Five foodie treats under €10: The Irish Times Christmas Supplement 2012
Pocket friendly treats
Part one of my Irish food gifts article for The Irish Times is here or, if you have a subscription, you can read the entire published version here.
I’m always looking for small bits and pieces to include in Christmas food parcels and here are a few of my favourites. These are all Irish – indeed, several are great alternatives to imported products – cost less than €10 and will be warmly welcomed by any food lover.
Appletastic
Looking for a new sweetener for breakfast pancakes and porridge? The toffee-like Highbank Orchard Syrup, produced from organic apples, can give Canadian maple syrup producers a real run for their money. (€7.90, highbankorchards.com)
Use for savoury - or sweet
The flaky crystals of Irish Atlantic Sea Salt are a kitchen essential, perfect for seasoning anything from the Christmas turkey to a chocolate caramel sauce (€4.99, www.irishatlanticsalt.ie).
Fab fudgy goodness
Belfast’s Blackthorn Foods make a delectable Butter Fudge Fondue in an earthenware dish that can be heated and used as a dip or sauce. (£3.99, www.blackthornfoods.co.uk)
A touch of luxury for morning toast
The freshly roasted crunch of the nuts in the Chocolate and Hazelnut Spread from the Chocolate Garden of Ireland make this a not-too-sweet spread for children and adults alike. (€5.95, www.chocolategarden.ie)
Stock up for January
A spoonful of Llewellyn’s Balsamic Cider Vinegar lends a welcome tart piquancy to sauces and dressings – and a dash in a glass of hot water makes the ideal post-Christmas pick-me-up. (€9.50-€9.95, www.llewellynsorchard.ie)
Turkey time!
And one extra small seasonal treat: Christmas in a crisp? The latest innovation from the Keogh’s crop-to-crisp family is a seasonal limited edition Roast Turkey and Secret Stuffing flavour. (99c, keoghs.ie)
More Christmas food gift ideas
2012 Irish food gifts from The Irish Times 2012 Christmas Supplement
2010 The Irish Times – Christmas supplement: Food glorious food
2009 The Irish Times Christmas Gift Supplement: Gift Grub
2009 The Irish Times Christmas Gift Supplement: Treats to Savour
2008 The Irish Times Christmas Supplement: Part One
2008 The Irish Times Christmas Supplement: Part Two
2008 The Irish Times Christmas Supplement: Part Three
Cider vinegar in hot water? Interesting! Must try it as a Stephen’s Day tonic after all the excesses.
It’s something I remember reading about in a book that my grandfather had – but so much more delicious when it’s balsamic cider vinegar!
Some nice finds – love the idea of using the sea salt in chocolate! Delicious!
I love sea salt with sweet things, especially chocolate and caramel. It’s got to be sea salt though – table salt is much too harsh. Check out this recipe for Christmas cookies: Salted Caramel and Hazelnut Squares and let me know what you think!