Foodie treats and Xmas goodness ?

[weeksy]

Obviously many at the moment are getting their Mince Pie yearly treats (which we can discuss in here too)

But i wanted to give a shout out to these... We tried them in a mates house a couple of NYE ago and they were glorious, but that may have been the beer and mince pie whisky we'd being hitting...

I found them yesterday and whilst they're VERY expensive at £7.50, they're AWESOME !!!!



So, what do you have as an 'exceptional treat' and rare culinary superlative...

Yeah and this can be a mince pie taste test thread too if you want.

[gremlin]

If I can be arsed I buy a very, very nice (read: expensive) side of wild salmon and make gravlax with the gravlaxsas to go with it.

Plus I'm gonna get a couple of cases of franciacorta in, which is an Italian fizz made in the champagne style. Hard to get hold of in this country, so tend to buy a few cases at a time, as unlike milk, it don't go off.

[Ditchfinder]

[KungFooBob]

This time of year means one thing, the return to the shops of the Dan Cake Rum Truffles!



I've had my first packet already.

[Noggin]

I used to do homemade rum truffles for Christmas. But I've not seen the full strength rum for years and haven't found a good chocolate vermicelli

Next time I go to the uk I'll buy a lot of chocolate and use the 'pretty strong' rum I have cos I think it might be nice to make something different than mince pies for a change! LOL

I do have very fond memories of rum truffles (my Grannie used to make them, proper rum, none of this rum essence rubbish!). Didn't know something like that was in the supermarkets!!

[Yorick]

Always buy a nice cake, without marzipan or icing.
Together with a nice strong cheese to eat with it

I've converted a few southern heathens to the northern ways

[Yorick]

I used to do homemade rum truffles for Christmas. But I've not seen the full strength rum for years and haven't found a good chocolate vermicelli

Next time I go to the uk I'll buy a lot of chocolate and use the 'pretty strong' rum I have cos I think it might be nice to make something different than mince pies for a change! LOL

I do have very fond memories of rum truffles (my Grannie used to make them, proper rum, none of this rum essence rubbish!). Didn't know something like that was in the supermarkets!!

By 'ell. Not had them for years. Used to love them

[Noggin]

I used to do homemade rum truffles for Christmas. But I've not seen the full strength rum for years and haven't found a good chocolate vermicelli

Next time I go to the uk I'll buy a lot of chocolate and use the 'pretty strong' rum I have cos I think it might be nice to make something different than mince pies for a change! LOL

I do have very fond memories of rum truffles (my Grannie used to make them, proper rum, none of this rum essence rubbish!). Didn't know something like that was in the supermarkets!!

By 'ell. Not had them for years. Used to love them

I'm going to have to guess the recipe as I have no idea where it is now!! We used to use a melon baller to 'help' Grannie make the truffles when the mix had set!! LOL LOL

[Newey]

Always buy a nice cake, without marzipan or icing.
Together with a nice strong cheese to eat with it

I've converted a few southern heathens to the northern ways

Sounds awful, cake and cheese at the same time, is it still a thing north of Watford
On saying it's awful I just remembered as a kid we would have salad cream with sugar on a salad.

[MingtheMerciless]

Mrs M makes smoke salmon pate for Xmas starters, it's glorious.

Waitrose do large GF Mince Pies which are fantastic.

[Dodgy69]

I know it ain't food but Mrs Dodgy made Damson Vodka this year. It's very tasty stuff and the trick is, don't put too much sugar in. Previous years, the usual Sloe Gin has been too sweet and you don't want much of it, even following a fresh snowman build.

The experimental DV this year has been spot on and is already a little too popular. Cheers.

[Ian]

I'm going to have to guess the recipe as I have no idea where it is now!! We used to use a melon baller to 'help' Grannie make the truffles when the mix had set!! LOL LOL

Wow I've not had a proper rum truffle in 50 years . I remember buying some once as a teenager but they didn't taste the same when they hadn't been infused with nicotine in my mum's handbag.

[Taipan]

Growing up my Nan always bought me Turkish delight at Xmas and my mum carried on the tradition after Nan passed away, so I may treat myself to some of that if I saw it. My Nan always got these orange and lemon jelly things, which no one was allowed to touch, but she always let me nick a slice of each! Again I might buy them if I saw them.

When we used to go to Billingsgate and Smithfield’s on Xmas eve, I’d often buy a big box of massive prawns which we’d have Xmas day evening, but I haven’t done that for a good few years now.

[ChrisW]

Growing up my Nan always bought me Turkish delight at Xmas and my mum carried on the tradition after Nan passed away, so I may treat myself to some of that if I saw it. My Nan always got these orange and lemon jelly things, which no one was allowed to touch, but she always let me nick a slice of each! Again I might buy them if I saw them.

When we used to go to Billingsgate and Smithfield’s on Xmas eve, I’d often buy a big box of massive prawns which we’d have Xmas day evening, but I haven’t done that for a good few years now.

Exact same here - forgotten about until reading this just now.

Minus the prawns

[Noggin]

I'm going to have to guess the recipe as I have no idea where it is now!! We used to use a melon baller to 'help' Grannie make the truffles when the mix had set!! LOL LOL

Wow I've not had a proper rum truffle in 50 years . I remember buying some once as a teenager but they didn't taste the same when they hadn't been infused with nicotine in my mum's handbag.

I remember a friend of my Grannie's getting the recipe from her. Now her recipe had a very 'healthy' dose of dark rum in it (as high a proof that she could get!) - the recipe said something like 2 tablespoons, I used to watch her kinda shake the bottle roughly over the mix!!

Anyway - the friend's family all complained that the truffles weren't like Jessie's. So when they saw each other next, she had a chat with Grannie about it. Turns out, never tell a Northern Irish girl that you've used rum Essence instead of REAL rum!!

[Mr Moofo]

In Germany I used to love Rieberkuche - in Cologne you had them with apfelmoess (apple sauce)
But now someone has mentioned turkish delight, I need some
I remember Christmas also involving Metis Jelly Fruits, a Christmas Log - and brandy butter. Nobody else seems to have heard of the last one.

TBH, I think M&S and Tesco upmarket pigs in blankets, stuffing balls and turkey gravy take a lot of beating
Despite having lived in German speaking lands for a while, I hate stollen, and the heavily spiced Christmas biscuits - and can't work out what all the fuss about pannettone is!

[Noggin]

I know it's a bit daft, but I do love a Stollen. Lidl here do an apple filled one too which is rather lovely.

But they don't seem as good anymore. Really must try to make some (last years effort was terrible!!!)

[KungFooBob]

What are those German soft ginger biscuit things (often coated in chocolate) called?

[Mr Moofo]

What are those German soft ginger biscuit things (often coated in chocolate) called?

Lebkuchen ?

[KungFooBob]

What are those German soft ginger biscuit things (often coated in chocolate) called?

Lebkuchen ?

Google says maybe. When I see them in Lidl I always buy them, then eat the whole packer in a oner.