​Make the most of festive jam jars this Christmas

Now that we're into November, it definitely feels like time to start getting excited about Christmas! Especially if you're like the Wares of Knutsford team and love making your own gifts, bakes, recipes and decorations for the holiday season!

We always see certain lines fly off the shelves at this time of year, particularly glassware. It makes sense as basic glass jars and bottles just work for so many things. Their versatility is only matched by their affordability, natural good looks, chemical-free storage and ease of recycling. What's not to love about a glass jar?

So if you haven't already stocked up on jam jars earlier in the year - perhaps for your seasonal jam and preserve-making after summer - then now is a great time to do so. We've got a wide range of glass jars on sale, spanning all shapes, volumes and sizes, and they are perfect for all kinds of crafting and cooking. Even better, you'll save on delivery and unit costs when you buy in bulk; something that works very well if you have your own business or are making lots of gifts this Christmas.

Find our full range here: https://www.waresofknutsford.co.uk/jars/

A delicious mincemeat recipe

Why not mix up your mincemeat by adding in cranberries for that extra tart and zingy finish that cuts through the sweetness beautifully? This Nigella Lawson recipe (which you can find here in full: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/cranberrystuddedminc_90619) also includes a dash of festive Port!

To make your own, dissolve 75g of soft dark brown sugar in a large pan with 60ml of ruby port. Add 300g of fresh cranberries and stir everything together before adding a teaspoon of cinnamon, a teaspoon of ginger and half a teaspoon of cloves. Then add 75g each of raisins and currants, along with 30g of dried cranberries. Finally, add the juice and zest of a clementine. Simmer everything and cook it for 20 minutes until the liquid has mostly absorbed. To ensure the cranberries simmer too, gently press them if you need to with a wooden spoon to release the juices.

Release from the heat, allow the mix to cool and add 25ml brandy, 2 tablespoons of honey, a few drops of almond extract and finally, half a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Stir everything well and spoon the finished mincemeat into sterilised jam jars. Let them cool and then store the mincemeat in the fridge for a fortnight or until you're ready to cook with it.

Why not then make some mince pies with a twist? These frangipane mince pies are really indulgent and incredibly flavoursome. They're also a lot easier to make as you don't need to fiddle with tricky toppers!

Frangipane mince pies

To make the pastry, put 200g of plain flour, 50g of ground almonds, 50g of icing sugar and 125g of butter into a food processor or mixer and pulse until you have a slightly clumping breadcrumb-like finish. Add one egg yolk and then pulse the mix once again, before adding a couple of spoons of very cold water to make a tacky sweet dough. Remove it from the bowl, wrap the dough in cling film and chill it.

Move on to make your frangipane by beating together 85g of unsalted butter with an equal amount of caster sugar until it is very light and soft. Add 2 eggs and 100g ground almonds, with 15g of flour and a little almond extract. Mix well before preheating the oven to 200c / 180c for a fan oven or gas mark 6.

Roll your pastry out on a floured surface to around 3mm thick and use an 8cm rounded cutter to make 20 odd rounds before using them to line a fairy cake tin. Place a dollop of your mincemeat from your jam jar into each and then top with a heaped spoon of your frangipane, spreading this evenly to seal the edges and to cover the mincemeat. Bake for 15 minutes in the oven until the pies are lightly browned and then serve with rum butter and a sprinkling of flaked almonds.

You'll find the full recipe here at BBC Food: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/frangipane_mince_pies_32594

Making the most of Christmas jam jars

You'll find jam jars are fantastic at this time of year and you can use them for so many things. Fill them with pretty colourful sweets for children, or with ribbons and spools for a craft-loving family member. Stack up rainbow-coloured bath salts or gift a ready-made dry mix for cookies or brownies. You can also fill your jars with pretty battery-operated tealights for a table decoration or use them to make your own snowglobes. Check out our wide range of ribbons, tags and ties to decorate your work and to make gifting a breeze - you'll find everything you need for Christmas at Wares of Knutsford!