Merry Christmas from Me!

Homemade

This is the third year of being responsible for buying presents for my family whilst seriously lacking in funds. For the third year running I am turning to the phenomenon of 'making your own presents.' Since Pinterest has gained momentum, this phenomenon has meant that slightly wonky, strange presents aren't scorned at but welcomes with open arms. So the time has come, here are my homemade pressies.

English Rose, Lavender and Coconut Soy Candles

The easiest thing I've made so far. 200g of soy wax flakes off eBay for each 330ml jam jar. Put a wick in the jam jar and hold in place with un-opened chopsticks (from your local Chinese). Heat the wax in a ban-marie or a saucepan over boiling water. Add 10-20 drops of your chosen fragrance. Bobs your uncle, instant candle.

Blackberry Brandy

I only made blackberry brandy because, as you may know, I'm a big fan of aliteration. All you have to do is get an old water glass bottle that can take a litre of liquid or a kilner jar, and fill it with about 300g of blackberries and 250g caster sugar. Shake that about a bit the get the sugar incorporated as much as possible. Fill to the top with cheap brandy - about 70cl. Shake thoroughly to make sure the sugar is dissolved. Then leave for about 3 months to let it properly infuse, shaking every week or so.

Merriment Masterclass

Christmas is the time to be merry but there are many interpretations to the term 'merry.' For me, along with the majority of Britain, merry at Christmas means champagne cocktails and wine drenched lunches until you are positively pickled in the afternoon. But I very rarely experience this kind of merriment as 'merry' in our household doesn't mean ruddy cheeked tipsiness.

The real bringer of merriment in our house - along with King's College Choir's greatest Christmas hits on repeat - is mince pies. And it's lucky my lovely mum has become such an expert. Who needs a hangover when there are trays full of mince pies to keep me going til New Year?

Mum's Mince Pies...

Packet sweet short-crust pastry
A jar of finest, nicest mincemeat
Large glug of port or brandy
Grated apple
Chopped clementines
Flaked almonds
Cubes of marzipan

• Oven to 200°C, get a cupcake or muffin tin out of the cupboard.
• Roll out pastry to a couple of millimetres thickness and cut into rounds big enough for your tin and into stars or holly leaves as toppers. Place the pastry rounds into the tins.
• Empty jar of bought mincemeat into a bowl, grate the apple in, chuck in the chopped clementines, glug in the port or brandy and give it a good mix up. Fill your pastry rounds with the mixture. Bury a square of marzipan into the pie and sprinkle flaked almonds on the top.
• Top the pie with its pastry holly leaf or star and sprinkle demarera or golden caster sugar on top.
• Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes until the pies are golden on the top.
• Serve with brandy butter.

Curiosities

An incredible collection of curiosities at Pertwee, Anderson & Gold gallery in Soho.

All I want for Christmas...

Now it's December, it's all systems Christmas agogo. I'm more excited this year for the holiday season than I have been in quite a few years; it really is going to be an excellent couple of weeks. Everything has clicked into place for the first time and, being incredibly understated and modest, my life is pretty flippin' great. As such, I don't really want anything for Christmas but if I HAD to have a present, this is what I'm coveting at the moment.

1 M.A.C Lipstick in Captive 2 Agent Provocateur Katherine bra 

3 Knitted cashmere hoody 4 Tatty Devine country mouse brooch