Christmas Baking?

I'm feeling stressed! Overworked!
Any ideas for easy Christmas baking please!

Mince pies
Shortbread
Toffeepop truffles (packet of tofee pops, crushed and mixed with cream cheese, then rolled and dipped in melted chocolate

Actually shordbread with chopped up red, green cherrys in it make nice christmas shortbread

Actually shortbread with chopped up red, green cherrys in it make nice christmas shortbread

How about reducing in half the amount of baking you usually do! Nobody needs to be eating so much sweet stuff. Perhaps choose a couple of items that have special significance to your family and tell everyone you're encouraging better health this year.

I will be making mint ice cream chocolate covered pops, 100% cocoa truffles, as kids will make gingerbread house/tree/cookies & cake pops.
We don't like mince pies.
maybe some home made chocolates using willies cacao if it arrives on time!

I'm waiting to place an order with Willies. Waiting for his Facebook to get to 6000 likes and take advantage of something for free. His range keeps growing massively.

Can you describe the recipes or how to make these things please!

Who is Willies! What would you look under on Facebook

http://www.willieschocolateshop.com Willie's cacao - look for the group on the FB not far from 6000 now so special offer just around the corner Willie Harcourt-Cooze - was the star of the Willie's Wonky Chocolate Factory show in the UK. He grows own cocoa on his plantation in Venezuela (I think, few years since I saw the show).He makes 100% cacao chocolate, no nasty chemicals, additives or sugar! So it can be used both in sweet and savoury dishes.
Recipe for his truffles ( out of Willie's Chocolate Cookbook):
250ml double cream
150 g caster sugar
180g cacao, finely grated (his 100% chocolate - I love Venezuelan black -
http://williescacao.com/fine-chocolate/products/)
Cocoa powder for dusting

Heat the cream and sugar in a small pan until almost boiling, ensuring it does not boil. Stir in the cacao then remove the pan from the heat.
Transfer the truffle mixture to a plastic container. Cover and place in the refrigerator until cold and firm.
To shape each truffle, scoop a teaspoon of the mixture and roll quickly between your palms. Dust the truffles with cocoa powder and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

You can add few drops of peppermint oil, or some chopped crystalised ginger, or rum soaked raisins whatever you fancy to make them to your liking.

Mint Slice -(mint cream biscuits style):
Pastry:
1 cup plain flour
30 g cocoa powder
50 g caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter cut into pieces
1 egg yolk
1-2 tbsp iced water
Prepare the pastry. Sift the flour and cocoa in a bowl. Place in a food processor and process the mixture with sugar and salt. Add butter and process for few seconds, until you get to the coarse breadcrumbs stage. In a separate bowl lightly beat the yolk with the iced water. Add to flour mixture and pulse until the dough begins to stick together. Turn out dough on cling film/clear film. Use the film to help shape the dough into flat shape. Chill for 1-2 hours until firm.
Then let dough soften briefly, roll out between sheets of waxed paper to about 5mm thick. Peel off the top sheet and invert the dough into a tin.
Prick with fork. Chill for 1 hour.
Bake in oven preheated to 180C and blind bake for 5-7 minutes. Then bake further 5-7 minutes. Cool completely in the tin on a rack.
Peppermint Cream
250g of icing sugar, sifted
hot water
peppermint oil
Combine the icing sugar, peppermint oil and water (add the oil one drop at a time to get to the intensity you like). You want to get to smooth spreadable paste. Spread on the cake.
Chocolate Coating
350g of dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa) cut into small pieces,
knob of unsalted butter
--- melt and pour over/spread on top of the cake. Cool then refrigerate.
Cut into pieces.
Enjoy

After-dinner Mint Ice cream pops
175g mint ice cream (softened) (I make my own as I like it extra minty)
12 lollipop sticks/it is nicer using 12 black pop cake sticks
100g white chocolate, melted
100g dark chocolate, melted
small fresh mint leaves to decorate
gold dust/gold spray to decorate

Scoop the softened ice cream into a each hole of a 24 hole mini hemispherical silicone mould (or use ball scooper - small! about 3cm in diameter). Freeze until very firm
Remove the ice cream from the moulds and sandwich together the halves to make 12 balls. Freeze again.
Working quickly in batches push a stick into each ball. Quickly dip each ice ream ball into the melted chocolate coating all over. Make 6 white and 6 dark. The cold ice cream sets the chocolate very quickly so if you want to add the mini mint leave to decorate you should do it right away. Or spoon a little extra melted chocolate over the top of each pop and then quickly add the mint leaf.
Spray with edible gold spray/dust with gold dust then return to the freezer until you are ready to serve.

Nadineb - here's a link to Willie's facebook page -
https://www.facebook.com/WilliesCacao!fref=ts