Food Hampers And Tips For A Perfect Christmas
If you decide to make things at home to put in to gourmet food gift baskets and Christmas hampers you should make sure that the ingredients are fresh and prepared in the best possible way
Christmas cakes like to be stored in cool environments after they have been cooked. You should remember to wrap the cake in greaseproof paper and then tin foil to provide it with the maximum protection. Adding a dessert spoon of sherry or rum to your cake mixture adds a certain philip to your cake and will ensure that it stands out from the rest. It is a good idea to soak your fruit overnight to allow the juices to permeate the fruit. One interesting trick is to place a bowl of water in the bottom of the oven before you heat it up, as this will increase the humidity and will lead to the perfect cake for Christmas.
If you are going with tradition and baking your own Christmas pudding then dont forget to add coins to the Christmas pudding, of course, care should be taken especially if children are going to be eating it and you should always tell your guests you put them in there. Coins can be added to bought puddings and these can be inserted gently once the pudding is cooked and turned onto a plate, dont forget to boil the coins for at least 3 minutes before using them and spread them to ensure everyone gets one to avoid disappointment.
The turkey in most homes is usually the centrepiece of the Christmas dinner. After many hours of cooking; you present it in all its glory, the perfect golden skin cooked to perfection. Now you have to carve it and you need to do this the right way in order to ensure its served as good as it smells, if you plan on carving soon after roasting then cover the turkey with foil and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Always make sure you cut the dark meat first before the light and the secret to removing the wings, legs and thighs is to finding where the bones meet and cutting between the joints.
Top tips for Christmas turkey perfection
Always prepare your turkey stuffing well in advance and allow to cool
Only stuff the neck cavity of your turkey and not the rear end
Cut and slice two or three onions and place these on the bottom on the dish and place your turkey on top of them, not only will they keep the turkey from resting in the juices they will also add flavour
Before stuffing the turkey, you could use sliced lemons, oranges or onion to add flavour by placing them in the body cavity of the turkey.
Make sure you season the skin of the turkey with salt and pepper and smear butter all over the skin.
You can also position streaky smoked bacon over the bird halfway through the cooking time to add some additional flavors.
Eggnog is always a winner at Christmas and is very popular with the traditionalists. Many people add brandy to their mix, although you can have it without alcohol and even without eggs for th dairly and egg intolerants among us. Eggnog is a quick way to warm any new visitors to the house and is best in small doses as can be very potent.
This is a great non alcoholic eggnog recipe. Separate the yolks from the whites of a dozen eggs and beat the whites. It then best to add a half cup of sugar while beating the eggs until the whites start to peak. You’ll need to beat the yolks in a separate bowl until they are creamed and then slowly add 1 cup of sugar as you mix. Finally, take one quart of cream, beat until stiff and mix the eggs, cream and add a touch of vanilla flavoring. Pour the mix in to containers and leave it to set for at least 24hrs. Finally, serve in a large bowl and add a touch of nutmeg.