Christmas food hacks to make life easier
It's December and we have some great hacks to make sure the Christmas season runs as smoothly as possible! Take a look...
Chocolate dipped spoons
What you need:Wooden spoonsChocolate - white, dark or both!Decorative sprinklesMarshmallows
Simply dip the wooden spoons into your choice of melted chocolate ensuring the entire head of the spoon is covered. Decorate with sprinkles, marshmallows or festive treats. Pop in the fridge to set.
Best served with hot chocolate or ice cream!
Candy cane marshmallow pops
What you need:Large marshmallowsLong candy canes Milk chocolate to meltA non-stick panFreezer bag and rolling pin for crushing canes
Method:
Firstly, prepare your candy cane marshmallow pops by inserting a candy cane into each of the marshmallows
Crush the remaining candy canes into fine pieces by placing in a freezer bag and bashing with a rolling pin. Set aside for decoration.
Heat your chocolate on the stove or carefully microwave until melted
Dip the candy cane mallow pops into the melted chocolate
Sprinkle or roll the pops in the crushed candy canes and leave to cool. We suggest hanging the pops from a cup and placing on a baking sheet to catch any drips!
Voila, you have tasty candy cane marsh mallow pops!
Festive fruit ice cubes
What you needCranberriesRasberries Black berriesRosemary MintLemon, slicedLime, slicedStar shaped ice tray (or any ice tray of your choice)
Method
Fill the ice tray with water
Add your selection of fruit as desired
Freeze for 3 to 4 hours
Add to your drink of choice for an instantly festive transformation
Warming serving plates
Instead of using valuable oven space to warm up your plates, pop them in a dishwasher on a plate warming setting to heat them through before serving.
Keep ice cream soft for scooping
What you need:Ice creamFreezer/ziplock bag
Storing your ice-cream in a ziplock/freezer bag will keep your ice-cream soft and ready to serve with warming Christmas treats.
Piping made easy
What you need:Piping bagIcing1 cup
Placing your piping bag into a cup will make filling it up with icing 100 times easier!
Dry fruit winter style
What you need: OrangesA knifeChopping boardBaking trayGrease proof paper
Lay your chopped fruit onto a baking tray and place in to the oven on the lowest heat setting for around two hours. Once the time is up your fruit should be completely dry and ready to use as festive decor.
Christmas tree veggie platter
What you need: BroccoliCherry tomatoesYellow pepperCauliflowerPretzel sticksDip of your choice
Rinse your vegetables and arrange into a Christmas tree shape.
Quick and easy Christmas fudge
What you need: 250g white chocolate3 tbsp of low fat milk1 tbsp of rosewater2 tbsp of glace cherries, roughly chopped2 tbsp of dried cranberries2 tbsp dried blueberries
Method:
Line a tin with baking paper
Place chocolate, milk and rosewater in a heatproof bowl over a boiling saucepan of water. Stir gently to melt. Once chocolate is fully melted stir in fruit.
Pour into paper lined pan and leave in fridge for approximately 1 hour to set
Slice into small squares
How to store your baubles
What you need:Egg cartonsBaubles
Use old egg cartons to store your small baubles. This clever hack will help keep your Christmas decorations neat, tidy and ready for next year!
Candy cane name stands
What you need:Candy canesPlace setting cardsGlue
Simply glue three candy canes together and pop your place name on. Voila, table plan sorted!
Crisp can turned cookie container
What you need:Old, empty crisp or snack cansWrapping paper of your choiceRibbon of your choiceCookies and assorted biscuits
Use your old crisp and snack cans to create cute DIY gifts for your friends. Simply wrap the container in decorative paper of your choice, fill with cookies and top off with a festive ribbon.
Reindeer chocolate holders
What you need:Plant pots Brown card (in three different shades)Red pom pomsGoggle eyes
This is a really fun and creative hack to try out with your children. You can each decorate your own reindeer chocolate pots!
Elf treats
What you need: Hoop-shaped cerealCinnamon Icing sugarChocolate Sprinkles
Smother your hoops in icing sugar and dip into sprinkles to create cute mini doughnuts perfect for your little elves...
Chocolate bowls
What you need:ChocolateBalloons Pan to melt chocolateWooden spoon
Method:
Melt chocolate and leave to cool
Meanwhile, blow up your balloons
Coat the ball of the balloon in chocolate and leave to cool in the fridge for around 4 hours.
Once cooled you will have the perfect chocolate bowls - fill with sweet treats of your choice
Cranberry garlands
What you need: Cranberries Dental flosstooth pic
Method:
Insert a tooth pic into the cranberries to create a hole
Carefully thread the floss through the hole, repeat until you have a beautiful festive garland
Use as a table, tree or wall decoration
Grinch popcorn
What you need: PopcornMini marshmallowsGreen food colouring Chocolate sweets
Method:
Place your popcorn in the microwave
Once fully popped mix in some green food colouring
Sweet tooths can add mini marshmallows and chocolate sweets to the bowl for an extra sugary kick
Now you're ready for the perfect Christmas movie night!
Ice cream cone Christmas trees
What you need: Ice cream conesLong lollipop sticksTin foil (each one about 10 inches long)12 tbsp of cookie dough to fill the cone12 tbsp of chocolate chips to fill the cone
Toppings: 226 grams of vanilla icing226 grams of chocolate icingShredded coconutChocolate sweetsChocolate chipsColoured sprinkles
Method:
Fill the ice cream cone with cookie dough about half way up (the empty space will leave enough room for the dough to rise)
Use tin foil to create a secure base to hold your cones right side up in the oven
Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until the dough is cooked through
Remove cones from the oven and fill the remaining space with chocolate chips while they are still hot
Pierce the dough with a lollipop stick and allow to completely cool in the baking tray
Now decorate with the items of your choice!
Strawberry Santa's
What you need:A packet of strawberriesA packet of sunflower seeds (for eyes)Whipped cream
Method:
Cut strawberries in half
Fill the bottom half with squirty whipped cream
Put the top half (pointy half) back on and a little ball of whipped cream on top
Use two sunflower seeds to create the eyes
And there you have it, a fruity and festive snack!
Use condiment containers for icing
What you need: Condiment containersCookiesRed icing White icing
Method:
Fill the condiment containers with icing
Ice your cookies in the pattern of your choice
And there you have it, icing made easy!
Festive pancakes
What you need: Pancake mix (egg, flour, milk blended together)Festive-shaped cookie cuttersFrying pan
Method:
Place your cookie cutters into a frying pan
Fill them with pancake mix
Wait until the mix is cooked enough, flip the pancakes over
Kickstart Christmas Day with a festive pancake!
Cookie decorating made easy
What you need: Cookie doughChristmas cookie cuttersSprinkles TrayParchment paper
Method:
Cut your cookie dough into the shapes of your choice
Put the same shape cookie cutter back over the already cut dough and sprinkle your decorations on
This makes the decorating process a whole lot cleaner!
Bake your cookies in the oven for however long your dough recipe says
Now you have the perfect Christmas cookies!