EDIBLE GIFTS - KIDS | Foodandcookery

Edible Gifts - Kids

Honeycomb

Ingredients

Method

Put the sugar and syrup into a saucepan and stir together to mix. You mustn't stir once the pan's on the heat, though
Place the pan on the heat and let the mixture first melt, then turn to goo and then to a bubbling mass the colour of maple syrup - this will take 3 minutes or so
Off the heat, whisk in the bicarbonate of soda and watch the syrup turn into a whooshing cloud of aerated pale gold. Turn this immediately onto a piece of reusable baking parchment or greased foil
Leave until set and then bash at it, so that it splinters into many glinting pieces

Shortbread

Ingredients

Method

Preheat the oven to 325°F/170°C/Gas Mark 3
In a large bowl cream together the butter, salt and sugar until light and fluffy and pale in colour. This can take at least 10 minutes. You don't have to do this by hand, you can use an electric mixer if you have one
Mix together the flour and cornflour and sieve into the bowl of butter and sugar. Mix quickly and thoroughly to bring all the ingredients together, but do not over mix
Tip the mixture onto a lightly floured work surface and bring together lightly and quickly to form a loose dough. Then either:
Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper to 1 cm / ¼" thick. Prick the surface all over with a fork. Cut into desired shape or rounds using cookie cutters. Place the Scottish shortbreads on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 25 mins or until pale brown and crisp. Sprinkle the warm Scottish shortbreads with fine sugar and leave to cool on a wire cooling rack
Grease a Swiss roll tin 23 x 33cm / 9" x 13" with butter. Press the dough into the tin and press with your fingers to level the surface, prick all over with a fork. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown. With the shortbread still in the tin, cut into squares or fingers, leave to cool for 15 minutes then carefully remove to a wire cooling rack

Reindeer Bark

Ingredients

Method

Line a baking tin with baking parchment. Heat both chocolates in separate bowls in the microwave in 30-sec blasts, or over pans of simmering water. Pour the dark chocolate into the baking tin, then pour the milk chocolate on top in a trail. Spread the chocolate out to make a reasonably thick slab
Arrange the red smarties over the slab at intervals – these are the reindeer noses. Cut a marshmallow in half and press above the smarties to make eyes. Snap a pretzel in half for each set of antlers, snapping off any excess pretzel, then push into the chocolate near the noses
To make the snowmen, arrange the rest of the marshmallows in lines of three. Use pieces of pretzel for the arms and a piece of shoe lace for the scarf. Sprinkle over the stars and sprinkles, then leave the chocolate to set completely
Once the chocolate is hard, use an icing pen or small brush dipped in black food colouring to add pupils to the reindeer eyes, and faces and buttons for the snowmen. Use a knife to cut the bark into pieces around the reindeer and snowmen. To give them as gifts, put the chocolate shards in cellophane bags and tie with a pretty ribbon

(Recipe from BBC Good Food)

Caramel Popcorn

Ingredients

Method

For the caramel sauce: add to a saucepan and bring to a boil; once boiling, reduce to a simmer and simmer for 25 minutes
Once caramel is done simmering, stir consistently for 5 additional minutes, allowing caramel to thicken. Pour caramel in a jar or cup and set aside
For the popcorn: Heat oil in a large skillet over stovetop and place 3 popcorn kernels in it; place lid over top of skillet
Once those kernels pop into popcorn, pour additional kernels into skillet, reduce heat to medium and shake skillet over top of burner; popcorn will begin to pop
Once all popcorn is popped, pour caramel sauce over top and stir everything together with a large spoon or spatula
Pour caramel popcorn into a bowl and either A) eat immediately or B) allow time for the caramel to cool and harden

1/3 cup of popcorn kernels yields about 8 cups of popcorn, enough for 2 large servings

(Recipe from fitmittenkitchen.com)

Dorito Popcorn

Ingredients

1/2 cup un-popped popcorn kernels
2 - 3 tbsp coconut oil (for popping)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp garlic powder or granules (if you would like to make your own garlic granules, see Easy Homemade Granulated Garlic)
1 tsp onion powder or granules
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder (if you would prefer homemade chili powder, see The "Best" Basic Chili Powder)
1/8 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
2 tsp salt

Method

For the popcorn: Heat oil in a large skillet over stovetop and place 3 popcorn kernels in it; place lid over top of skillet
Combine all spices, and salt in a small bowl
Blend seasonings in a spice or coffee grinder, or blend in blender to make a fine powder
Sprinkle seasoning over popcorn and toss to coat

(Recipe from wholenewmom.com)