Tatty Teddy‘s crowd of special friends is set to keep growing in 2012 and January sees the addition of five new My Blue Nose Friends for Tatty Teddy to meet. As usual each one has a name, number and personal profile and all of them are 4″ tall and have the characteristic patches and a blue nose.

All these latest animals feature the new holographic stickers for My Blue Nose Friends. This will give you full peace of mind that you are buying genuine products. The little square sticker is on the removeable tags and features a cute picture of Patch the Dog.

Meet the latest Me to You My Blue Nose Friends:

No 88 Nutmeg the Squirrel

Nutmeg is a kind and considerate squirrel, who loves to hoard things; she’ll try not to drive you nuts!

She has soft dark grey fur on her body, a bushy tail and a white tummy.

No 89 Buck the Beaver

Buck is a hard working beaver who loves to get his teeth into anything; lodge with him and you’ll understand why.

He has soft, grey plush on his body, a flat tail, cute goofy teeth and a white tummy and nose.

No 90 Yabber the Duck Billed Platypus

Yabber is a chattering Duck-billed platypus who has the gift of the gab; whatever the situation he will talk his way out of it.

He has dark blue fur on his body, white webbed feet and lays flat on his tummy.

No 91 Koodo the Antelope

Koodoo is a dynamic antelope who likes to rise to a challenge; she is leaps and bounds above all antelopes.

She has blue plush on her body, white markings on her head and pink horns and hooves.

No 92 Ripple the Swan

Ripple is a graceful swan who goes about things in her own way; but she’ll always stick her neck out for you!

A limited edition character, she has a soft white plush body, pale pink webbed feet, shimmering fabric detailing on her face and white fur with a silver sparkle on her wings. Ripple also has a code that allows customers to unlock special features on the Me to You My Place web site.

Read more about the Me to You Tatty Teddy brand and story on our web site or browse our full My Blue Nose Friends range.

February 14^th is traditionally the most romantic day of the year – yet if you have small children and no baby sitter or if you haven’t got a “Valentine” you might feel left out.Why not take up the chance of a celebration with the people you love instead?

You could invite a few close friends, or have a Valentine’s tea with kids. From activities to games and party decorations we’ve put together some Valentine’s Day ideas for a fun filled day.

Valentine’s Party Decorations

A few simple decorations are sure to put everyone in a cheerful mood! Fill a few Valentine’s party balloons with air or helium to decorate your house. Illoom balloons glow in the dark and will create a unique party atmosphere.

Spruce up your table with red confetti and tea lights.

Valentine’s Day activities

Sealed with a kiss

If you have children they might enjoy making cards in the run-up to February 14th, so get a few craft supplies and let their imaginations run wild! They can send them anonymously to classmates or friends.

(Not so) romantic poetry

Children could also try their hand at poetry. Why not let them complete the last two lines of “Roses are Red, Violets are Blue…” and transform this old love poem with any original or funny ideas! Try these two examples to get the giggles started and creative juices flowing:

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Onions stink
And so do you

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Cashews are nuts
And so are you

Home baked treats and party food

Why not bake some love themed treats and share them with friends and relatives? For tasty home-make treats, check out our Valentine’s Day recipes. They will make great party foods, or a thoughtful gift for your partner. Our Jammie Dodgers Recipe, Valentine’s Chocolate Hearts Biscuit Recipe or Tasty Chocolate Truffles Recipe are all easy to make so kids can help you too.

If you’re having a party, you could cut your sandwiches in heart shapes with a large cookie cutter and have plenty of pink and red foods (cherry tomatoes, pizza, strawberries and so on…).

Valentine’s Day Games

With a little imagination it is easy to give traditional party games a Valentine twist. You could play musical statues or musical bumps to love songs or make a pass the parcel package with heart shaped sweets or chocolates. Here are a few more hearty games:

Heart hunt
Hide chocolate hearts, small packs of love hearts or chocolate coins around the house or garden.

Guessing games
A simple variation to a traditional guessing game! Simply fill a jar with heart shaped sweets and have guests guess how many hearts are in the jar. The person who comes the closest without going over wins the jar of candy.

Broken hearts game
Cut large hearts out of red card. Making sure each heart is unique, cut the hearts in half, making a zig zag or jagged edge. Give each party guest one heart piece and tell them to find their match by finding the other half.

Movie date

If there are just the two of you, why not stay in and have an intimate movie date. Snuggle up together with a romantic film and a pack of popcorn. If you have kids why not pop on one of Disney’s classic love stories like The Little Mermaid or The Lady and the Tramp?

More Valentine’s Day ideas…

For more Valentine’s Day ideas, read the following articles:

Surviving Valentine’s Day – Whatever your situation – single, in a new or long term relationship, this article will give you tips and advice on how to make Valentine’s Day a success.

