Tag: gift

Top cookbooks 2012

Looking for the perfect gift and have no idea what to buy? How about a cookbook? From Gino D’Acampo to The Hairy Bikers, we’ve rounded up our favourite cookbooks of 2012.

Cookbooks are a great gift and keepsake that will decorate someone’s kitchen shelves for years to come. It’s always great to receive a cookbook as a present – you never know when you’re going to need some inspiration in the kitchen. Cookbooks can be passed down from generation to generation and you’ll always have your favourites that you just can’t get enough of.

Whether you’re treating yourself or buying one for someone special, there are plenty of great cookbooks out this year that are sure to tick all the boxes. Gordon Ramsay and Lorraine Pascale are just a few of the celeb cookbooks in our collection.

And if you love baking we’ve got plenty of great baking cookbooks to choose from including two very special books from top TV show The Great British Bake Off – which we can’t wait to get our hands on.

And if that’s not enough, there are also plenty of savoury cookbooks to choose from for rustling up quick, mid-week dishes, dinners for the kids or a posh slap-up meal for that special someone. If you love spending time in the kitchen or you know someone who does – buy one of these amazing cookbooks to make the New Year that little bit tastier.

Click through to see which books have made it in

Holiday Granola – Only 8 Edible Gift Making Days Until Christmas!

When I was asked to take part in a special holiday YouTube
playlist called, “Christmas Morning Breakfast,” I started thinking about
seasonal variation on things like eggs benedict, quiche, and French toast. But
then I realized…you can’t wrap those things up and give them as an edible gift,
so I decided to do this granola instead.

We’ve covered the edible gift topic before, and discussed
the fine line between, “Wow, what a creative and thoughtful gift!” and “Wow,
what a cheapskate!” Happily, when it comes to this delicious, crunchy treat,
one taste and the lucky recipient will forget about any ulterior economic
motivations.

Since this was a Christmas-themed recipe, I went with lots
of festively colored dried fruit, but the beauty of the granola technique is
that it pretty much works with anything. I love the looks of the green pumpkin
seeds, but things like hazelnuts and pecans would also work wonderfully.

As I mentioned in the video, it’s really up to you to
determine the cooking time. I tend to like mine just golden-brown, but many
enjoy the deeper, nuttier flavor of a longer roasting. Since you are pulling
and tossing every 10 minutes, this is pretty easy to monitor, but just be
careful towards the end, as it can get bitter if you go too far.

Anyway, whether this is for a quick and easy holiday
breakfast, with milk or over Greek yogurt; or you are going to package some up
as a stocking stuffer for the foodies in your life, I hope you give this a try
soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 6 cups of Granola

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup shredded coconut (pure coconut, not candied)

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp salt

1/2 cup chopped candy covered chocolate pieces (like M&M’s)

1/2 cup golden raisins, chopped

1 cup mixed dried fruit (any combo of cranberries, cherries,
strawberries, blueberries, etc.)

*Bake at 325 degrees F. for 30-40 minutes or until browned.

Cranberry and mincemeat filo tarts

Have you seen our recipe for sugar and spice cookies yet? They are the sweetest gingerbread men we’ve ever seen. You can loop some ribbon through the top and hang them from the tree as delicious decorations, or wrap them in cellophane, pop them in a gift box and you’ve got a lovely gift to give. You could also get the kids to help you decorate them and use them as presents for teachers or grandparents. They’re really easy to make, ready in just 1hr 20 minutes and using Tesco’s Finest ingredients will make sure you’ll end up with the tastiest biscuits in town! Enjoy. Nichola Palmer – Recipes Editor, goodtoknow

Fed up of traditional mince pies? Make this year’s festive finales more memorable with our fabulous cranberry and mincemeat tarts

Serves: 8
Prep time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Total time: 35 mins
Skill level: Easy peasy
Costs: Cheap as chips

270g packet (6 sheets) filo pastry,defrosted if frozen
410g jar mincemeat
125g (4oz) fresh or frozen cranberries
2 tsp icing sugar
8 x 7.5cm (3in) Yorkshire pudding tins, brushed with butter

Filo pastry makes a much lighter case than the traditional pastry – perfect for those Christmas buffets or post-dinner nibbles

Set the oven to Gas Mark 6 or 200°C. Cut the stack of filo pastry sheets into 10cm (4in) squares. Cover with cling film while you work with them.
Layer up 4 filo pastry squares in the base of a tin, brushing each layer with butter and arranging the pastry at alternate angles, like the points of a star. Repeat with the rest of the pastry to make 8 tarts. Bake for 10 mins until crisp and golden.
Spoon the mincemeat into the filo tarts and push several cranberries into each one. Bake for 5 mins, just until the cranberries are softened slightly.

By Woman’s Weekly

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