Christmas Gift Ideas

I like giving food for christmas and here are some of my ideas. Who wouldn´t whant to get some of these instead of a pair of socks??!! These recipes are as always on my web page, dead simple to make and can be made days in advance, but keep them in the refridgerator.
Chocolate Bars

500g dark chocolate 55%
1tbsp instant coffie
2dl mixed nuts, almonds and hazelnuts
1dl dried fruit, blueberries or raisins
1dl dessicated coconut

Melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. Stir in the instant coffie.

Roast the nuts in the oven for 10 minutes at 180˚C.

Add the nuts, coconut and dried fruit to the melted chocolate and pour over a baking tray lined with baking paper. Spread evenly with a spatula and let coll in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Christmas Caramels

2dl sugar
2dl double cream
2dl syrup
1 tbsp butter
½ dl chopped almonds

Mix the cream, sugar and syrup in a pan. Bring to the boil, then turnd down the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When the caramel is ready, mix the chopped almonds and stir in the butter. You can see when the caramel is ready you drop a little into a glass of cold water and if the caramel holds it´s shape and doesn´t dissolve, then it is ready.

Pour into little paper forms.

Red wine Chocolate Truffles

110ml double cream

225g semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

50ml red wine

1 tbsp kahlúa coffie liqueur

cocoa powder to dust

Pour the chopped chocolate into a medium-sized bowl. Bring the cream to a soft boil (lightly rolling bubbles) in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, and pour the hot cream into the chocolate. With a spatula, immediately stir together until smooth. Then stir in the red wine and liqueur until smooth. Refrigerate chocolate for about one hour, until firm.

Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, and fill a small bowl with cocoa powder. One by one, with a spoon, scoop out some chocolate and form into one inch balls. This should make about 35 truffles. One by one, drop into the cocoa powder and roll around until covered, then drop onto the sheet. Refrigerate again for at least a half hour, or up to three days.