BETTY'S DARK RUM RICH CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

This will make a splendid centre decoration for your Christmas Table:- You will need
225g Plain Chocolate
100ml Double Cream, 1 tablespoon Dark Rum and a selection of coatings to include - Cocoa, Chopped Mixed Nuts, Chocolate Vermicelli, Honeycomb pieces.

Bring the cream to the boil on the boiling plate, then add the plain chocolate and stir until melted.  Add the rum and stir, leave to cool.  When cool beat with an electric whisk until the mixture becomes creamy and lighter in colour http://www.twyford-cookers.com/Cookware/Products.aspx?cid=21&pid=515
Refrigerate for an hour to firm up.

Once the truffle mixture is firm, take bite sized handfuls and roll into balls in your hands.  Toss in one of the coatings till covered all over and place on a tray with a sheet of bak'o'glide. Continue until all the mixture is used up.http://www.twyford-cookers.com/Cookware/Products.aspx?cid=13&pid=305  

For the Truffle Topiary Tree

Materials
1 clean flower pot, stick or old wooden spoon, Petite Four Cases, 1 Quantity of Betty's Rich Rum Truffles with a mixture of coating, Decorative ribbon, silk flowers or plastic berries.  Block of self setting Clay, Dried Flower Oasis Ball, cocktail sticks.

Set the stick or old wooden spoon in the Flower Pot using the self setting clay and fill the oasis ball with the truffles set into petite four cases.  Construct as shown in the picture.  Tie with decorative ribbon and hide the tree until Christmas day or the truffles will disappear!

CHRISTMAS PUDDING

Do you really want to make 3 Christmas puddings?  If you are the paragon of virtue that your mother in law always wanted, here are the quantities for 3.  Of course, if mother in law is the enemy, just do 1/3 of the quantities and eat it yourself!

225g Plain flour, 225g fresh white breadcrumbs, 100g ground almonds, 1 tsp ground mixed spice, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 175g grated carrots, 250g sultanas, 50g chopped peel, juice and zest from 1 lemon and 1 orange, 150ml dark rum, 4 tablespoons black treacle, 1tsp baking powder, 225g shredded suet, 500 g dark  brown Muscavado sugar, 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg, 175g stoned prunes, chopped, 250g currants, 250g raisins, 2 apples peeled and chopped, 5 eggs beaten, 300ml stout, 4 tablespoons golden syrup.  Yes, this really is Grandmother Twyford's recipe!!

Sift the flour with the baking powder, add the rest of the ingredients and combine and ask every member of the family to have a stir and a wish (a Twyford's tradition).  If the mixture looks a little dry, just add some more booz!

Divide between 3 x 900g greased pudding basins.  Cover with a circle of greaseproof and then cover with muslin like granny used to. 
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Steam on a trivet in a large saucepan with boiling water to come 1/2 way up.  Bring to the boil and transfer to the simmering oven for 2-3 hours.  The pudding will be delicious!!

STUFFING WREATH!!

You might like to ring the changes with this eye catching stuffing wreath (I'm sure you'll have plenty of time...)

For the Wreath
1lb Sausagemeat, Zest of one lemon, 1 Beaten Egg, 1 Onion finely chopped, 454 g Freeze dried Chestnuts roughly copped, Handful each of Sage, Parsley & Thyme finely chopped.

GARNISH
24 Cocktail sausages, 12 slices of streaky bacon stretched with the back of a knife and cut in half, cocktail sticks and Bay leaves plus Betty Twyford stuffing balls - 24 of them!

For the wreath, place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and combine and season with salt and pepper.  Place on a baking tray lined with a sheet of Bake'O'Glide.  Shape into a circle with a whole in the middle. O.
Wrap some of the sausages in bacon and roll the remaining bacon into mini rolls.  You will have a selection of sausages, bacon roll and stuffing balls in which to decorate your wreath, attaching them with cocktail sticks.  Bake in the roasting oven on a grid shelf on the base of the roasting oven for approx 45 mins (check it at times ).  If it starts to brown or dry out , cover loosely with baking or greaseproof paper.

Once cooked, let it rest, then transfer to a plate and garnish with bay leaves.  IT WILL BE WORTH IT!!

If you look to the left of the picture, the stuffing wreath is there, but then we ate it!!