Heartmade Project ~ Citrus Pommander
Make a traditional pommander as a lovely Christmas gift.
Wrap a ribbon twice around a small orange (or any citrus fruit) knot and leave a loop at the top for hanging.
Fill the gaps by pressing cloves into the orange skin. You can cover all the skin or use the cloves to make shapes, perhaps hearts or simple swirls.
Dust your pommander in cinnamon if you like and leave a few around the house for a lovely Christmassy scent. If you’re giving as a gift, wrap in tissue, with a ribbon bow and label. You could also put it in a pretty box or tin.
Heartmade Recipe ~ Lemon Curd
Homemade lemon curd is so easy to make and so much more delicious than any bought from a shop.
Recipe
Whisk 2 eggs and 2 egg yolks with 165g of golden caster sugar in a saucepan.
Put on a low heat and add 80g of chilled butter, cut into small pieces, and the zest and juice of 2 lemons.
Continue whisking until it thickens (don’t let it boil) and pour into sterilised jars. I think you’re supposed to sieve it, but I like the fact there are bits of zest and even the odd pip!
(This recipe makes enough to fill one large jam jar or three baby food jars.)
Add a fabric or paper lid cover, a label and a gift tag. You might like to list your ingredients on your label and maybe some suggestions for recipes using lemon curd.
Heartmade Tip ~ Stock Up on Citrus Fruit
Besides being great sources of vitamin C (helping keep those pesky viruses at bay), oranges and lemons are so useful at Christmas so stock up with them (limes and grapefruit are great alternatives.)
Use them to make pommanders or tree decorations, to make mulled wine, or to decorate your gifts (thinly slice your fruit and dry slowly in a low oven.).
And don’t forget some little ones for the stockings! :O)
