Christmas Present

Jane Pikett recommends you save yourself the hassle of Christmas, and pre-make these gifts now. They’ll be perfect when gift-giving time arrives

No doubt, Christmas was never meant to be the frenzied assault on John Lewis it has now become – and it certainly was never meant to result in the taking of a second mortgage.

Without wishing to come over all holier-than-thou, I’m up for a simpler festive season this year, and I recommend the giving of a jar of homemade jam or infused peaches above a Hermès scarf any day.

Make these gifts now and they’ll be at their best come Christmas. You may have to invest in some jars to put them in, though they taste the same served from the best Kilner as they do from an old Robinson’s jam jar, even better when you take the time to add a red ribbon and a bit of sparkly stuff. It’s the thought – and the effort in the kitchen – that counts, not what it cost.

 

Cranberry nut chocolate

Hazelnut truffles

Berry cordial

Pineapple rum

Limoncello

Manhattan cherries

Peaches in Cointreau

Cranberry and orange marmalade

Vanilla sugar

Infused vinegars

Herb-infused oils

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