Now Halloween is over, Christmas is starting to creep up on us and with only a few more weeks to go, the bees at Team Beeble are starting to get pretty excited!!
Already we have exhibited at a few early Christmas fairs this month such as the ‘Christmas Cocktail Fair’ in aid of ‘Save the Children’ which took place at the Old Chelsea Town Hall. In addition we were also at the Rugby Portobello Christmas Market in aid of the Rugby Portobello Trust – a charity which supports the lives of young people and their families living in North Kensington.
However, our biggest market of the year, which started at the end of last week is Blenheim Palace Christmas Market! We are so excited to be involved with this event first time ever as a company and we will be there for the full 4-week duration of it. With a huge selection of beautifully decorated chalets selling hundreds of Christmas goodies, not to mention the ice-skating rink and extraordinary ‘light trail’ we are buzzing to be there and cannot wait for it to begin!
Beeble is selling our award-winning Honey Whisky as well as our newest addition to the Beeble drink collection, Beeble Honey Vodka. In addition, we are also selling our range of natural cosmetic products as well as our limited edition Christmas Cocktail Boxes and Beeble Gift Boxes!
Just an hour outside of London and a ten-minute bus ride from Oxford, it is the perfect family day out, so if your around, come and say hi!
As Christmas is getting closer, we also wanted to share with you a few of our favourite Beeble Christmas dessert recipes which all contain our delicious Beeble Honey Whisky!
Beeble Mince Pie Recipe
Prep time: 20 mins
Total time: 1hr 10 mins
Serving size: 16
Ingredients:
- 300g plain flour
- 50g icing sugar
- 150g butter, diced
- 1 egg yolk
- 411g jar mincemeat
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1tbsp Beeble Honey Whisky
- White caster sugar (to dust the mince pies)
Method:
- Using a food processor, mix the flour, icing sugar and butter until fine crumbs are formed.
- Then add the egg yolk and 1tbsp of cold water and mix briefly until a pastry forms.
- Wrap the pastry in cling film and chill for at least 30 mins in a fridge.
- Once chilled, preheat the oven to 180 degrees (fan)
- Roll out the chilled pastry onto a well-floured surface and cut out 16 circles (approx. 9cm diameter) to use as the bottom of the mince pies.
- Then press these into buttered and lightly floured cupcake tins and lightly prick them with a fork.
- Mix mincemeat with the orange zest and Beeble Honey Whisky and delicately spoon into the pastry cases, being careful not to overfill them!
- Re-roll the leftover pastry out and cut out lids/ stars to top your mince pies with.
- Then lightly brush them with milk and a small dusting of white caster sugar
- Cook the mince pies for 15-20 mins until golden brown
~ Beeble’s top tip ~ We like to serve our mince pies warm with some vanilla ice-cream and a large dollop of Beeble Honey Whisky Butter (recipe below)!
Beeble Honey Whisky Butter Recipe
Prep time: 10 mins
Total time: 1hr 10 mins
Serving size: 8
Ingredients:
- 200g salted butter (softened)
- 175g icing sugar
- 1tsp vanilla paste
- 5-7tbsp Beeble Honey Whisky
Method:
- Beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla paste until pale and well mixed
- Then gradually whisk in the Beeble Honey Whisky, one tbsp at a time and add to taste
- Scrape into a serving bowl and chill for at least 1hr before serving
~ Beeble’s top tip ~ Make a large batch as it freezes excellently!
Beeble Christmas Pudding Recipe
Prep time: 20 mins
Total time: 2hrs 20 mins
Serving size: 8
Ingredients:
- 25g blanched almonds
- 1 large cooking apple
- 100g candied peel
- ½ nutmeg
- 500g raisins
- 70g plain flour
- 50g soft fresh white breadcrumbs
- 50g light muscovado sugar
- 2 small eggs
- 1tbsp Beeble Honey Whisky (plus extra to light pudding before serving)
- 125g cold butter
Method:
- Chop the almonds coarsely, peel and chop the cooking apples (can be done using a food processor).
- Grate just under half the nutmeg
- Mix the almonds, apples, candied peel, nutmeg, raisins, flour breadcrumbs, light muscovado sugar, eggs and 1tbsp Beeble Honey Whisky in a large bowl.
- Grate 30g of the butter into the bowl and stir
- Repeat until all the butter is grated and incorporated into the mixture.
- Generously butter a 1.2L bowl and line with a circle of baking parchment
- Add the pudding mixture and then cover with a double layer of baking parchment, pleating it to allow for expansion. Then tie with string (using a rubber band to keep paper in place whilst tying the strong). Trim off any excess paper.
- Place the bowl on a large sheet of foil and bring edges over top. Then put another sheet of foil over the top and bring the edges down underneath to make to trap the moisture in the pudding.
- Tie with more string and make a handle for lifting it in and out of the pan
- Watch BBC Good Food video for how to correctly tie it
- Boil the pudding for 8hrs, topping up with water when needed.
- Store in cool, dry place until Christmas.
- Before serving, boil the pudding for one hour. Unwrap it and turn it out.
- Then warm 2-3tbsp Beeble Honey Whisky in a small pan, pour it over the pudding and set light to it.
*Best served with Beeble Honey Whisky Butter*
