My Homemade Christmas Gifts, Makes & Treats

I've been so busy since I came back from London preparing for Christmas I have had no time to sort out photos or write any posts. Firstly, our Christmas was brought forwards by 2 weeks as my family gathered early due to other commitments over the Christmas holiday period. House had to be tidied & cleaned. Food had to bought & meals prepared. Presents to be made. It was all go!

Sewing case

I stuffed a Sass & Belle mini suitcase with selection of sewing goodies for a friends daughter. She loves foxes so I thought this woodland inspired fabric collection called  Fox and Friends by Lewis and Irene, bought from Nature's Threads quilting store, was just perfect. I used some to make a needle case, pin cushion and scissor case. Inside the needle case I added some needles, pins, safety pins & needle threader. I put in some plain natural coloured fabric, a select of felt squares, embroidery threads, a bag of fancy threads & ribbons, a card of buttons, a length of bobble trim, reel of cotton, some wadding and a tape measure. I coordinated the colours the best I could in browns, greens, oranges, yellow and russet to go with the Fox and Friends fat sixteenths.  

Handmade needle case, scissor case & Hedgehog Pincushion

 I plan to post details on how I made the needle case, scissor case and Hedgehog pin cushion at a later date.

The recipient was really thrilled with my gift to her and said she can't wait to make something. 

Cath Kidston and Alice in Wonderland inspired charm bracelets

 These charm bracelets were for my sons girlfriends and again, I intend to do a post showing how I put them together. They are fun to make when they are themed. The 2 chokers at the top of the picture just had a couple of star charms added to make them a little different. These were just little stocking fillers.

Bedding accessories for a Princess!

 A four year old little girl got a Fairytale play castle for Christmas and as the furniture looked a little uncomfortable I made mattresses for the cot and bed, a lace trimmed pillow, a knitted blanket and a quilt. I also made a baby from a wooden dolly peg.

Cute reindeer gift bag, tea towel apron and a little black dress

I also made a gift bag for four year old Eva with a cute felt Rudolph reindeer appliquéd on it. This was made using the fabric from 3 Christmas tea towels bought a few years ago, some red bobble trim and 4 big black buttons. I had also promised to make her an Eva sized apron. As time was running out I made one very quickly out of flowery tea towel. A tutorial will follow shortly as it was so easy.

I will also show you in another post more about the little black dress made for my daughter for New Year's Eve.

Maple & Pecan & Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes and Cranberry & White Chocolate Loaf

Finally, as well as the usual Christmas food - Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pigs in blankets etc,etc - I made Maple & Pecan cupcakes with butterscotch icing topped with a half a Pecan and Lemon Drizzle cupcakes with lemon buttercream icing topped with snowflakes for our first family gathering. For our second Christmas for those of us left, I made mince pies, an Orange version of the Lemon drizzle cupcakes and a Cranberry & White Chocolate loaf with vanilla buttercream topped with fondant snowflakes.

We also held our usual annual New Year's Eve gathering with friends at our house this time so the cooking didn't stop there! My "star" of a husband cooked several indian dishes whilst I was left to the tidying & cleaning, laying the table, the decorations and the desserts. I made Raspberry and Milk Chocolate Cheesecake and Chocolate Chip Panettone Bread & Butter Pudding. As so much was going on I forgot to take photos!

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year

(I'm just going to put my feet up for a while! :-) )

Zx

Blackberry Swirl Fairy Cakes/Cupcakes

All the fruit in my garden this year has been early.

Soft fruit from my garden - June & July 2014

The plums, even though we don't get that many, were ready three quarters of the way through July and I was lucky that I beat the birds (and wasps) to most of them!

We have a Victoria Plum tree and a Oullins Golden Gage tree. They are about 5-6 years old. The Victoria plum has fruited the last couple of years but only on the lower branches. The Oullins really struggles. We had about 5 fruit on it last year, this year only 1! I checked it everyday once the Victoria plums were ready worried either the birds would get it or it would fall off and bruise. Luckily I managed to pick it...and it was delicious!

The blackberries have been early too. I have a very prickly variety that aren't very big and very sour this year.  It has been very painful picking them especially with the strong winds we have been having. Just when I think I have found a way in with my arm without getting pricked a gust would blow the stems around...ouch! I may replace it with a thornless variety.

I freeze some of the blackberries putting them straight into a plastic tub waiting in the freezer. However, my freezer is absolutely stuffed full now so I stewed some with sugar and also added a fallen Bramley Seedling cooking apple to one batch to use as a pie filling. 

I thought I would try adding some stewed berries to a fairy cake mixture. This is how I made them and how they turned out.

Blackberry Swirl Cupcakes

Pre heat oven 140C for 25 mins

Makes approx 12

Cake Mixture :-

6 oz castor sugar

6 oz marg/butter.  I used Flora

6 oz self raising flour

3 large eggs

Tablespoon milk

Stewed Blackberries  :-

8 oz  Blackberries

2oz Light Soft Brown Sugar

Tsp water

 

Cook the blackberries on low heat with the soft brown sugar & water stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Then turn up the heat slightly to simmer until blackberries have softened and liquid thickens sightly. The liquid will thicken more as it cools.

 Put cake ingredients in bowl except milk.

Mix together with electric mixer until combined and glossy. Mix in tablespoon milk.

Spoon into cupcakes cases.  

Add teaspoon blackberry syrup mix & swirl through cake mixture.

Bake for approx  for approx 25 mins until golden & springy to touch. Leave to cool.

Suggestions for serving - dust with icing sugar/whipped cream/creme fraiche  or pipe vanilla butter icing on top. 

Zx

NB I am not a professional cook. This recipe has been devised by adding my own tweak on a traditional recipe using my oven. Temperatures/times may have to be altered to suit yours.