Edible Gifts for Giving: Spiced Brandy Soused Clementines
Edible Gifts for Giving:
Spiced Brandy Soused Clementines
Now is the time to start thinking about making special gifts for giving…….for Christmas hampers, the tea time table as well as hostess gifts for the impending party season; it’s a time for preserving, baking and making special recipes that will be served throughout the festive period and, today’s recipe kicks off my edible gift series, it’s a fabulous recipe (that’s easy to make) for Spiced Brandy Soused Clementines. You can use any kind of small orange, such as tangerines, mandarins and satsumas, but, it’s the fragrant and juicy, sweet clementines that I love to use in this boozy concoction……spiked with aromatic whole spices and suspended in a brandy rich syrup. Pack these wee oranges in pretty jars, decorate them with ribbon and some hand-written serving ideas, and you have a top-notch and very elegant edible gift that would grace any Christmas hamper.
Today’s recipe was inspired by the call to arms, so to speak, by Sainsbury’s, who asked me to come up with an idea for edible gifts for the festive season. So, I came up with this little boozy number using a quintessential seasonal fruit………and, by adding star anise and cinnamon, this recipe instantly becomes more “Christmassy” and as well as making a wonderful foodie gift. These alcoholic fruits are also great to have tucked away in the pantry for an instant dessert when time is short or nerves are frazzled. You can serve them cold or warm and the perfect accompaniment is a dollop of double cream……plus, don’t forget to make sure you drizzle all the spiced brandy syrup over the clementines when serving. I have suggested between 8 and 12 clementines – it really depends on the size of the fruit…….and if you wish, you can break them up into segments for fill the jar.
For other Christmas gift ideas, do take a look at some of my other edible gift recipes below………from spiced chocolate Christmas pudding spread to sugar frosted mince pies and fruity chutneys…….
Edible Christmas Gift Ideas on Lavender and Lovage:
Sugar Frosted Orange & Brandy Mince Pies
I hope this has given you lots of festive inspiration……I will be laying down a few jars myself over the next few weeks, home-made mincemeat is on the menu for next week, and then it’s time for puddings and cakes, as well as some flavoured liqueurs and sweet preserves. The recipe for my Spiced Brandy Soused Clementines is shared below, and don’t forget to make a jar or two of these for yourself too. If you are a real orange addict then use Grand Marnier or Cointreau in place of the brandy or cognac, for an extra orangey zip……..that’s all for today, I’ll be back with a new Cooking with Herbs challenge,the round-up for Cooking with Herbs and Tea Time Treats, as well as more travel reviews and new seasonal recipes. Karen
This recipe is featured in the Sainsbury’s 29 DELICIOUS EDIBLE GIFTS FOR GIVING post.
Spiced Brandy Soused Clementines
Print recipe
Serves 2 x jars
Prep time 30 minutes
Cook time 15 minutes
Total time 45 minutes
Dietary Vegan, Vegetarian
Meal type Condiment, Dessert
Misc Gourmet, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold, Serve Hot
Occasion Birthday Party, Christmas, Formal Party, Thanksgiving
Region British
By author Karen Burns-Booth
A delectable way to preserve clementines and also a wonderful foodie gift. These are very easy to prepare and keep for one month in a cool place. Serve warm or cold with cream.
Ingredients
- 8 to 12 clementines
- 250g caster sugar
- 300mls water
- 150mls brandy or cognac
- 4 star anise
- 2 cinnamon sticks
Note
A delectable way to preserve clementines and also a wonderful foodie gift. These are very easy to prepare and keep for one month in a cool place. Serve warm or cold with cream.
Directions
Step 1 Peel the clementines and remove all the pith. Pack them into two clean, sterile jars pushing the star anise and cinnamon sticks in and around the clementines.
Step 2 To make the brandy syrup: dissolve the sugar in the water and bring it to the boil. Take the syrup of the heat and add the brandy when the syrup has cooled.
Step 3 Pour the brandy syrup over the clementines and seal the jars.
Step 4 Store in a cool place for 1 month and serve cold with cream.
Step 5 You can also serve these clemetines warm; place the clementines and the syrup in a pan, bringing them to a gentle simmer - serve as before with cream.
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