Presents of mind....

I'm not one of those people who automatically know what to buy people from Christmas. Occasionally I'll have a flash of inspiration but rarely hit the jackpot. I've been trying to look back on some of the best presents I've ever received....here are my top four...

1. A perfume making kit when I was seven. A million different fragrances and bottles to play with. I must have smelt dreadful when I mixed them all together and drenched myself in some kind of apple/strawberry/marigold concoction. But I loved it.


2. A soda stream. This was from the other half last year. The most useful gadget ever. We use it everyday.


3. A pony mug filled with fizzy cola bottles. One of the first gifts ever bought for me by my little sister. Ponies. Check. Cola bottles check. Great present.


4. My boyfriend booking us a holiday as a surprise. We were running out of time (ie a week before we were meant to go somewhere) and he came home and said "right I booked somewhere on my lunch break....we're off to Margarita on Saturday." I loved the decision being made for me.

Anyway I love being given homemade presents so today I spent hours making Christmas fudge as I do every December.

Christmas Pudding Fudge Balls....(Makes 20)

1 batch of your favourite fudge recipe that makes about 1.5lbs fudge. (I'm sorry my mum would hunt me down if I gave it away...)
2 handfuls mixed dried fruit
1/4 pt brandy
1 handful red glace cherries
1 handful toasted mixed nuts chopped up
1 tbsp mixed spice
1 tbsp clotted cream

1x medium sized bar of white chocolate
1 tub red and green glace cherries

1x edible gold spray

Before making your fudge, soak the dried fruits and nuts in the brandy. When your fudge mix is boiled to perfection add the fruit, spice, nuts, cherries and clotted cream. Beat until thick and creamy and it's starting to set. Pour into a lined tin.....




Leave for 10 minutes until it is cooled a little. Then take a melon baller and scoop the soft fudge into little balls. You might need to use your hands with some of them. Pop each ball into mini cake cases.

Break up the white chocolate into a glass bowl. Place over a pan of boiling water and leave to melt. Pour a tsp of the melted chocolate over each mini pudding and let it drip down the sides. Chop up the red glace cherries into little "berries" and the green cherries into "leaves" and place on the top of each pudding.


I'm not sure how long these will last....I reckon a couple of days.

Golden Vanilla Fudge Stars.....

After those I decided to make some vanilla fudge. I poured the fudge into a lined tin and then used edible spray over the top so it was a shimmering gold. I tried to cut out stars with a mini biscuit cutter but I was too slow and it set too quickly so I cut it into chunks of gold instead.....