Hot Chocolate Anyone ?

Good morning everyone! Hope you're all travelling well

I love that idea of the recipe in the "basket" @Former-Member. I am also taking notes @Determined!

These are good for people with special diets too @Former-Member (gluten free, vegetarians etc all can be catered for).

@Determined, back in 2011, we were among those receiving the excessive rain, and most of our house got flooded. As a result, we got some much appreciated help from a local church charity (it happened in January, so they offered to help out with back to school expenses) but they also put us on their Christmas Hamper list. Like you, that was a bit odd to us, because we were usually on the giving end, plus the problem that the contents in the hamper largely doubled up on what we already had. Tinned ham isn't very interesting when there's a free range chook waiting in the freezer; I had homemade cake and pud in the pantry; tinned vegs don't get eaten when there's fresh ones in the garden. The first year we ate most of it one way or another, the second year we gave away most of it to other people that we knew could use it (except the box of Maltesers- I like those and can't make them myself ). I actually know the charity's director as a friend, so I let him know that it was a nice gesture, but not needed. Actually, thinking about it, some of the surplus from our box ended up at his church's Christmas Supper... that works...???

Christmas food presents... have done some in the past, but it depends how December's going as to whether or not it happens. In the past, I've made panforte, pfeffernuisse, shortbread, gingerbread, and I make a cake specifically for one family member who is somewhat gluten intolerant and definitely dairy intolerant. I reduce the wheat flour to about 1/4 of the total flour, and use macadamia oil instead of butter. It comes out lovely and moist- may actually be better than the usual recipe.

Good Evening! How is everyone doing? Your Christmas food presents sound delicious @Smc! Do we have other talented bakers/cooks here in the Hot Chocolate thread like @Former-Member and @Smc??

@Faith-and-Hope and @Former-Member are also talented cooks/bakers by the sounds of it??

I thought since you came up with the recipe in a basket idea that you would be a expert baker @Former-Member! But, I know what you mean.. I like baking, but rarely have time to do it . 😞