With most UK schools breaking up for the Christmas holidays on Friday December 18th...  that leaves an "entire" week to "fill" before "The Big Man" pops down the chimney - which will probably feel like an eternity for parents & excited Littleys alike, (possibly for very different reasons.)  ETK understand that "Kids-In-Kitchen" can become yet another added "Christmas-Stress-Factor, so we've put together some easy & relatively quick recipes for you all to try out & hopefully alleviate some of the cries of "I'm bored"s that will be brewing by mid-week.

Some of these might even make a good pressie for the long-suffering Grandparents this year!

Top Hats:

• Marshmallows
• Melted Chocolate
• Smarties

Easy, easy easy!

Melt the chocolate, dip the top of the marshmallow & top off with a smartie!  Leave for the chocolate to set

(That's it!)

  

Candy-Cane Marshmallows:

• Marshmallows
• Melted Chocolate
• Candy Canes

Another "easy" version of the "Top Hats!"

Crunch up a few candy canes (ETK top tip: put them into a food bag & take your Christmas frustrations out on them with a rolling pin... then they won't end up all over your kitchen & you won't end up in A&E trying to explain how you have a candy cane "chip" embedded in your eye...) 

Melt the chocolate

Dip the bottom of the marshmallow in the chocolate & roll it in the crushed candy cane fragments

"Garnish" by sticking a whole candy cane in the top & leave to cool

 

Easy Chocolate Fudge (microwave!):

• 100g chocolate (milk or plain, broken into pieces)
• 100g butter (not low fat spread), melted
• 450g icing sugar
• 45ml milk
• Few drops of vanilla essence (or other flavouring essence, this is optional)

Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl & heat in the microwave on medium for 2-3 minutes, stop the cooking time & stir every 30 seconds or so, until just melted (if it burns - you will have to start again!)

Add the butter, icing sugar, essence & milk, mix well

Heat on high for 3-4 mins - BUT: take out of the microwave & beat well every minute (it will get hot - so be careful!)

When the mixture starts to set around the edges of the bowl & becomes thicker, it's ready to pour into a greased dish

Allow to set for a few minutes before marking into squares using a knife, leave to cool before removing from the tin

(Then eat it) 

  

Meringues 

(usually one of THE hardest things to produce in the kitchen - but NOT with ETK!):

• 300g icing sugar
• egg white

In a bowl, add the egg white to the icing sugar (if it is a "small" egg - you may need 2 egg whites - but add gradually to achieve next step!)

Knead into a dough (adding more egg white if necessary)

Tear off into small pieces & make into balls

Put some kitchen roll onto a plate, add 4 balls at a time - so they are not touching

Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes

Repeat until all "dough" is used

(well - we did say it was "easy") 

 

Vanilla Fudge:

• 300ml milk
• 800g granulated sugar
• 100g butter
• 2 tsp vanilla essence

Pour milk into a saucepan & bring slowly to the boil, then add sugar and butter, heat slowly stirring all the time until sugar dissolves & butter has melted.

Bring back to boil, then cover with lid & boil for approx 2 minutes, uncover & continue to boil steadily, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 mins or until the mixture, dropped into a cup of cold water forms a soft ball when rolled in fingers

Remove from heat, add vanilla essence, stir & leave for 5 minutes

Then beat it until it begins to lose its gloss & is thick & creamy

Transfer to a greased tin & leave to set

  

Peppermint Creams:

• 225g royal icing
• boiled water
• peppermint essence (a few drops)
• chocolate (optional), melted

Put the royal icing mix into a large bowl, add 1tbsp water to start with & mix well - add more water 1 or 2 tsps at a time, until it is a very stiff mixture, which holds its own shape

Add a few drops of the essence & mix well, (you can also add a few drops of green food colouring if desired) - if the mixture is sticky, add some more royal icing mix or icing sugar

Knead the mixture in to a firm paste, with a dough texture & either roll out until about 1cm thick on a surface dusted with sieved icing sugar & cut into shapes with a small cookie cutter, or form into small balls using your hands & flatten

Place the peppermint creams onto greaseproof paper & allow to dry for a few hours

If you want to make your peppermint creams extra special, melt some chocolate & dip half of each sweet into the melted chocolate, allow the excess chocolate to drip off & place the sweets onto greaseproof paper - allow to set for another hour or so

  

Toffee:

• 4 tbsp water
• 100g butter
• 300g Demerara sugar
• 2 tbsp golden syrup (level tablespoons)
• 1 tbsp black treacle (level tablespoons)

Put all ingredients into pan, heat slowly, stirring, until butter melts & sugar dissolves

Bring to the boil, cover pan & boil gently for 2 minutes

Uncover, continue to boil, stirring occasionally for 10/15 minutes (or until a little of the mixture dropped into a cup of cold water separates into hard and brittle threads)

Pour into a buttered tin & leave until hard

(& if you have any loose fillings - avoid the temptation of eating over Christmas....)

  

Marzipan Balls:

• Marzipan
• Chocolate (melted)

Roll the marzipan into balls (about 2cm across)

Drop each ball into the bowl of melted chocolate (turn with a fork until covered, or use washed fingers that can be licked in-between turning & the tap) 

Scoop out the marzipan ball with a fork (or fingers as above), & allow the excess chocolate to drip off, before placing onto some greaseproof paper

Sprinkle in any cake decoration that takes your fancy & allow to cool

 

Rocky Road: 

• 400g milk chocolate
• 400ml condensed milk
• 100g butter
• 200g marshmallows
• 200g glace cherries
• 100g chopped nuts (optional)
• 200g digestive biscuits
• 50g raisins (or sultanas)

Put the digestive biscuits in a thick plastic bag & crush,  so that you end up with nice chunky biscuit pieces, then set aside

Melt the chocolate & the butter together on a low heat (or in the microwave) & once melted, add the condensed milk, mixing well

Take the chocolate mixture off the heat, add in the digestive biscuit & then all the other ingredients - mix well

Add as little, or as much, as you like of the other ingredients to suit you (sir) 

Tip the mixture into a tin lined with cling film (this well help you later!) - flatten out into the tin & put in the fridge to set

 

 

ETK hope that's given you a  few "festive-cooking-activities" to keep the kids (big & little) occupied until the 25th (& we have no objections whatsoever to sampling any of these recipes for you, if you feel the need... )