I put my tree up today and decorated the rest of the house – it always takes so much longer than I think but its all done now and smelling beautiful with some cinnamon and orange candles. We’ve some friends coming round in the lead up and children (in their 30’s and 40’s!) and grandchildren coming home early before going on to their partners’ families.  It will be The Husband and I and The Husband’s brother and girlfriend for the actual day – ducks and Christmas pudding and trifle!

I make a lot of my Christmas presents and always hope that the recipients will realise that in the time of making I was thinking of them so this week I thought I would give you a few ideas of edible gifts so you, too, can enjoy the giving!

My Best Friend Sandra’s Tablet (Scottish Fudge)

• 150ml evaporated milk
• 150ml water
• 75g butter
• 450g granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence

Put the milk, water, butter and sugar into a heavy saucepan and heat through slowly until the sugar has dissolved. Then, boil steadily for 10- 15 minutes, stirring constantly so that the tablet doesn’t stick. After 10 minutes or so, test by dropping a little into a cold glass of water.  If it forms a tiny blob, remove from the heat,  Add the vanilla and cool slightly – then get rid of any angst by beating it hard until it starts to crystalise and thicken.  Pour into a buttered dish and cut into squares when set.

Raspberry, gin and tonic Syrup

• 800g frozen raspberries
• 150g icing sugar
• Juice 1½ lemons
• 500ml tonic water
• 10 juniper berries, lightly crushed
• 6-7 tbsp gin

Put the raspberries, icing sugar and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over a low-medium heat and cook until the raspberries have broken down and are well combined. Push the raspberry mixture through a sieve into a bowl using the back of a spoon. Rinse out the pan to get rid of any remaining seeds, then pour the purée back into the pan with the tonic water and juniper berries (discard the seeds). Reduce the purée for 15-20 minutes over a medium-high heat, stirring now and then, until syrupy. Add the gin and stir to combine. Leave to cool before packaging into sterilised jars or bottle

Lemon and Cranberry Shortbread

• 200 g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
• 125 g icing sugar
• 300 g plain flour
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 50 g dried cranberries, finely chopped
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• To finish (optional) 150 g white chocolate, chopped edible sprinkles

Line a 20.5cm square tin with baking parchment and set aside. Rub the butter, sugar, flour and a pinch of salt until the mixture just clumps together. Add the vanilla, cranberries and lemon zest. Press mixture into the prepared tin and level (using your hands or the back of a metal  spoon is easiest). Prick dough well with a fork, then chill for 30min. Preheat oven to 170°C (150°C fan) mark 3. Bake the shortbread for 45-50min or until  nicely golden. While it’s still warm, cut the shortbread in half across the middle. Then cut each half into  fingers 1.5cm (2/3in) wide. Cool completely in tin.  If finishing the biscuits with chocolate, line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Melt the  chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Using a pastry  brush, paint chocolate on one end of each shortbread finger, then arrange on prepared  baking sheet. Decorate with sprinkles and leave to set, or chill for 15min.

Lots of love, Ailsa xx

Phew! It’s certainly been a hot few days. Last year, we moaned about the unseasonable cold and rain; this year, it’s no rain and too much heat! So thinking of this, apart from the usual keep in the shade, drink plenty of water etc advice, what better way to cool off than a dish of home made ice cream.

I have always loved ice-cream – not the Mr Whippy soft stuff but proper ice cream with eggs and cream and different tastes.  When my brother was little, he used to think “various ices” on a menu was a flavour and there seems to be no ending now to the “various” combinations – you can even have savoury ones for in between courses.

A few years ago, I entered a competition and won an ice cream maker but I also have a few favourites which don’t need one – you just whip it up and freeze. If you haven’t got a maker, and it’s asked for, you can get by with taking the mixture out of the freezer and mashing the ice crystals in for a few times. Keeping it easy for you, though, these are all made without a maker – so you can definitely say you made these all by yourself.

French chocolate Ice cream

• 50g castor sugar
• 4 tablespoons water
• 175g plain chocolate
• 3 egg yolks (save the whites for meringues etc – you can even freeze them!)
• 300ml double cream

Melt the sugar and water in a pan to a syrup.  Break up the chocolate into a bowl and add the hot syrup. Mix until smooth and add the yolks.  Whip the cream until stiff and add the chocolate, folding it through until all combine. Freeze. Simples!

Lemon Ice Cream

• large lemon, juice and zested
• 200g castor sugar
• 250ml milk
• 250 ml double cream

Combine the zest and sugar.  Put the milk in a bowl and stir in the zest mixture until the sugar is dissolved.  Stir in the lemon juice.  Whip the cream until stiff and gently fold into the lemon mixture. Line a loaf tin with cling film overlapping the edges.  Pour into the tin, cover over with the edges and freeze.  Tip out and slice to serve.

Stem Ginger Ice Cream

• 4 eggs, separated
• 110g icing sugar
• 3 – 4 pieces of stem ginger, finely chopped
• 275ml double cream, stiffly whipped

Whisk the yolks and icing sugar together until pale and very thick.  Fold in the ginger and whipped cream.  Using a clean whisk, whisk the egg whites into peaks and gently fold into the mixture.  Pour into a 1.5 litre plastic container and freeze overnight.

Peach Ice Cream

• 6 ripe peaches
• 600ml pot double cream
• 397g can condensed milk

Put the peaches in a heatproof bowl and pour over boiling water.  Leave for 5 minutes and peel off the skins and remove the stone.  Roughly chop them and set aside. Whisk the cream with the condensed milk until thickened slightly and falls in ribbons from the whisk.  Add the peach chunks to the cream, stirring gently.  Put into a 2 litre plastic container and freeze for 3 – 4 hours or overnight.  Take out of the freezer 20 – 30 minutes before you want it.

Variations – using the above cream/condensed milk ratio, once whipped you can add all sorts of extras. Pulped fruit/coffee/chocolate/spice/nuts. It’s probably the easiest recipe on the whole website!

Filo Crisps – something a little different to serve with ice cream. The contrast between crisp biscuit and soft cream is really lovely! Lay a sheet of filo on a baking sheet, brush with melted butter and sift over some icing sugar.  Repeat with 2 or more layers on top, finishing with a thick layer of sugar.  Cut the filo into small squares and bake in the oven at 200oC for about 10 minutes until golden and crisp.

Sauces to serve with ice cream – sometimes a good plain vanilla ice cream is all that is wanted – and a good sauce will elevate it to ambrosia.

Hot Chocolate Sauce: Put 150g dark chocolate into a pan with 25g castor sugar and 4 tablespoons of water.  Melt together over a gentle heat then slowly increase and boil for 2 minutes.  Beat in 25g unsalted butter and serve hot.

Melba Sauce: Mash or puree 250g raspberries. Stir in 75g icing sugar and the juice of half a lemon.  The sauce can be served warm or cold.

Toffee Sauce: Put 50g butter, 50g brown sugar and 2 tablespoons golden syrup into a saucepan and heat gently, stirring, until the butter and sugar have melted.  Bring to the boil and boil hard for 3 – 5 minutes.  Cool and stir in 150ml single cream and while still hot pour over ice cream.