15 good things to bake, make and give this Christmas

Here's bunch of delicious last minute Christmas presents to make this weekend. Ho ho ho.

Hi guys! What are we cooking this weekend?

Well…it’s Christmas week, and here at least, there are presents to make. The teens and younger ones in our family are getting things from the shops, but for the grown ups, I’m going all homemade.

You too? Ok great. So we’ll need a couple of hours on Saturday or Sunday, we’ll need carols, a few recipes (see below) and maybe a friend to come over with a bottle of bubbles and jars. Cooking loves company. And t’is the season after all.

Here below you’ll find recipes to bake, make and preserve this weekend. I’ve also put them all in a PDF that you can download (below) and print if that’s easier.

I think it’s a nice idea to put together a little mixed parcel of homemade things. So, maybe a jar of something preserved (eg chutney), a bag of biccies and another of candied nuts. Or some mince tarts and a handful or two of cherries? In a brown paper box, all wrapped up (am going to send a bonus newsletter tomorrow with ideas for this) with a cute card.

Here goes…

Bake

Dark Chocolate, Pretzel, and Peanut Shortbread

This recipe is a blueprint for so many variations; you could swap the dark chocolate and salty pretzels and peanuts for white chocolate and dried berries, or add a little cocoa powder to the mix and make it a ‘double’ chocolate situation. As always, choose your own adventure!

Makes: About 50 biscuits
Prep time: 20 minutes (plus at least 2 hours chilling)
Cook time: 10–12 minutes per batch