Deborah Nicholas - Gifts From Your Kitchen: How to Make and Gift Wrap Your Own Presents

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Published by Spring Hill, an imprint of How To Books Ltd.
Spring Hill House, Spring Hill Road
Begbroke, Oxford OX5 1RX United Kingdom
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First published 2012

How To Books greatly reduce the carbon footprint of their books by sourcing their typesetting and printing in the UK.

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or stored in an information retrieval system (other than for purposes of review) without the express permission of the publisher in writing.

The right of Deborah Nicholas to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Text 2012 Deborah Nicholas

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN: 978 1 905862 99 3

Produced for How To Books by Deer Park Productions, Tavistock, Devon
Designed and typeset by Mousemat Design Ltd
Printed and bound by in Great Britain by Bell & Bain Ltd, Glasgow

E-Book production by Mousemat Design Ltd
ISBN 978-1-78102-183-5(mobi) 978-1-84803-641-3(epub)

NOTE: The material contained in this book is set out in good faith for general guidance and no liability can be accepted for loss or expense incurred as a result of relying in particular circumstances on statements made in the book. Laws and regulations are complex and liable to change, and readers should check the current position with relevant authorities before making personal arrangements.

Contents

Acknowledgements

I know I truly inherited my love of baking from my mum and for that I will always be grateful. None of this would have been possible without your help and encouragement all the way. Love you, mum!

I have been completely overwhelmed by the support I have received whilst putting together this book. Family and friends have helped with sourcing products and supplying me with decorative pretties for the photography. My ever- helpful husband has been my chauffer to and from the shops to stock up on a lifetime supplyof icing sugar and flour! And my little helpers Benjamin, Scott, Jacob, Ethan and Evangeline gave me their ever-truthful critique of new recipes and what they would love to see ( I have spared you some of the truly unique ideas they had!)

Thank you so much to Nikki Read and Spring Hill books for taking this chance on me, for being ever patient with my questions and for helping me through every step!

This is a dream come true for me and I hope you enjoy each and every gift within this book. The main thing to remember is have fun I know I have!

Introduction

For as long as I can remember, my mum always baked. Birthdays and celebrations involved days of prep work and a house that smelled of cake and treats! Homemade scones and Victoria sponge cakes were a staple when it came to what we offered guests, and even today mum is still asked to bake for family occasions. Taking the time to show me how to cream butter and sugar together by hand until it reaches the right consistency, not yelling at me for trying to melt chocolate by pouring boiling water over it (I was 8 and it was my first solo attempt at crispy cakes!) and sitting with me in front of the oven gauging times and temperatures whilst I tried and tested new recipes for this book. I am so grateful that I inherited such a love of baking and all the support that has gone with it over the years.

When I was little, we would all sit and wait for the baking to cool before being allowed to try just one these days I am lucky if I have the cookies out of the oven before the family are wrestling each other out of the way for first try! The joys of having a large family is that I can bake one day and it is all gone the next, which is a good thing when you have the baking bug and it comes to trying out new recipes! With 4 growing sons, I have to admit to finding it hard to fill them, which is why a lot of these recipes will make more than 24 treats. Cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days if they last that long!

In this book, I will show you how to create simple handmade gifts, from cookies to fudge and facemasks to lip scrub! Whether you are a baker or simply aim for the handmade aspect of gift giving, everything contained within this book can be made from scratch and given from the heart!

For me, the presentation of gifts is a whole delight in itself! From picking which pretty patterned card to make the boxes from or whether to use silk or cotton ribbons, a small swing tag or completely over-the-top embellishment-adorned luggage tag the choice is entirely yours to enjoy. Stack the cookies high in a window box and fasten with colour co-ordinated ribbons to match the chocolate chips or create white chocolate cookies and place them in a simple white box with a satin ribbon for the sophisticated look that you would pay a premium for in the shops.

I truly believe that each gift given should mean something, both to the creator and the recipient. Anyone can buy a cd or a movie but it means something special when you take the time to create a batch of cupcakes. Take this one step further and tailor make embellishments to adorn each one theme them to the recipients likes: if its a little girls birthday why not create a princess theme and make the strawberry and marshmallow cupcakes topped with sparkling pink sugar crystals. Pop them into a cupcake window box styled with ribbons and bows, lace and gems for a gift any true princess would treasure!

Within this book you will find treats and gifts for every occasion, follow these simple rules and you will not go wrong!