Christmas Gift Guide for Grown-ups

I love Christmas. I love it even more now I'm an adult and can enjoy the indulgent delights of booze-soaked Christmas puddings and warming sips of mulled wine. And there's the food too, of course: spiced, fruit cakes, citrus, sweet treats and deliciously steamy puddings covered in custard or a dollop of cool, whipped cream. That's why for this year's Christmas gift guide, I've chosen to feature the kind of food and drink I'd love to find in my own stocking on Christmas morning. The kid's Christmas lists can wait - this is all about us.

Christmas Pudding Gin by Gin Tales

As a fan of flavoured spirits and liqueurs, I was overjoyed to find this little beauty available online for £35. This delicious concoction marries the festive flavours of boozy raisins, cherries, cinnamon, nutmeg and zesty lemon, with London dry gin. Only fresh, natural ingredients are used with no added sugar or chemicals. Gin is naughty enough, after all!

This 50cl gin infusion lasts for three months once opened and is best stored in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight. Other flavours include Orange, Cinnamon and Winter Spice Gin, Hot Cross Bun Gin, Raspberry and Mint Gin, and Lavender Gin. 

You're welcome.

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Italian Trio Cheese Making Kit by The Cheese Maker's Choice

Perfect for the budding cheese-maker in your life, this £24.99 kit comes with all the necessary ingredients and specialist equipment to create 12 batches of mozzarella, ricotta or mascarpone in around an hour. All you need is some basic kitchen equipment and milk, which can be standard whole cow's milk, A2 or lacto-free milk.

My husband is a huge fan of Italian cheese so I know this will make him a very happy bunny on Christmas Day, but if Italian isn't quite your style, they also sell a Mediterranean cheese kit, a goat's cheese making kit, a bumper kit for the aspiring cook, and even a butter-making kit for children. There are further cheese making tips on their website if you want to swot up on the process beforehand and the kits have a helpfully long shelf life of 12 - 18 months in case your Christmas catch-ups go a little awry.

Find The Cheese Maker's Choice on Facebook and Twitter.

Gourmet Nut Spread Gift Box by The Nut Kitchen

This award-winning gift features three 200g jars of Hazelnut Spread, Almond Spread and Gianduia Spread (a combination of rich Belgian chocolate and hazelnuts). This is indulgence of the highest order and, in my opinion, well worth the £16.50 (plus shipping) price. Especially as ingredients include hazelnuts from Naples and almonds from Sicily to create a gift that is surely sent from heaven.

Other products available from their website include a Make Your Own Almond Drink Gift Box (lactose and dairy-free) and a Home Baker's Trio of Nut Pastes. I was lucky enough to be sent a jar of their pistachio paste which was awarded a 3 star Great Taste Award in 2017 for it's exquisite flavour, and I can safely say it's sure to be gobbled up pronto.

Find The Nut Kitchen on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Gluten-free Stollen by ElizabethDbakes

This gluten-free cranberry, pistachio and orange stollen is part of a delicious range of 'free from' twists on classic Southern American recipes, including handmade cakes, loaves, brownies and bars. There is something everyone can enjoy whether it's gluten-free, vegan or sugar-free.

This particular stollen is bursting with fruit and nuts, yet delicately scented with the flavours of fresh orange and cardamom. Only natural ingredients are used and the product has a 6 week shelf life to carry you safely through the festive period and into January. I'm looking forward to enjoying mine with some warming mulled wine on Christmas Eve.

6 individual stollen bars are available from the website for £18 including postage or you can choose a 16-piece gift box for £16.50.

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Stackable Bottles by Kilner

I'm already a massive Kilner fan as I use their jars and bottles a lot when making my preserves and liqueurs, and these quirky stackable bottles are a very welcome addition to my collection. They are brand new to the Kilner range and are available from Silver Mushroom for £10.95. Bearing the distinctive logo, the high quality is consistent with the brand and I particularly like the cork stoppers which give them a great retro feel.

Personally, I'm looking forward to using these bottles to present my homemade red berry and spiced apple liqueurs to any guests over the Christmas period, but I expect their versatility will see them filled with different flavoured iced teas come the summer.

Find Kilner on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Cheese and Accompaniments Christmas Gift Box by The Welsh Cheese Company

I'm so pleased to feature this gift box from The Welsh Cheese Company because I firmly believe in the importance of supporting homegrown British businesses, including my homeland, Wales. This fabulous gift box, priced at £28, includes a selection of their most popular cheeses (Mon Las, Y Fenni, Perl Wen and Bouncing Berry) together with a complementary jar of handmade Welsh Lady Fig and Date Chutney and a box of Cnwc Halon Mon savoury crackers. 

The company also offer, among others, a craft beer and cheese hamper and a blue cheese and liqueur hamper, as well as a paid subscription service 'Clwb Caws' delivering 4 cheeses to your door every month. Whether you're a cheddar cheerleader or a gouda groupie, the variety of award-winning artisan cheeses available is sure to astound. What more could you ask for? 

Find The Welsh Cheese Company on Facebook and Twitter.

This guide was written in exchange for samples of products from the companies mentioned. All opinions are my own.