Festive Gift Menu - recipe card

DECADENT GINGER BISCUITS, dipped in chocolate

– makes 30

INGREDIENTS

- per person making - makes enough for 30

  • 250g plain flour

  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 

  • 2 tsp ground ginger

  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon

  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg

  • ½ tsp ground allspice

  • 125g salted butter, softened and diced

  • 150g demerara sugar

  • 80g treacle

  • 75g crystallised ginger, finely chopped

METHOD:

  1. Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices together into a large mixing bowl. 

  2. Add the butter and use a fork to rub it in.

  3. Add sugar and treacle and mix until well combined, then mix in in the crystallised ginger.

  4. Using your hands, bring it together into a dough.  shape into a sausage/log, wrap in parchment paper and chill for about 1-2 hours – or overnight if you like!

  5. Heat the oven to 140C (fan)/160C/gas mark 3. Slice the biscuits so approximately 1 cm.  Arrange, well-spaced out, on two lined baking trays, then bake for 22 minutes. They will be soft when they come out but will soon harden up. 

  6. Allow to cool on the baking tray for 10 minutes until they have firmed up a bit, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Note:

  • Warm butter makes them cakey, rather than cold butter gives more of a snap.

  • The warm butter coats the flour particles and prevents liquid getting to it,and over activating the gluten. 

HONEYCOMB

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2tbsp baking powder, sieved

  • 150g white sugar

  • 840g water

  • 10g honey

METHOD:

  1. Line your tin with greaseproof paper

  2. Combine sugar, water and honey in a pan. 

  3. On a low heat, occasionally stirring, melt the sugar

  4. Once melted you can then allow it to caramelise  – hard crack stage

  5. As soon as this happens remove it from the heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda. Beat well so that it starts to foam up.

  6. Quickly pour it in to you lined tin. 

  7. Leave to cool and harden, approximately 1 hr. 

Note:

  • Honeycomb must be stored in an airtight container otherwise it will lose its snap. 

  • Coating it in chocolate helps it last about a month 

  • Do not store in the fridge. 

FIG CHUTNEY

INGREDIENTS

  • 120g dried figs

  • 1 small red onion, chopped, 

  • 250ml water

  • 80 ml vinegar – red wine/balsamic

  • 2 tbsp port/red wine

  • 1 rosemary stalk

  • 60g brown sugar

  • Cinnamon stick

  • 40g raisins

  • 1 apple peeled and diced

    2 x 150ml jars or 1 300ml jar  - approximately

METHOD:

  1. Place all the ingredients in to a pan and cook for approximately 25 minutes. 

  2. Place in to sterilised jars. 

LIMONCELLO AMERETTI MORDIBI “SOFT” BISCUITS

INGREDIENTS

  • 70g egg white (2 large egg whites)

  • 200g ground almonds

  • 170g caster sugar

  • 2 lemons (unwaxed, finely grated zest)

  • 20ml limoncello/1 tbsp lemon juice

COATING:

  • 3 tbsp caster sugar

  • 3 tbsp icing sugar

METHOD:

  1. Pre heat oven to 170 degrees

  2. Whisk the egg whites so stiff peaks

  3. Fold in the almonds, sugar, and lemon zest

  4. Gently stir in the limoncello/lemon juice, it will be a soft mixture

  5. Take a tablespoon of the mixture, and roll it in to a ball in the caster sugar, and then in the icing sugar, place on to a line baking tray

  6. Bake for approximately 15/17 mins.

  7. Take out, allow to cool on tray and then transfer to cooling racks after about 5-10 mins.