Weekend Cooking: Edible Gifts

I have a pretty easy life when it comes to Christmas. I don't have to cook for a crowd, don't have to do a lot of preparation, and so usually just have to worry about gifts and that's it.

This year, even that has been reduced as it is a kids only Christmas where we go for lunch, which means I had lots less shopping to do. It also means that I won't get anything in the way of gifts which I am a bit torn about because yes, kids only does reduce the cost for everyone, but they are all married and so will still get something decent from their significant other but I won't but I guess you can't have it both ways.

Anyway, in the end it didn't quite feel right to be not giving anything so today the little chef and I spent some time just making up a little gift bag of edible gifts to give out tomorrow. Inside the bag are rocky road clusters, snowballs and yo yo biscuits.

I have been making the rocky road clusters for a while now. In fact, I am not sure where the magazine is that I found the recipe in so these days I just sort of make it from memory. The other thing is that because of the nut allergies and dislikes we have I don't put nuts in but you could do so if you wanted to.  I wonder if rocky road without nuts is just road?

Rocky Road Clusters

Approximately 250 grams milk chocolate melts
100 grams glace cherries, chopped
packet of marshmallows, chopped

Melt the milk chocolate (3-4 minutest at 50% in the microwave stirring every minute or so) and then mix all ingredients. It is best to let the chocolate cool slightly so that it doesn't begin to melt the marshmallow.

Scoop spoonfuls of the mixture onto a tray lined with baking paper and put in the fridge until set.

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Snowballs are another recipe that we have been making for a while now. The little chef likes to make, and eat, these ones.

Snowballs

1 packet sweet biscuits (we use Nice biscuits)
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup dessicated coconut
1 can condensed milk
Extra coconut

Crush the biscuits until fine and then mix all the ingredients except the extra coconut together.

Form into small balls and then roll in the extra coconut to coat.

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Yo-yos are one of my favourite treats to have if I go to a cafe, but I didn't realise how easy they are, particularly seeing as they use only 4 relatively common ingredients.

Yo-yo biscuits

Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cup plain flour
• ½ cup custard powder
• ¼ cup icing sugar
• 190g butter

Butter Icing:

• ¾ cup icing sugar
• 75 grams softened butter
• 1 teaspoon liquid if required

Method:

1. Set oven at 180 degrees (or 150 in a fan forced oven). Grease two baking trays or line with baking paper.
2. Soften butter in the microwave it for 15-20 seconds taking care not to melt it.
3. Sift dry ingredients and rub in butter, work into a stiff dough.
4. Roll into balls (approximately 1 teaspoon in each) and place on oven tray lined with baking paper. Using a fork, flatten each ball slightly to give the fork indentation. 
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes (depending on oven and size of biscuits).
6. To make the butter icing combine the butter and icing sugar using an electric beater. If you want a less buttery taste add a couple of drops of vanilla essence, or perhaps some lemon juice. If you want a harder filling, add more icing sugar and a few drops of liquid.
7. Cool biscuits on cake cooling trays and sandwich together in pairs with butter icing.

Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads and is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs