Edible Secret Santa gift ideas from the UK's best chefs

Dried persimmons add a concentrated sweetness, a chewy texture, and a deep, caramel-like aroma to traditional Korean sujeonggwa punch, pairing beautifully with the warm spices of ginger and cinnamon. 

To make enough for a couple of 500ml bottles and a half bottle, combine 1.5l of water, 150g of fresh sliced ginger and 2-3 cinnamon sticks in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 40–50 minutes until the flavour is deep and aromatic. Strain out the ginger and cinnamon. Add 120-150g of sugar to taste (and 1-2 tbsp of honey too, if you like) and simmer for another 5 minutes until dissolved. Add a handful of dried jujubes and 3-4 dried persimmons, then simmer for an additional 5–10 minutes. Cool completely, then refrigerate. 

To serve warm, gently reheat over a low heat, but do not boil. Serve in a mug with a slice of dried persimmon or a few pine nuts. You can add a shot of dark rum, too. 

Jerk honey is one of those simple things that makes people think you’ve done madness and pairs perfectly with cheese boards, roast vegetables, chicken wings and more. 

To make enough for two 150ml jars, gently warm 300g of honey in a small saucepan on low heat (40–50°C max). Don’t let it simmer. Add 1-1.5 teaspoons of jerk seasoning (or more to taste), a sprig of fresh thyme, one strip of orange peel (no pith), ½ teaspoon of lime zest, an optional small and lightly crushed clove of garlic, 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger, sliced and ½ a Scotch bonnet chilli, whole and pierced once. Let it infuse on the lowest heat for 15–20 minutes, swirling occasionally. Then add 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and a pinch of salt; taste and adjust. You can strain for a clean look, or leave the aromatics in (but remove the Scotch bonnet). Allow the honey to cool completely, then pour into small sterilised jars. Seal and refrigerate for up to 4 weeks.

_{Photo by Danika Magdelena}

This recipe makes 18-20 chewy little hazelnut and jam biscuits [pictured top]. 

Roast 275g of hazelnuts (ideally blanched) at 160°C fan for around 15 minutes, until turning a light fudge colour. Then, blitz with 200g of icing sugar, the zest of ½ a lemon (save the juice), ¼ teaspoon of baking powder, and salt to a fine mix. Whisk 2 egg whites (approximately 60g) with the lemon juice until shiny and stiff. Fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites until evenly combined. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. 

When ready, shape into roughly 25-30g balls (a heaped teaspoon). Roll the dough balls in a bowl of icing sugar until covered. Place on 2 greaseproof paper-lined baking trays. They will spread to at least double their size, so leave plenty of room. Use the end of a teaspoon to push an indent into each ball, then fill with a little jam. Don’t fill above the hole, as it will spill out while baking. Bake for 14 minutes at 160°C fan – they will be very soft to touch, but will set while cooling; you want them to stay chewy in the middle. The edges should be a little coloured, and they will have cracked and look like they have split open. They will keep for well over a week in a sealed container.

_{Recipe taken from Kitchen Table: Simple Things Made Well by Emily Cuddeford and Rachel Morgan.}

I love madeleines. These sweet and spiced bite-sized sponges are perfect at Christmas – or any time. 

To make approximately 12-14 madeleines, whisk together 2 eggs, 100g of sugar, 35g of honey and 2g of salt. On the side, warm 60g of butter with 35g of whole milk until just above 38°C. Mix 120g of plain flour with 7g of baking powder, beat into the egg mix a third at a time, and then fold in the warmed milk and butter. Leave overnight in the fridge to rest. 

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 200°C. Lightly grease a madeleine or muffin tin and place a tablespoon full of the mixture into each of the buttered holes. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until risen and golden. They’re great served with a syrup of orange and spices (cloves, star anise, cinnamon). 

_{Photo credit: Susie Lowe Photography}

This is a nougat recipe that combines the festive flavours of cranberry and nuts. The base is the most important thing to get right and then you can adjust the additional flavours if you so wish. 

To make 15 large squares, begin by cooking 375g of caster sugar and 100g of glucose to 150°C. When it reaches 135°C, start whisking in 6 egg whites to form soft peaks. At the same time, cook 425g of honey with 200g of glucose. Add the honey and glucose mixture to the glucose and caster sugar mix and combine. When the mix is ready, warm a mix of nuts in the oven – I like 400g of flaked almonds, 150g of peeled hazelnuts and 150g of peeled pistachios – and fold in using a strong spoon along with 100g of cranberries. Wrap in edible rice paper.

These parmesan biscuits are great with red wine; this recipe makes around 10 little gift packages. To give them a bit of extra festive frill, you could add shavings of black winter truffle, pesto and finely chopped sundried tomatoes, or cracked black pepper and rosemary. 

Start by mixing 85g of softened butter, 90g of grated parmesan, 2g of baking powder, small pinches of sweet smoked paprika and cayenne, and freshly ground black pepper until well combined. Add 105g of sieved plain flour and combine without overworking, shape into an even-sized log, avoiding any air pockets, wrap in clingfilm and chill. Slice the biscuits to about 2-3mm thick, space them out evenly on a lined baking sheet and bake at 165°C for 10 minutes. Let cool. 

This black fig chutney has just been added to the tasting menu at Bear. It’s built around the deep, jammy sweetness of black figs and lifted by the acidity of foraged sloe berries, making it feel both rustic and refined. 

Place 1l of organic apple cider vinegar, 700g of high quality honey, 10g of dried meadowsweet, 20 of dried juniper berries, 20 pink peppercorns, 5g of fresh bay leaf (1–2 leaves), 100g of sloe gin, 100g of fresh foraged sloe berries and 1kg of roughly chopped black figs in a pan and gently bring to a simmer. Let the mixture bubble away on a low heat, stirring continuously until the ingredients soften and the mixture transforms into a rich, glossy chutney with a jam-like consistency. The recipe makes 1.3kg of chutney, so depending on your jar size, usually 4-6 gifts. 

_{Photo credit: @lateef.photography}