Christmas Shortbread Jars

Today I quickly made some homemade little gifts for my friends.  I altered my shortbread recipe until it fit into these little jars I got from Ikea  called Korken

For my wedding favours I did the same but in mini milk bottles and they worked out really well so I just copied this but had to work out how the recipe would fit in different jars.  As usual I just guessed until I got it right 🤣

For the Ikea size of jar I needed 50g of plain flour, 25g of caster sugar and 25g of cornflour.

First I weighed out the plain flour and poured this in to the glass jars followed by the caster sugar and finished off with the cornflour.  

 I love how white they are and the cornflour is so smooth it feels like snow 🌨 

I tried to print off labels but as usual there was an issue with my printer when I needed it isn't that always the case?!  So I handwrote the instructions on brown card.  All you need is to add 50g of salted butter.  By hand or in a food processor mix everything together, roll out thinly and cut using a festive cookie cutter for Christmas biscuits.  Bake for 30 mins at 150°C or Gas Mark 2 (they will still be very pale) then immediately sprinkle with caster sugar.  Allow to cool completely before eating them.  Yum!! 

I rolled the instructions up and put them through the little metal handles.   For my wedding milk bottles I hung them with string and used vintage fabric cut into circles for the top of the bottles.





















I finished the Christmas jars off with some green and white twine.  Lovely festive little gifts when it's just the thought that counts.  I think I will give my neighbour one of these too.  I gave my daughter's teacher something similar one year also.  I do love a homemade gift and these are really easy to make and equally easy for the recipient to bake.  I am not sure how many biscuits this mix will make as it depends on the size of cutter you use but enough for you to eat with your festive cuppy! 

Let me know if you make these shorties yourself this year and who you would give them to!


For more recipes see my other posts here

Golden Christmas

The last couple of years I have been changing my Christmas style from tacky and cheap to gold and beautiful!  I just took a look through my previous Christmas posts and I am much happier with my decor this year :) I think I was trying to fit in too many pinterest projects into my unsuitable space. This year I put out all my Christmas junk as usual but after a day I had to have a re-do.  I hated all the red.  My tree is gold again like 2012 but I have no second tree for all the red stuff so I tried to use it all in the livingroom and it looked ridiculous.

  I bought a wicker tree basket after that ridiculous tree box I made that year haha.  I love the basket it was from my favourite shop Cox and Cox and I added my hessian bow.  Much better :)

I was given the crate from one of my friends and I still have no idea what I am going to do with it I just know I love it - but saw it sitting in my lobby with nothing to do and had a brain wave to put all my wrapped parcels in it.  I <3 it!!  I had envy from my sister's sledge she has laid out in her new livingroom with presents on it but I don't have enough space to have it laid out flat so this will have to do until I get a bigger house :)  

 My fireplace is much less cluttered after my changes thankfully

 With my garland and some lights I allowed some red to stay

 I have been doing some crafting - I do love a finger puppet!  Some felt Christmas puppets I made for Eliza.  I also made a set for my three Canadian cousins.

 Here is a little sample of my obsession from this year - china sets!  This one is not like any of my others so it sits away by itself but I actually like the gold - it matches my decorations all year round.

I have shared my favourite tree ornaments before but I got this new glass reindeer one today - I love my tiny glass collection!  Eliza was delighted too she loves those ones.  

 Here is her tiny ballerina

 A very dainty star

And a beautiful gold christmas tree.  

 I was in a little Danish Christmas shop the other day and they had tons and tons of trays for sale but all far too expensive for me - I found this one in a charity shop for £2!!!  I just added some of my Christmas and every day decorations and I love this.  Who needs a £40 tray??  I love charity shop finds!

 I bought some more gold baubles this year so I would have plenty to display.  I am not quite finished getting ready but it is only the 4th December.  I still have time :)

Already tonight I have taken the lids off these and added more tiny baubles

Here is a little look at my china collection - this is so pretty on its own I have not Christmased it up at all.  I love every piece on here - most of it came from my sister earlier this year for my 30th birthday but every weekend I have been to a charity shop and bought a jug or a few cups to add to it.  I also got a great bundle from someone selling their collection they had used for their wedding so I have lots of teapots now too - I think I will probably use these for the wedding next year but I have not totally decided.  At least I will use the cups for the present showing - vintage tea party how exciting!  Next year is going to be so much fun!

White Chocolate and Cranberry Fudge ♥

I have been busy making more sweet foods instead of teas as usual.  I have pinned lots of real food ideas and I have made a couple but never anything so exciting I feel like photographing and writing about it!  Not like cakes and sweets and all things sugary!  So my new year's resolution hasn't really worked.  I've made some different tatties recipes and a sweet and sour chicken recipe and also Yorkshire puddings from scratch but I have not managed a whole new tea recipe every week of January.  Oops.  Now I have pinned more ideas I will get onto it in February :)

If my resolution had been to make lots of junk for the month of January I would have kept to it :)

 Here is one of my favourite combinations:  evaporated milk, sugar and butter melted then brought to the boil and left to simmer for 5 mins.

Dried cranberries and white chocolate - yum yum yum!  Cranberries are not just for Christmas :) 

Letting the white chocolate melt into the evaporated milk ensemble.  It gets lovely, thick and gooey 

 Poured into a prepared tin and left to set overnight

 Then cut into shapes

 Little love hearts for a Valentine's Day treat?

I am rubbish at photography.  I don't know anything about settings or lighting and my camera is not great but I am trying to learn :) This little photoshoot took tons of attempts to get any decent photos without flashback!  I really need to look up some pins on camera tips :) More excuses to spend time on pinterest! 

I ♥ Pinterest 

White chocolate and cranberry fudge recipe

12 oz granulated sugar

1 oz unsalted butter

6 oz evaporated milk 

3½ oz dried cranberries

10 oz white chocolate

Put sugar, milk and butter in pan.  Dissolve the sugar over low heat.  Bring to the boil stirring continuously.  Reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and add cranberries and white chocolate.  Allow the chocolate to melt.  Stir and pour into a tray lined with baking paper,  Chill.  Cut into pieces with cutters if desired.  I desired :)

Merry Christmas

Just a quick little post to say Merry Christmas everyone.  I will show you a couple of the cakes we made for orders today.  Nice and Christmassy!

Chocolate orange holly on logs

                          Fruit cake with a snowman and penguin scene

                          Chocolate orange, chocolate mint and vanilla Christmas cupcakes

                                  Snowy

                                  Penguin

                            Skating penguin

                             Mini chocolate orange cupcakes

                            Christmas box of 4 with some pretty ribbon

 Another snowman and penguin scene...thats the theme this year :) Santa made his appearance last year.

               Pretty red velvet cakes before decorating

                    A lovely big box of Christmas cakes (toffee, lemon, baileys, strawberry and white chocolate and red velvet)

                       All wrapped up ready to go

                      Sparkly Christmas box

I have barely left my kitchen the last few days.  Tonight I have been making some puddings for tomorrow.  Santa is away to have his cuppy and cake - or coke and mars bar that has been left out - so traditional this year!!  Haha Finlay thought Santa would like a change.  Rudolph has an apple - I forgot to buy carrots but Finlay thought he would like a change as well this year :)   Enjoy yourselves tomorrow I will update you on all the puddings me and my sister have created for tomorrow - you can't have too much variety!.  One of mine was a failure unfortunately so now I have a tub of caramel sauce with no home...oh dear Santa LOVES caramel sauce straight from the pot!!

Merry Christmas!!!

eee