Christmas confectionary

[Moley]

This is about those items that are released for christmas. The two that come to mind for me in the UK are the confectionary variety packs, where popular chocolate bars are sold together in a festive-themed wrapped tray, usually for for a price greater than it would cost to buy them individually.

And then there are the Terry's Chocolate Oranges, and the variations thereof. I've seen white chocolate 'snowballs' and there is usually a trial variety of crunchy chocolate such as mint or honey crisp.

Do you have any others?

[ornamentmaven]

Ribbon candy

[SnowAngel]

Lindt makes spiced hazelnut treats; almonds too I think. Last year, I didn't see them at the usual place and then after Christmas I saw them at National liquidators! Boxes and boxes of them; something must have happened w/the shipping.

[Moley]

Sometimes there are special edition Toblerone as well, but it's too early to have spotted them.

[JollyElfDC]

They seem to come out with different flavored powdered hot chocolate. I also only ever see peppermint bark at Christmas time.

[mina553]

this year for christmas were making snow men cookies for santa heres the Recipe



http://s3.amazonaws.com/gmi-digital-library/2ee58d74-527e-4821-a7d7-3d6cfbfb546e.jpg

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
2 tablespoons Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
21 pretzel sticks, broken in half 1 container
(12 oz) Betty Crocker® Whipped fluffy white frosting Assorted candies





1 Heat oven to 375°F.
In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, flour, butter and egg until soft dough forms.
2
Shape dough into 21 (1 1/4-inch) balls, 21 (1-inch) balls and 21 (3/4-inch) balls.
For each snowman, place 3 balls in decreasing sizes with edges just touching on ungreased cookie sheet;
flatten balls slightly. Place snowmen about 3 inches apart.
3
Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.
Remove from oven; immediately insert pretzel sticks into sides of middle balls for arms.
Cool 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
4
Frost cookies and decorate with candies.

[xmasjules]

Hi All,

I love Christmas and everything about Christmas. In fact, most of my friends think I am insane, because I set my Christmas tree up in August. I just tell them I would leave it up all year but I enjoy the tradition of listening to Christmas carols while setting up the tree.

Anyhow, the reason I am posting is that I am after ideas. I want to set up a Christmas scene made entirely from food. I will be making the following:

Christmas Tree Croquembouche
Angel dolly varden cake
3d reindeer made from chocolate biscuits
gingerbread sleigh
fairy floss snow
candy popcorn tinsel for the croquembouche
toffee apple santa
pavlova houses with white chocolate roof
cake pop snowmen and
macarons to spell out Merry Christmas

Does anyone have any ideas of what else I could add. Possibly something to make the presents for under the tree or a favourite recipe for chocolate biscuits (need to be a dough that gets rolled out to use cookie cutters on)

[Christmas_mama]

Mixed nuts in their shells, tangerines, lots of varieties of cheese and cracker, gingerbread everything :elf1:

[ornamentmaven]

Hi All,

I love Christmas and everything about Christmas. In fact, most of my friends think I am insane, because I set my Christmas tree up in August. I just tell them I would leave it up all year but I enjoy the tradition of listening to Christmas carols while setting up the tree.

Anyhow, the reason I am posting is that I am after ideas. I want to set up a Christmas scene made entirely from food. I will be making the following:

Christmas Tree Croquembouche
Angel dolly varden cake
3d reindeer made from chocolate biscuits
gingerbread sleigh
fairy floss snow
candy popcorn tinsel for the croquembouche
toffee apple santa
pavlova houses with white chocolate roof
cake pop snowmen and
macarons to spell out Merry Christmas

Does anyone have any ideas of what else I could add. Possibly something to make the presents for under the tree or a favourite recipe for chocolate biscuits (need to be a dough that gets rolled out to use cookie cutters on)

Hate to sound stupid but what is a croquembouche?

[xmasjules]

Hate to sound stupid but what is a croquembouche?

Croquembouche is proffiteroles, filled with custard cream and then dipped in toffee and shaped into a cone shape (it looks like a Christmas tree).

[Christmas_mama]

Croquembouche is proffiteroles, filled with custard cream and then dipped in toffee and shaped into a cone shape (it looks like a Christmas tree).

That. Sounds. AMAZING! :christmasdinner:

[ornamentmaven]

Croquembouche is proffiteroles, filled with custard cream and then dipped in toffee and shaped into a cone shape (it looks like a Christmas tree).

OMG that sounds great! You may have to post the recipe!

[xmasjules]

To make a Croquembouche (French word that means crunch to the mouth), you need to first make proffiteroles. I use the recipe for chocolate eclairs with custard cream that is on the "Taste.com.au" website. However, instead of piping long lengths, I use spoons to make small balls that will puff up to approx twice their size once cooked.

