off the heat and add 3-4 table spoons of extra crunchy peanut butter. Spoon into petit four cases (eBay/amazon etc) until half full. Put in freezer on baking trays to set.

4-5 bars of budget milk choc melted in a Bain Marie add a large pot of double cream, mix well and pour on top of white choc mix, put back in freezer until set.

Put in cellophane bags (again eBay/amazon etc) and tie with pretty ribbon. Store in fridge until ready to gift (upto about 2 weeks in fridge)

Enjoy

This is my honeycomb recipe and I'll be blogging a fudge recipe soon.