Future Talent Awards

Feeling festive? Get ahead with some Christmas baking, making edible gifts perfect for friends and family!

White Chocolate and Blueberry Truffles

Ingredients

  • 150ml double cream
  • 200g white chocolate, broken into small pieces
  • 3tbsp Cointreau or Grand Mariner
  • 24 blueberries
  • Extra white chocolate for dipping

Method

Serves: Makes 24 Truffles

Abodus - Live until 29th Sep 24
  1. Pour cream into a small saucepan, bring it to the boil then add chocolate pieces. Set aside for 5 minutes until the chocolate has melted.
  2. Add the Cointreau or Grand Mariner and stir until smooth. Leave to cool then put the mixture in the fridge for about 3 hours until firm.
  3. Once set, scoop teaspoons of the truffle mixture onto a baking tray and continue until you have 24 small mounds roughly all the same size. Make a dip in the centre of each mound and add one blueberry to each. Make you sure you press the mixture around the blueberry to enclose it. Roll each mound between both hands to get an even round ball. Put the truffles into the fridge for another hour to firm.
  4. To decorate, melt either white or milk chocolate. With a spoon, dip each truffle into the melted chocolate making sure it’s completely covered. Then place onto a tray with non-stick paper. Continue until all truffles are covered in chocolate then sprinkle with glitter flakes or grated chocolate.
  5. Chill for 30 minutes until all truffles are firm, then transfer into mini cake cases. Package the truffles in a small box with tissue paper or non-stick paper and decorate with ribbon to make the perfect little Christmas gift. Leave in the fridge and eat within 3 days.

Ultimate Fudge

Ingredients

  • 397g can Carnation Condensed Milk
  • 150ml milk
  • 450g demerara sugar
  • 115g butter

Method

Serves: Makes 1kg

  1. Place the ingredients into a non-stick saucepan and melt over a low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
  2. Bring it to the boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring continuously. To test its ready drop a little of the mixture into a jug of ice cold water. A soft ball of fudge should form. Or measure on a thermometer(118°C).
  3. Remove from heat and beat the fudge until very thick and starting to set.
  4. Pour into a baking tray lined with non-stick paper. Once completely set, cut into equal squares.

Coconut Toffee

Ingredients

  • Non-stick spray
  • 340g sugar
  • 115ml water
  • 450g unsweetened desiccated coconut (also called finely grated)
  • Pinch ground cardamom
  • Pink food colouring (optional)

Method

  1. Line a baking tray with non-stick paper, overlapping the sides(for easy lifting).
  2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, mix the sugar and water. Cook until the mixture reaches the soft ball consistency. (110°C on a candy thermometer).
  3. Stir in the coconut and cardamom and add food colouring(toffee should be a pale pink).
  4. Quickly spread the mixture into the baking tray evenly. Allow it to cool and harden before cutting into pieces.