When cooled, I fill with custard cream. For this, I just make a really thick custard (like you would for vanilla slice). Then I whip 300ml cream until really thick. Then I combine the two and beat until light and fluffy. You can use the custard cream recipe with the eclair recipe, but I find the cream doesn't whip as well once the custard is added, so you need to whip the cream seperately and make the custard thicker (probably double the custard powder in the recipe), but that is just my opinion. Feel free to experiment until you get a thickness you like.

Then you need to make toffee. I make mine green, as I decorate it as a Christmas tree, however most places make it plain golden brown toffee and decorate with sugared flowers. If you google "croquembouche", you can see images of how people decorate them. I just use a normal toffee recipe used for toffee apples, as you want a thin layer of toffee that will set hard. Again, if you google "croquembouche", it will also give you recipes for the toffee and the proffiteroles along with instructions on how to put them together.

I was going to buy the croquembouche tin, but it is so expensive. I may just buy an orange witches hat (traffic cone), and pile the proffiteroles around the outside of it (after covering the cone in cling wrap first of course). This way I can remove the cone from the croquembouche and pull out the cling wrap when serving.

I will try to get a photo to attach here when I set everything up for the morning tea (December 03rd).

[ornamentmaven]

To make a Croquembouche (French word that means crunch to the mouth), you need to first make proffiteroles. I use the recipe for chocolate eclairs with custard cream that is on the "Taste.com.au" website. However, instead of piping long lengths, I use spoons to make small balls that will puff up to approx twice their size once cooked.

When cooled, I fill with custard cream. For this, I just make a really thick custard (like you would for vanilla slice). Then I whip 300ml cream until really thick. Then I combine the two and beat until light and fluffy. You can use the custard cream recipe with the eclair recipe, but I find the cream doesn't whip as well once the custard is added, so you need to whip the cream seperately and make the custard thicker (probably double the custard powder in the recipe), but that is just my opinion. Feel free to experiment until you get a thickness you like.

Then you need to make toffee. I make mine green, as I decorate it as a Christmas tree, however most places make it plain golden brown toffee and decorate with sugared flowers. If you google "croquembouche", you can see images of how people decorate them. I just use a normal toffee recipe used for toffee apples, as you want a thin layer of toffee that will set hard. Again, if you google "croquembouche", it will also give you recipes for the toffee and the proffiteroles along with instructions on how to put them together.

I was going to buy the croquembouche tin, but it is so expensive. I may just buy an orange witches hat (traffic cone), and pile the proffiteroles around the outside of it (after covering the cone in cling wrap first of course). This way I can remove the cone from the croquembouche and pull out the cling wrap when serving.

I will try to get a photo to attach here when I set everything up for the morning tea (December 03rd).

Thanks for the recipe. Proffiteroles are like cream puffs, as I thought. Sounds great

[storm85]

Gold coins are a big love at Christmas for me

[steph535]

I look forward to seeing eggnog on the shelf, also maybe mint hot cocoa. I know there are others but I can't think of them right now.

and what are proffiteroles? I know I could just look it up, lol.

[storm85]

profiteroles are a bite size piece of heaven

[MinnesotaMike]

We don't buy too many store-bought treats for Christmas.

[JollyElfDC]

We don't buy too many store-bought treats for Christmas.

Do you and/or your wife make your own treats, or are you just trying to keep the kids sugar levels down? I know different parents that try not to have sweets in the house at Christmas simply because their children are excited enough already.

[ChristmasFairy]

profiteroles are a bite size piece of heaven
Absolutely !!!! Yum !!! ......Click here (http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1801/croquembouche)

So are macaroons ...Click >>> (http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/14336/french+almond+macaroons)

[frostythesnowman]

:
this year for christmas were making snow men cookies for santa heres the Recipe



http://s3.amazonaws.com/gmi-digital-library/2ee58d74-527e-4821-a7d7-3d6cfbfb546e.jpg

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
2 tablespoons Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
21 pretzel sticks, broken in half 1 container
(12 oz) Betty Crocker® Whipped fluffy white frosting Assorted candies





1 Heat oven to 375°F.
In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, flour, butter and egg until soft dough forms.
2
Shape dough into 21 (1 1/4-inch) balls, 21 (1-inch) balls and 21 (3/4-inch) balls.
For each snowman, place 3 balls in decreasing sizes with edges just touching on ungreased cookie sheet;
flatten balls slightly. Place snowmen about 3 inches apart.
3
Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.
Remove from oven; immediately insert pretzel sticks into sides of middle balls for arms.
Cool 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
4
Frost cookies and decorate with candies.





my girls will sure love this....thanks for sharing mina553...:elf3: