As usual, rather than falling foul of the commercialism of Christmas, I chose to make edible gifts for friends and family. I like to send a fudge, some chocolate bark, cake pops, some candy, a traditional European seasonal biscuit, and some iced cookies. I try to use seasonal flavours too.

This is about the fourth or fifth year I have sent edible gifts, and I have received positive feedback, so I think everyone appreciates it. Who doesn’t like something sweet at Christmas? Plus, your gifts are bought with something that can never be replaced or bought – your time.

First on this year’s cast of characters is the fudge – and this year I went for Chocolate and Peppermint fudge. Rather than just adding some peppermint to a simple chocolate fudge, I decided to experiment with the design and only flavoured some coloured white chocolate that was swirled on the fudge.

Wrap in some festive cellophane, and you have a delightful gift for friends, family or neighbours. It will keep for ages too, so you can make this well in advance.

Chocolate and Peppermint Fudge

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Ingredients

• 25g White Chocolate
• Green food colouring paste
• Peppermint food flavouring
• 500ml Double Cream
• 500g Caster Sugar
• 75g Dark Chocolate
• 75g Milk Chocolate
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Directions

1.	Line a deep baking tray (approx 9"x9") with a couple of layers of cling film
2.	Melt the white chocolate in a glass bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Once melted, add green food colouring paste and a generous amount of peppermint flavouring
3.	Put the green chocolate into a piping bag, and drizzle over the bottom of the pan
4.	Put the sugar and cream into a large heavy bottomed pan, preferably a preserving pan, over a moderate to low heat. Stir gently and continuously until the sugar has melted, then turn the heat up
5.	Stir occasionally to prevent the mixture burning, and heat until the mixture reaches 'soft ball' stage. If you have a sugar thermometer, heat to 235°f / 115°, or you can check for soft ball stage by dropping a small amount into some iced water. If the mixture can be pressed into a soft ball, it is ready
6.	Turn off the heat and move to a cool surface. Leave for 5-10 minutes to cool a little. Add in the chopped milk and dark chocolate and the vanilla, then beat in
7.	Continue to beat until the mixture just starts to lose its glossy appearance. Working quickly, pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a metal spoon
8.	As it starts to cool, score the surface into portions
9.	Leave to cool for a couple of hours before turning out carefully, and breaking along the score lines, or cutting with a sharp knife