If you’re going to do Christmas at home, you may as well do it properly. These 10 top tips all add vital sparkle to your table…
1. LIQUID LUCK
For a sparkling cocktail on Christmas morning, pour 7.5ml simple syrup and 7.5ml lemon juice in the bottom of a champagne flute, add 45ml ginger beer and fill with Champagne.
2. EDIBLE GOLD
Do not consider entering the festive season without an ample supply of 22-24 carat edible gold leaf, flakes and stars. Use a dry paintbrush to apply liberally to strawberries dipped in chocolate, cakes, homemade truffles, the dog, cat, children, etc…
3. LUSTER DUST
Basically a sparkly edible dust, invest in food grade silver and gold and use a dry brush to apply to truffles and champagne macarons or sprinkle into prosecco.
4. GOLDEN BALLS
Or silver ones (edible, obviously), make brilliant decorations for homemade chocolates and biscuits. For example, dip chocolate Oreo biscuits in melted dark 70% cocoa chocolate, lay them on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof, sprinkle with sparkly balls and wrap in sellophane tied with ribbon when set.
5. SPARKLING STIRRERS
Make your own sparkler cocktail stirrers by taking wooden skewers and using a little double-sided sticky tape to top each with a sprig of golden tinsel.
6. ICE, ICE BABY
Freeze cranberries, rosemary sprigs etc in ice cubes and use in sparkling water, or as follows: Cranberry cubes in vodka cocktails, satsuma zest cubes in whisky sours, rosemary sprig cubes in a pomegranate and prosecco spritzer. Or load a big glass bowl with mixed cubes and use as a champagne bucket.
7. ICE BLING
Make (or buy online) icing reindeer for the top of your cake and spray them with edible silver or gold paint.
8. PEARLY DREAMS
Half dip fresh cherries in melted white chocolate and then into edible pearls for a pretty edible decoration.
9. ROLL WITH IT
Invest in a Christmas 3D rolling pin, and use it to roll out biscuit dough or icing. You will never look back!
10. CHRISTMAS APPLES
Use a nail brush to clean and score the skins of 6 green apples in a mixture of 4 cups water, 1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda, 1 tbsp lime juice. Add these apples whole to boiling water in a pan for 15 mins. Remove, leave to cool. Remove stalks and stick in lollipop sticks. In a pan over a low heat, melt 400g sugar, 175ml water, 175g golden syrup, 1 tbsp red/green or blue gel icing. Heat to 150C. Dip apples in the mixture, sprinkle with edible silver or gold dust and turn up on a tray to set.
