Elves top 3 favourite recipes –

As you know Santa’s Elves love all things yummy and have a varied diet of foods from the 4 food groups – Candy, Candy Corns, Candy Canes and Syrup! 

And as its less than a week until Christmas, Pumpaa Elf has let us into some of his secret recipes direct from the North Pole and has allowed us to share them with you so that you can enjoy some yummy Elf treats this Christmas with your family.

He has given us his top 3 recipes for Christmas treats that you can easily make at home with your family. So get ready to eat like the Elves this Christmas eve!

THE BEST HOT CHOCOLATE….

Oreo Hot Chocolate…. 

Using Oreos for your hot chocolate recipe turns regular hot chocolate into a unique, creamy drink.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups milk
• 10-15 Oreos, crushed
• 50 grams dark or white chocolate
• Freshly whipped cream
• Oreo pieces

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place 2 cups of milk in small pan Add the crushed Oreos and gently heat.
2. Once the milk begins to simmer, remove it from the heat and allow it to fully cool.
3. The milk will have significantly thickened from the cookies. Add the remaining 1 cup of milk and mix well. Strain the milk. Heat the Oreo milk in the pan or in the microwave until it is hot.
4. Melt the dark or white chocolate and divide it among your desired mugs. Pour some Oreo milk into each mug and mix with the chocolate. Then add the remaining Oreo milk.
5. Spoon some freshly whipped cream on top and decorate with Oreo pieces.

THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

• 250g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 170g unsalted butter, melted
• 220g packed brown sugar
• 100g white sugar
• drops of vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 335g chocolate chips
• Pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Grease baking trays or line with greaseproof paper.
2. Sift the flour and baking soda into a bowl, then add the salt.
3. In another bowl, mix together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar thoroughly.
4. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy.
5. Mix in the flour mixture until well combined.
6. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon.
7. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
8. Preheat your oven to 165 degrees C (325 degrees F).
9. Roll the dough into a sausage and cut into equal discs. Spread onto baking trays with at least 3 inches space in between in one.
10. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking trays for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

CHOCOLATE MINCE PIES

This recipe combines two of the best things about Christmas – mince pies and chocolate – you can’t argue with that!!

INGREDIENTS

• 280g plain flour, sifted 
• 125g icing sugar, sifted 
• 50g cocoa powder, sifted 
• pinch salt
• 200g cold butter, diced 
• 2 free-range egg yolks
• 500g ready-made mincemeat
• 2 clementines, zest and juice
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 free-range egg, beaten

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix the flour, icing sugar, cocoa powder and salt together in a bowl. Mix in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Stir in the egg until the mixture comes together in clumps (you may need to a little cold water). Knead the dough briefly until smooth, wrap in clingfilm and leave to chill in the fridge for one hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
4. Mix the mincemeat, clementine zest and juice together in a bowl.
5. Remove the pastry from the fridge, and roll out to a thickness of 0.5cm/¼in. Using a 7.5cm/3in fluted cutter, stamp out 12 discs from the pastry and use them to line a 12-hole bun tin. Fill each hole with two teaspoons of the mincemeat mixture and brush the edges with a little milk.
6. Using a 6cm/2½in fluted cutter, cut out 12 circles and use them to top the mince pies, pressing the edges together with your fingertips. Re-roll any remaining pastry and cut our snowflakes or star shapes to decorate the top. Brush the top of each mince pie with beaten egg and gently place the decorations on top, then brush again with egg.
7. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the pastry is cooked through.

Happy baking and tasting!! Send us your pictures of your yummy Christmas treats! And share you wining Christmas recipes with us too!

To see our top festive books to read whilst you are tucking into your yummy treats see here