Making gifts is very in this year–it’s cost-effective, thoughtful and fun!

Here are a few lovely recipes for homemade gifts to try from our friends at Gold Top.

Gold Top Milk Biscuit Stars and Christmas Trees
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Makes approx. 12

Ingredients
150g plain flour, sifted
100g plain wholemeal flour, sifted
50g ground almonds
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
60g caster sugar
50g Gold Top slightly salted butter, diced
1 tsp vanilla essence
approx 200ml Gold Top Milk

Method
Pre heat the oven to 200C, 180 C fan, 400 F, gas Mark 6

Sift the flours, ground almonds, baking powder, salt and 50g sugar into a food processor bowl.

Add the diced butter and pulse the processor until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Mix together the vanilla essence and milk. Gradually add the milk until a soft dough is formed. You may not need all the milk. Turn out on a slightly floured board and lightly “knead” for 30 seconds.

Roll to about 3mm thickness and cut with a floured star-shape cutter.

Place on a baking sheet lined with non-stick parchment. Brush the biscuits with the remaining milk and sprinkle with the remaining caster sugar.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Decoration can be added for faces with icing.

Decoration
Re-use a gift box by decorating with wrapping paper or patterned paper of choice (we used an old toiletries gift box).

Carefully line up the milk biscuit shapes inside the gift box.

Wrap the box in clear cellophane to display the biscuits. Secure with cellotape underneath the box and tie with coloured ribbon.

Approximate total cost of gift = £3.60

Cost of recipe ingredients required for gift = £1.35
Cost of ingredients if bought in full = £6.31(value of ingredients remaining after recipe = £4.96)

Decoration: = from £2.25

Wrapping paper – from £0.50
Box – Reuse a gift box (alternatively boxes can be bought from £1.00 at stationers)
Tissue paper – from £0.75
Cellophane for wrapping (£1 for 1m square available from florists)

Homemade Dolce de Leche
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour – 1 and a half 1/2 hours
Makes: 1 litre

Ingredients
1.5 litres Gold Top Milk
1/2 tsp vanilla paste
500g caster sugar
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method
In a very large saucepan, bring Gold Top Milk to the boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and strain through cheesecloth or muslin. Return to pan.

Add the vanilla paste to the Gold Top Milk. Stir in the sugar and replace the pan on medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Just as the Gold Top Milk mixture begins to boil, stir in the bicarbonate of soda. This will cause the mixture to froth so make sure your pan is plenty big enough.

Reduce the heat to medium. Simmer the mixture for about 1 and a 1/2 hours, stirring every 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat when the mixture is caramel brown in colour and thickened so that a wooden spoon drawn through the mixture leaves the bottom of the pan visible.

Stand the pan in an ice bath or bowl of ice cold water and stir constantly until dolce de leche is cold. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use as banoffee pie filling or as a sauce for ice cream.

Decoration
Pour the Dolche de Leche into a clean, attractive, jam jar. Secure the lid.

Using a small bowl draw a circle onto some old fabric and cut this out.

Wrap the cut fabric around the lid of the jar and secure with coloured ribbon.

Approximate total cost of gift = £3.57

Cost of recipe ingredients required for gift = £2.32
Cost of ingredients if bought in full = £2.74 (value of ingredients remaining after recipe = £0.42)

Decoration: = approximately £1.25
Re-used jam jar (alternatively glass storage jars can be bought from £1 from home stores or supermarkets)
Old piece of fabric
Ribbon – from £0.25

Coffee and Macadamia Nut Fudge
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Makes: about 30 squares

Ingredients
A little oil, for greasing
300ml Gold Top Milk
350g caster sugar
100g Gold Top slightly salted butter
2 tsp strong coffee paste
75g macadamia nuts

Method
Grease an 18cm square cake tin and base line with non-stick parchment paper.

Put the Gold Top Milk, sugar and butter in a heavy-based saucepan. Heat slowly, stirring all the time, until the sugar has dissolved and the butter melted.

Bring pan to boil and boil for 15-20 minutes, stirring all the time.

When the mixture reaches 115°C on a sugar thermometer or soft-ball stage – when the mixture is dropped into cold water it forms a ball which will not hold its shape.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the coffee paste. Leave to cool for 5 minutes before adding the macadamia nuts.

Beat the mixture with a wooden spoon for a few minutes until it starts to thicken and the gloss disappears.

Pour into the prepared tin and leave to set at room temperature. Do not put in the fridge or a crust will form.

Once set, cut the fudge into small squares and store in a sealed container.

Decoration
On clear cellophane draw around a large plate to create a circle.

Carefully cut the circle out.

Place the fudge pieces in the centre and gather the cellophane together.

Secure with red coloured ribbon and place into the tea cup, beer glass or mug.

Approximate total cost of gift = £4.25

Cost of recipe ingredients required for gift = £2.53
Cost of ingredients if bought in full = £6.57 (value of ingredients remaining after recipe = £4.96)

Decoration: = from £1.75
Traditional tea cup and saucer, beer glass or mug – from £0.50 from charity shops or car boot sales
Ribbon – from £0.25
Cellophane for wrapping (£1 for 1m square available from florists)