Tuesday, December 24, 2013

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

When it comes to entertaining, "you can never be too organized!" Hope these tips help.
           
·       Take into account the interests of the people you are about to invite, to get an idea about the things that they would or would not enjoy.
·  Decorate the party area with loads of flowers like Marigold, Roses & Petunias.
·       Place the food, drinks at a place where everyone can go and have it without any inconvenience.
·       Fill up loads of candies, sweets and toys to distribute to the kids.
·       The party caps can have motifs of “colors” or something related.
·       Polaroid pictures are great fun at parties because they are funky, retro and most of all, instant! Your guests will have an instant personalized souvenir to remember
·       Have interesting games ; “antakshari”...for example
·       Share jokes for party fun.


On Great game is “Gift Exchange” in which you could ask your guests to bring an inexpensive wrapped gift (appropriate for both the sexes), with no gift tag on it. Have the guests draw numbers and choose a gift in numerical order. For more fun, you could give the following player have the choice of choosing a new gift, or stealing a gift from someone who has already opened his /hers.  

Sharing some Christmas recipes which become easy to make especially if you have a KitchenAid Stand mixer.

GINGERBREAD BISCUITS

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Chilling: 30 minutes
Cooking: 10-15 minutes in batches
Makes: about 20 biscuits
INGREDIENTS
Plain Flour: 225 Gms
Salt: ½ tsp
Soda Bicarb: 2 tsp
Cinnamon ground: ½ tsp
Unsalted Butter: 50 Gms
Soft Brown sugar: 100 Gms
Golden syrup/Honey: 100 Gms
Evaporated milk: 15 Gms

METHOD
1.    Sift together the flour, salt, soda and spices in the KitchenAid Stand mixer.
2.    In a pan heat the butter, sugar and syrup until dissolved.
3.    Leave to cool.
4.    Mix in the dry ingredients with the evaporated milk to make the dough.
5.    Chill.
6.    Preheat oven to 190*C and grease 2 baking sheets.
7.    Roll out biscuit dough to about 5 mm thick and cut into fingers, circles or gingerbread men.
8.    Place on the baking sheets.
9.    Bake in the pre-heated oven for 10-15 minutes.
10.Remove from oven and leave to cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack.

I will always cherish fond memories of my aunt’s cooling trays piled high with freshly baked mince pies on Christmas Eve, ready to be packed into tins and brought out whenever friends popped in for Christmas drinks. Below is the traditional family recipe.

MINCE PIES

Preparation time: 15 minutes plus chilling
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes
Makes: 14-16
INGREDIENTS
Plain flour: 225 Gms
Cold butter: Chopped
Caster or icing sugar: 50-75 Gms
Egg: 1 no
Water/milk: 15 ml
Home-made mincemeat: 425 Gms
Milk for brushing
Caster or icing sugar to decorate

TO MAKE THE PASTRY

1.    Sift the flour with a pinch of salt and rub in the butter in a bowl or on a cold work surface to form fine crumbs in the KitchenAid stand mixer
2.    Stir in the sugar, and then add the egg, if using or enough water or milk to make smooth dough perfectly in the KitchenAid stand mixer.
3.    Mix together and refrigerate for half an hour.

TO MAKE THE MINCE PIES
1.    Line 14-16 tartlet tins with thin discs of pastry.
2.    Spoon in some mincemeat and brush edges with milk, top with pastry lids. Chill.
3.    Preheat the oven to 200*C. Brush the tops with milk & bake for around 25 minutes.
4.    Remove and let rest for 5 minutes.
5.    Sprinkle with castor sugar during their last 5 minutes in the oven & dust with icing sugar when cooled.


P.S – If you are a vegetarian you can replace the mincemeat with minced fruit






MERRY CHRISTMAS