Chocolate truffles
Makes 40 truffles
Break 250g of dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids) into pieces in a large bowl. Gently heat 250ml of double cream and 40g of unsalted butter together in a saucepan until they begin to simmer, then pour over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate has melted. Allow the mix to cool and set aside in the fridge for 4 hours. Use a spoon to scoop out balls of the mixture and roll it lightly between your hands, placing the truffles on baking paper once shaped. To finish, roll them in a covering of your choice, such as cocoa powder or chopped nuts. Truffles will keep in a container in the fridge for 1 week, or can be frozen for 1 month.
Scandi Christmas biscuits
Put the following into a bowl: 100g of dark chocolate, melted and cooled, 250g of sifted plain flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, a pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 100g of sugar, 1 egg, 115g of softened butter, and 2 teaspoons of red food colouring gel. You should be able to mould the dough into balls in your hands without it being too sticky. If it’s too soft, dust with a little extra flour. Preheat the oven to 180C/ gas 4. Roll the dough into 30 balls the size of large walnuts. Roll each in icing sugar. Place a small distance apart on a greased baking sheet and sift with a layer of icing sugar. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 min, until the tops crack. Remove and leave to cool. They keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
Extracted from Scandi Christmas by Christiane Bellstedt Myers (CICO Books, £12.99)
Raspberry vodka
Choose some berries — strawberries, raspberries, blueberries — then wash and trim the fruit, removing stems or blemishes. Transfer the fruit to a large sterilised jar, filling it almost to the top. Pour vodka over the fruit — use enough to completely cover it and fill the jar. Screw the lid on tightly and place in a cool, dark place. Shake the jar every day. Taste it after three days — it will be at its best between 3 and 5 days. When ready, strain through a muslin cloth, then decant into a sterilised bottle. Store it in a cool, dark place — it will keep indefinitely.
Cucumber-infused gin
Peel and deseed a cucumber, slice into rounds, then place into a jar along with 500ml of gin and a small handful of whole black peppercorns. Leave to infuse in a cool dark place for 24 hours, strain through a muslin cloth, then decant into a sterilised bottle. Serve chilled. Best enjoyed within a month of making.
Rosemary and bay olive oil
Put 1 teaspoon of pink or black peppercorns into a sterilised glass bottle, then make a bouquet of herbs (washed and dried) with a couple of sprigs of rosemary, a few sprigs of thyme and fresh bay leaves and a sprig of sage leaves. Hold together at the bottom, and wrap string around the area with leaves, leaving the stems below. Make a tight knot, then cut off the excess string. Gently push the bouquet through the bottle neck until it is completely inside the bottle. You can also push a few whole dried chillies into the bottle if you like spice. Fill with good-quality extra virgin olive oil. Put the top on and allow to infuse for 2 weeks before using.
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Tomato chutney
Makes enough for 4 small jars
Put 700g of chopped fresh tomatoes, 1 chopped red onion, 1 chopped red chilli and 3 minced garlic cloves in a heavy-based saucepan with 125g of light muscovado sugar, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger and 250ml of red wine vinegar. Stir to combine, bringing it to a simmer. Cook for about 1 hour over a low heat until the mixture has reduced, stirring to prevent it sticking to the pan. Pour the finished chutney into sterilised jars, leave to cool and store in the fridge for up to 1 month.
Cherry and almond Florentines
Heat the oven to 180C/gas 4 and line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment. Cream 50g of room temperature unsalted butter with 80g of soft light brown sugar until light and fluffy. Then add 2 tablespoons of flour, 80g of flaked almonds, 50g of roughly chopped glacé cherries, 30g of mixed peel, a pinch of fine sea salt, and mix well. Using a teaspoon, spoon small amounts of the mixture onto the baking sheets (about 16 biscuits), 10cm apart. Bake for 10 min, taking the sheet out after 4 min and flattening the centre of the Florentines slightly with the back of a teaspoon. After the full cooking time they will have spread and will need reshaping at the edges while warm. Allow to cool on the sheet, then transfer, upside down, to a wire rack. Put 100g of dark chocolate and ¼ of a teaspoon of coconut oil in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Melt, then spoon a teaspoonful onto each Florentine, spreading nearly to the edge. It will take 1 hour for the chocolate to set. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Extracted from Advent: Festive German Bakes by Anja Dunk (Quadrille, £25)
