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Sweets for Gifts

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Sweets for Gifts

Postby Earthmaiden » Tue Nov 17, 2020 3:07 pm

I thought I might make some little bags of sweets as small gifts for various suitable people for Christmas.

Last time I made sweets as gifts must have been over 40 years ago when DD and I made them together as thank you presents for her infant school teachers. I remember being rather proud of them because they looked great.

I will probably use my trusty 50 year old Australian Women's Weekly cookbook and will probably choose from coconut ice, Turkish delight, caramels and fudge. I don't think fondants are so popular these days.

Do you have favourite sweet recipes which are guaranteed to wow?

BTW- one of the recipes, which I've never tried, is for coconut roughs and is a mixture of hot mashed potato, butter, icing sugar, coconut, cocoa and vanilla. Not sure about that. Has anyone ever made anything similar?

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Re: Sweets for Gifts

Postby Seatallan » Tue Nov 17, 2020 3:28 pm

Earthmaiden wrote:Do you have favourite sweet recipes which are guaranteed to wow?

BTW- one of the recipes, which I've never tried, is for coconut roughs and is a mixture of hot mashed potato, butter, icing sugar, coconut, cocoa and vanilla. Not sure about that. Has anyone ever made anything similar?


Lordy! :shock: Does sound a but grim doesn't it?

Here's something I do sometimes. More of a fridge cake really, but it cuts up into wee squares easily and keeps well. I've given it as presents in pretty, Christmas bags before now.

https://bakingwithgranny.co.uk/recipe/peppermint-slice/
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Re: Sweets for Gifts

Postby northleedsbhoy » Tue Nov 17, 2020 4:26 pm

Lees Macaroon bars, a Scottish sweet, contain mashed potatoes. I used to love them when I was a child but couldn’t eat one now, far too sweet.
https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/best-in ... s-18735954

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Re: Sweets for Gifts

Postby Seatallan » Tue Nov 17, 2020 4:29 pm

Blimey! You live & learn..... :)
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Re: Sweets for Gifts

Postby Amyw » Tue Nov 17, 2020 4:34 pm

Fudge done in the slow cooker is nice , I made some for our clients families last year

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Re: Sweets for Gifts

Postby Pepper Pig » Tue Nov 17, 2020 4:48 pm

Why do I keep thinking of those Slimming World mock Ferraro Rocher made with Scan Bran? :lol:

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Re: Sweets for Gifts

Postby scullion » Tue Nov 17, 2020 5:05 pm

chocolate truffles were my favourite to make - and eat.
chocolate covered cinder toffee (crunchy bars) - never made it but keep meaning to.

my father out law and his lady friend used to make marzipan fruits. he would make them and she would paint them (she was an artist). they were amazing and really looked like miniature fruit. the oranges were flavoured with orange oil and the lemons with lemon oil. whether the brain just thought the apples and bananas were flavoured is quite possible.
it was always said that if we wanted some the following christmas we would have to save appropriate boxes.

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Re: Sweets for Gifts

Postby Uschi » Tue Nov 17, 2020 5:38 pm

I always make and give lots of biscuits. I will start his week ... they keep ever so well in tins and most actually improve having had some time to mature.

I used to make truffles (the fancy kind ... pistachio-orange and so on).

Edible gifts are great and many will appreciate them. You can even bake cakes in glass jars.

Marzipan potatoes have always been popular here and are easy to make. Take good baking marzipan, roll it in cocoa powder and Bob's your uncle.

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Re: Sweets for Gifts

Postby Earthmaiden » Tue Nov 17, 2020 6:23 pm

Pepper Pig wrote:Why do I keep thinking of those Slimming World mock Ferraro Rocher made with Scan Bran? :lol:


I don't hate my friends that much :lol:.

My grandmother used to paint beautiful marzipan fruits.

Truffles a nice idea too.

The Lee's Macaroon bar looks very similar to my Coconut Rough.I'd love to try it without having to make a batch.

I've never heard of slow cooker fudge. I think we'll be able to start our own sweet shop soon!

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Re: Sweets for Gifts

Postby Pampy » Tue Nov 17, 2020 6:38 pm

I make chocolate truffles which always go down well but as they're made with fresh cream, they have to be refrigerated and only keep for about 10 days.
My mum used to make marzipan fruits - she was a brilliant artist and they always looked far too nice to eat.

Amy - would you be able to share the slow cooker fudge recipe please?

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Re: Sweets for Gifts

Postby Uschi » Tue Nov 17, 2020 6:55 pm

Truffles can be frozen ... I forgot that.

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Re: Sweets for Gifts

Postby Pampy » Tue Nov 17, 2020 6:57 pm

I freeze truffles before coating them with chocolate - makes it much easier!

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Re: Sweets for Gifts

Postby Amyw » Tue Nov 17, 2020 9:16 pm

Pampy wrote:I make chocolate truffles which always go down well but as they're made with fresh cream, they have to be refrigerated and only keep for about 10 days.
My mum used to make marzipan fruits - she was a brilliant artist and they always looked far too nice to eat.

Amy - would you be able to share the slow cooker fudge recipe please?


https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/slow-cooker-fudge

This is the basic recipe but I’ve used flavoured chocolate , added nuts , dried fruits etc to vary

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Re: Sweets for Gifts

Postby ZeroCook » Tue Nov 17, 2020 9:47 pm

Candied orange or grapefruit peel batons dipped into dark chocolate.

Glace fruit. Pineapple chunks, kumquats, orange slices, melon chunks for e.g.

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Re: Sweets for Gifts

Postby Stokey Sue » Tue Nov 17, 2020 9:54 pm

just a bit worried that it says "Will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for three days"
Seems odd - after all it's mainly sugar & chocolate without a lot of liquid

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Re: Sweets for Gifts

Postby Pampy » Tue Nov 17, 2020 11:44 pm

Thanks, Amy!

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Re: Sweets for Gifts

Postby Uschi » Tue Nov 17, 2020 11:44 pm

You are right, Sue, I guess they don't want to be sued and thus take no chances. This should keep for a fortnight.

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Re: Sweets for Gifts

Postby Earthmaiden » Wed Nov 18, 2020 12:04 am

I assume you're talking about Amy's recipe? It's interesting that it only cooks for an hour in a low heat slow cooker. It wouldn't come to the boil as might be expected in normal sweet making. Clearly the results are good as Amy's made it but I wonder if that might affect the storage time, it contains condensed milk. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

It never ceases to amaze me how many fudge recipes contain chocolate. I don't ever remember eating fudge containing chocolate.

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Re: Sweets for Gifts

Postby Stokey Sue » Wed Nov 18, 2020 1:17 am

Yes, I was referring to Amy's slow cooker recipe, I didn't see ZeroCook nip in there

Chocolate dipped peel is a good one, I miss a friend who used to hand it out annually

I suppose the fudge never gets to the temperature that normal fudge gets to (114 to 115 °C (237 to 239 °F).), but relies on the chocolate to give it body, I wonder if it might be slightly unstable and inclined to weep? It shouldn't grow nasties easily

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Re: Sweets for Gifts

Postby ZeroCook » Wed Nov 18, 2020 8:09 am

Think you're right about the chocolate for body, Stokey.

I looked up fudge recipes and there are quite a lot for microwaving too - same sort of principle I think. Basically a sort of fudgy ganache pretty much. Not that that's a bad thing at all but real fudge is all about sugar temps and crystals and beating the mixture as it cools. Quite tricky to get just right. It's an art :D

Biscuits and cookies are always good presents . OH absolutely loves German peppernuts. Used to make loads for his fam too. Keep really well too.

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