Festive culinary creations?

[Nicos]

Heres a thread for sharing anything you have made- or fancy making over the next couple of weeks.

Heres my creation yesterday ...



they are just melted chocolate with a combination of several of the following mixed in
chopped crystallised ginger, chopped Brazil nuts, sultanas, chopped mango, chilli flakes, coconut,.... anything you fancy tbh
Its the first time I’ve used moulds but i’ve Previously just splodged dollops of chocolate onto silver foil and pressed in the topping.
I can assure you they taste yummy and it’s great fun making them and licking the bowls, spatula, spoons etc at the end!!!

anyone else care care to share any of there creations or ‘fancy trying recipes’?

[Snoop Puss]

They look delicious, Nicos. I'm hopeless with pictures but will try to follow up in a few days. When I've made something. Nothing as ambitious as chocolates, mind.

Were they difficult to get out of the moulds? I have chocolate and gianduja but have no idea how I'd go about making chocolates. Would baking parchment do instead of foil? Maybe they'd come out like decorated chocolate buttons...

[Nicos]

Thanks snoop - I used a silicone mould and they just popped out.

But basically the ones I’ve made previously were giant decorated chocolate buttons!!!
Cant see that parchment would be a problem at all!p and they do look very impressive. Brill for a gift too...and sooo easy to make.
( I tentatively melted the chocolate in the microwave but in a bowl over gently boiling water would work just as well)

Just leave in the fridge to set.

[greenishfing]

Ooooh! You are giving me inspiration. I think I've got a brand new plastic ice cube tray of some kind in the cupboard that I could use as a mould and I am fancying something sort of tiffin/chocolate fridge cakey mix.
If it turns out as good as it is starting to taste in my imagination I have a feeling I might want to keep it all to myself.....

[Nicos]

Mmm!...crushed biscuits and marshmallow sounds Devine!

[Snoop Puss]

^Good idea, gf. Once upon a time we had a silicone ice-block tray. No idea where it is now. If I can find it, excellent. I'll use some of the gianduja I bought by mistake as a filling, maybe with a hazelnut. Starting to sound like a fancy Topic! And if I can't find it, we'll just have chocolate buttons with whatever I can find as a decoration. Thanks, Nicos. Better not make too many, as it'll just be the two of us eating them...

[Nicos]

BOTH of you??????

how generous!!!

[Nicos]

If you are using a mould just stir the melted chocolate around first with the thin end of a teaspoon or something so that the sides are also covered ...then the filling, then the ‘base’

the button shaped ones cool very quickly in the freezer but if left too long they go matt

fingerprints can be hidden by sprinkling coconut onto of them!!

[Nicos]

Anyone made mince pies yet???

[greenishfing]

Well mixed results with the tiffin type chocolates. The taste is great, the consistency is great. I made one lot in a hard plastic ice tray. It was brand new and it actually had instructions. It said to remove contents twist gently. I twisted.....and twisted......and managed to snap it in half. It still hadn't parted with it's contents. I ended up using a teaspoon to force one out. The others I made in a silicon ice tray. They just popped out and look and taste great (sort of orange segment shaped).

[Snoop Puss]

Anyone made mince pies yet???

Yes, I made one lot with fancy almond and orange zest pastry. I loved them. Mr Snoop's only remark was that he preferred them with puff pastry. Harrumph!

Made another lot with butter puff pastry from Lidl. He loved them, unsurprisingly. But I made him wash up the baking tray, as the pastry rose, as you'd expect, and forced the mincemeat out.

I've got three more jars of mincemeat left (brought by friend up the valley from the Co-op, surprisingly good given it only cost him 30 p a jar on special offer). Could be a battle of wills over any future mince pies... Either that or I could just keep my mouth shut and not tell him about the other packets of puff pastry in the freezer.

[Nicos]

Gf...thanks for letting us know about the plastic trays....it’ll save me breaking mine!

[Nicos]

Snoop - I add apple to mine to make it go further. I only have one jar so will have to be extra careful with it.
Might make some tomorrow. Mmm...

[greenishfing]

The difference:

[Snoop Puss]

^Wow! Looks like you don't know your own strength, gf.

So far, the only silicone mould I've found is for brioche. Bit big...