Getting Christmas Wrapped Up with Hamper.com

December is fast approaching, and despite working two more jobs than I was this time last year, I feel that I've got this Christmas lark well and truly under control. I'm so organised that I actually hate myself right now. I've bought and wrapped presents, hand made a pom pom wreath , baked a Christmas cake, prepped ingredients (including a 2018 silver sixpence) for making a Christmas pudding on Stir it Up Sunday this weekend, and even planned my menus for the festive period. 

If you see me out and about with a smug grin on my face then kick me and tell me to get a grip and remind me that it's still only November!

LUXURY GIN HAMPER

Fortunately, for those of you that don't have Christmas wrapped up yet, there's still plenty of time for shopping before the big day. If you don't have the time or inclination to fight the crowds on the high street, or sift your way through the stream of 'hot deals' online, fear not, there is a simpler 'one stop' way to shop for your family and friends this Christmas, and you will barely have to lift a finger.

Whether your recipient is into wine, beer, gin, chocolate or even cheese, there are ready made Christmas hampers to suit all tastes and budgets at hampers.com.

I've received three such hampers, with the first being the Luxury Gin Hamper containing a half bottle of Hendrick's gin, a couple of Fever Tree tonics, chocolate limes, shortbread and olives. It arrived in a strong double walled cardboard box lined with wood shavings. The hamper.com website shows the contents of each box clearly on the page, in both the description and images scrolling underneath, and all hampers come with free UK delivery, and in many cases the delivery is next day.

CHRISTMAS CRACKER HAMPER

The second hamper I received was the Christmas Cracker hamper, which again arrived in a presentation box and was filled with treats to enjoy over Christmas, including a jar of luxury cranberry sauce and a Christmas pudding to serve 3-4.

CHOCOLATE INDULGENCE HAMPER

The final hamper would suit chocoholics out there, and is presented in a wicker basket, although disappointingly it wasn't the white one that was pictured on the website. There's a great selection of indulgent chocolate treats in the basket though, including a hot chocolate stick, truffles, popcorn and honeycomb.

LUXURY GIN HAMPER UNBOXED

Whilst it's definitely cheaper to put hampers together yourself, not everyone enjoys shopping for the individual items to fill a basket as much as me, nor may they have the time. Ready made hampers from hampers.com come with the utmost convenience and are available to deliver all over the UK, and a limited number of hampers can also be sent to many countries worldwide. If you don't quite see what you're looking for within the huge range of ready made hampers then it's also possible to create your own, and include anything you like from fresh apples and oranges to Wensleydale cheese and Champagne.

If you're looking to send a surprise to friends and family that you can't be with this Christmas, whether you're living overseas or they are, then sending a hamper is the perfect gift. Who doesn't love receiving a hamper filled with your favourite goodies!

What are you waiting for? Go and get your Christmas wrapped up too!

In collaboration with hampers.com

Mocha Marshmallows and a Coffee Lovers Gift Guide

I love putting hampers together at Christmas, especially ones that follow a theme, whether it be movie night, ice cream, curry, Mexican, ginger or coffee (a few that I've made in the past). I love researching products and retailers online, as well as browsing the shops to look for a specific item for the themed hamper, in the hope that the recipient will be just as pleased when they receive it as I am when I put the final bow on.

This year I'm once again making a couple of hampers, and this time I'm going to be popping in some of my home made marshmallows in keeping with the theme. I've made these mocha marshmallows which will be great in a coffee lovers hamper, and can be enjoyed on their own or popped into a cappuccino or hot chocolate. You can now buy my marshmallows online and have them delivered to your door in the UK, from Cookies and Fluff.

For my last marshmallow recipe I used leaf gelatine, but this time I used granules, which come in sachets, which are cheaper. Marshmallow making may look quite complex, but once you get the hang of it it's quite simple really, and very, very addictive!

Mocha Marshmallows - makes 36 bitesize pieces

coffee layer
5 tbsp strong cold coffee
1 sachet of gelatine
200g caster sugar
100ml strong cold coffee

• add the 5tbsp coffee to a microwaveable bowl and sprinkle over the gelatine
• give it a stir and set aside
• add the caster sugar to a saucepan with 100ml coffee
• heat gently until the sugar has dissolved
• increase the heat and boil until it reaches 235 F on a candy thermometer
• place the gelatine into the microwave for approx 20 seconds until it becomes liquid
• add the liquid gelatine to the bowl of a food mixer with a balloon whisk attached
• with the motor running slowly, pour the boiled sugar into the bowl
• scrape down the sided of the bowl before slowly increasing the speed and whisking for approx 10 minutes, until thick and airy
• pour into an 8" square silicone baking tin lightly greased with a flavourless oil, and smooth the top

chocolate layer
5 tbsp cold water
1 sachet of gelatine
200g caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
100ml water
25g cocoa powder
grated dark chocolate

• add 5tbsp water to a microwaveable bowl and sprinkle over the gelatine
• give it a stir and set aside
• add the caster sugar to a saucepan with the salt, water & cocoa powder
• heat gently whilst whisking, until the sugar has dissolved & the cocoa incorporated
• increase the heat and boil until it reaches 235 F on a candy thermometer
• place the gelatine into the microwave for approx 20 seconds until it becomes liquid
• add the liquid gelatine to the bowl of a food mixer with a balloon whisk attached
• with the motor running slowly, pour the boiled sugar into the bowl
• scrape down the sided of the bowl before slowly increasing the speed and whisking for approx 10 minutes, until thick and airy
• pour onto the coffee later and smooth the top & grate some chocolate over the top
• leave for a few hours to set before cutting into 36 pieces

Additionally, I've included a few gift ideas for the coffee lover this Christmas.

coffee syrups

these are a lovely addition to a hamper, and you can buy large bottles of one specific flavour, or a gift pack with small bottles in assorted flavours, like these from Whittards £12.00

coffee flavoured chocolates

These Dainty Dollops from Montezuma's not only have a great name but they're made in Britain from ethically sourced cocoa.  These dark chocolate dollops have a hazelnut & Columbian coffee ganache centre. available from John Lewis £7.50

coffee gift card

For those that love coffee and a cake whilst they're out & about then a gift card is a great idea. These Christmas gift cards from Caffè Nero feature designs selected from the Victoria & Albert Museum's archive. cards can be loaded with any amount from £5-£100

coffee scented candle

The smell of a good freshly brewed cup of coffee is divine, so why not recreate that with a Cappuccino Truffle candle from Yankee £21.99

coffee cups

how cute is this hand painted porcelain cappuccino cup & saucer, which is part of a lovely range of tableware from PiP Studio at John Lewis. £12.75 

coffee machine

You can't have a good cup of coffee without a coffee machine, and if you're really serious about coffee then this bad boy is what you need. The Sage Oracle is 'incredible coffee made simple - it's like there's a barista inside'. It will set you back £1599 though.

Christmas Gift Guide Part 7 - Home-made Christmas

I was aiming to have this post written long before now but the time has flown and Christmas is going to be upon us in just 10 days. There is still time left to make a few home-made gifts if you're stuck for inspiration or cash. I have brought together previous posts from my own blog & those of others with links to them all where you can find full instructions and recipes, along with links to other websites that may be of interest.


Teacup candles (or candle in a mug)

  

Simple Tree Decorations (or gift tags)

Easy Handmade cushion

Table decorations using Pomegranates 

Cupcake Washcloth

Christmas Tree Biscuits

Chocolate Truffles

Spiced Christmas Biscuits

Gingerbread Cupcakes

Cranberry Vodka

Asian Chilli Jam

Pickled Red Chillies

Quick Antipasti

Butternut Squash & Orange Chutney

Caramelised Onion Jam

Spiced Festive Chutney

Caramelised Red Onion Chutney, Apple & Mint Jelly & Spiced Apple Chutney

Cranberry & Apple Chutney

Royal Iced Biscuits

Christmas Cookies

Frangipane & Star topped Mince Pies

Stained Glass Window Cookies

Panettone with Chocolate, Clemetine & Walnut

Festive Biscotti

Christmas Pudding (that doesn't take hours of steaming)

And when you've made all your Christmas goodies you will be needing something to put them in. You can buy baskets cheaply from bargain shops such as B&M Homestore, Home Bargains and Wilkinsons or home/craft stores such as Dunelm and Hobbycraft. If you want to try making a basket you can find instructions online or patterns in craft shops. A few years ago my Mum made this bread basket for me and filled it with goodies for Christmas. All you need then is some cellophane to wrap the basket in - you can get this from a friendly florist. I've also recently written a post to show how to wrap your basket in cellophane.

Fudges have a great selection of crackers both sweet & savoury, perfect for gift baskets to go with your cheese & home-made chutney. They are also running a competition at the moment to win a weekend break and series 2 of Downton Abbey on DVD!

With thanks to :
Chutney Chums The Boy and Me and Mummy Mishaps
Working London Mummy
Red Ted Art


If you want to get some more ideas for Christmas Gifts and Crafts take a look at some of my favourite craft & cooking blogs for inspiration :
Red Ted Art
Feeding Boys & a Firefighter
The PInk Whisk
Working London Mummy
Vanessa Kimbell - Prepped

Cranberry Vodka

As part of my quest to make homemade goods for Christmas I decided to make some Cranberry Vodka to go with the chutney, chilli jam and cookies.


The recipe was taken from the BBC Good Food website and I increased the quantity of vodka as I bought 2 x 750ml bottles.


You will need:


400g fresh Cranberries
1.5L Vodka
250g caster sugar


Large jar or bottles. You can use the original vodka bottles and pour some of the vodka out to make room for the cranberries. As an alternative you can use Gin, which I used a couple of years ago.

• Wash the cranberries and prick them with a fork or toothpick.
• Tip the cranberries into the jar or bottle.
• Cover with the sugar and pour in the vodka.
• Give the bottle a shake and leave for 2 weeks shaking every day until the sugar has dissolved.

• After 2 weeks (or thereabouts) strain the vodka through a muslin or clean paper towel to remove any unwanted bits and pour into sterilised bottles.
• You can add some cranberries to each bottle and the longer the vodka is left the better it tastes.

250ml bottle