This is the first Christmas that I have felt both inspired and prepared enough to make many of my own foodie christmas gifts, and for a first time effort I’m proud to say the results are pretty good.

I’ve made a traditional Spanish dessert to serve with cheese called Pan de Higo, made with crushed figs, almonds and honey. It normally comes flan-shaped but I’ve made the mixture into balls with added cranberries, apricots, brandy and cloves and covered them in sesame seeds. These needed to sit for a week before wrapping and serving. There are only six in existence so if you get one for Christmas you are very priveleged.

A few weeks ago, I made my chutney of choice and have been storing it – Ginger and Pineapple. I never made chutney before (which is criminal as I live next door to a pick-your-own) and I was suprised how simple the cooking part was – it’s the peeling and chopping that takes forever! And I did make the mistake of putting the sugar in BEFORE bringing all the other ingredients to the boil, but hopefully no-one will notice. There are only four jars in existence, mostly down to only having big jars to hand so will have to start hoarding my empty jars next year.

The easiest food gift to make utilises anything small and yummy placed in a generous square of cellophane, collected with elastic, wrapped with rafia ribbon and tagged with a christmassy label. For my friends’ kids I’ve put in a small assortment of sweets. I’ve got forty Chocolate Truffles with Dulce-de-Leche filling waiting on the freezer, and when my son returns for Christmas Eve we’ll defrost these, bake up some simple shortbread shapes and we’ll prepare some more little bags of these for everyone we see on Christmas and Boxing Day.

Any successes here will be a lot to do with having a whole week before Christmas where my son is staying with his Dad, as for the first time in five years I have more spare time on my hands than I absolutely need. Also, I’m having to ration the central heating due to a low tank of oil and no promise of a delivery before the New Year, so keeping busy in the kitchen with the open fire raging is giving me the warm feeling of being extra homely and wholesome. Listening to my choice of music ALL DAY in the background rather than ‘Horrid Henry’ also helps enormously.

Personalising a food gift with a home-made touch is just one of the ways you can make the recipient feel really special. I’m probably sharing these ideas too late to help anyone with home-made food gift and hamper filling ideas this year, but if I get good feedback from my friends and family I’ll develop these and some more products and work on my timings for you for next year.

If anyone would like any of the recipes for things I have made here, please contact me and I will send them.

Happy Christmas!