Top 10 Valentine’s Gifts – Whether you’re experiencing the first flush of love or enjoying the adoration of your soul mate, we have put together its top ten gift guide for Valentine’s Day. From the ultimate Valentine’s Day gift – a diamond engagement ring – to a romantic walk in the country, there are ideas to inspire you and delight your loved ones.

An ideal Valentine’s cookies recipe

Card shops are ablaze with red hearts, roses and Love You teddy bears; florists are taking early orders; and restaurants are booking up fast. Yes, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner!

Why not spread the love and bake some delicious heart shaped Jammie Dodgers to mark the occasion?

These Valentine’s cookies are not just tasty but look good too! They are perfect to share with with your kids, neighbours, friends or work colleagues on the 14th of February. Home-made Jammie Dodgers will make a cute romantic gift for your partner too.

The recipe is simple and ideal to keep the kids busy over half term, all you need is a bit of time, patience, some heart shaped cookie cutters and a few ingredients – listed below.

My nine year old son baked these on his own. Smaller children will love to join in too.

For more easy Valentine’s recipes take a look at our Valentine’s Chocolate Hearts Biscuit Recipe, Tasty Chocolate Truffles Recipe, or Peppermint Cream Sweets Recipe.

To make 12 to 14 Jammie Dodgers, you will need:

• Two heart shaped cookie cutters (about 6 cm and 3 cm)
• 200g (7oz) of plain flour
• 25g (1 oz) of custard powder
• 50g (2oz) of caster sugar
• 150g (50z) of butter softened and cut into small pieces
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of water
• 5 tablespoons of raspberry jam
• Icing sugar to decorate

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 160C (fan oven 150C) / 350F/ gas mark 3. Grease two baking trays
• Mix the flour, custard powder and sugar in a bowl. Add the butter and rub it into the flour mixture to make tiny crumbs (you can use an electric mixer if you have one)
• Stir in the egg yolk and mix into a smooth dough – knead the dough with your hands when it becomes too stiff. You might need to add a little water if your dough is crumbly. It needs to have pastry like consistency
• Roll the cookie dough out on a surface sprinkled with flour and stamp out large hearts with your cookie cutter
• Cut out little hearts from the centre of half of the large hearts using the small cookie cutter and transfer the shapes onto baking trays. Squeeze the trimmings together and roll out again. You should have 12 to 14 of each shape
• Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes until they are pale golden. Loosen them with a knife and leave them to cool on the backing trays
• When completely cold, spread jam over the whole cookies, top with the heart stamped ones and dust with icing sugar

Your home made Jammie Dodgers are ready to eat. Enjoy!

If you’re looking for Valentine’s day gifts, why not check out our Valentine’s balloons, Valentine’s teddy bears and chocolates? For more gift ideas, read our Top 10 Valentine’s Gifts article.

Love and romance are in the air – the new 2012 Valentine’s Me to You Teddy Bears are in!

The collection pictured above features the popular grey Tatty Teddy with patches in an assortment of styles and sizes and would be perfect to  deliver your romantic message on the 14th of February this year.

Me to You Tatty Teddy and My Blue Nose Friends in numbers

Me to You was created in 2000 by Stephen Haines who launched his Sussex based company – Carte Blanche, with a portfolio of just 12 cards. Tatty Teddy – the cute character behind the brand – became an instant success.

Over 75 million Me to You plush bears have been sold since 2000.

My Blue Nose Friends was launched in June 2008 as a range of collectable cuddly toys. In total, nearly 6 million pieces of plush have been sold, enough to fill all the seats at Wembley Stadium over 60 times.

Find out more

To find out more about the heart warming story of Tatty Teddy and how he was thrown out with the rubbish read our Me to You Teddy Bears page.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day

Want to make this Valentine’s Day a special one? Check out the following articles:

Surviving Valentine’s Day – Whatever your situation – single, in a new or long term relationship, this article will give you tips and advice on how to make Valentine’s Day a success.

Top 10 Valentine’s Gifts – Whether you’re experiencing the first flush of love or enjoying the adoration of your soul mate, we have put together this top ten gift guide for Valentine’s Day.

For those who are planning to propose on Valentine’s Day:

Marriage proposal ideas – Thinking of getting down on one knee?  Our guide to unusual ways to ask your loved one to marry you, may give you some great ideas.

These heart shaped biscuits are quick and easy to make but with some simple decorating they will look great too!  A fun Valentine’s recipe that will make a tasty gift, these biscuits are also perfect to make with children and share with the family. Yum!

For more delicious treats to make and share with loved ones on Valentine’s day and other occasions, why not also try our Best Chocolate Cupcake Recipe or Triple Chocolate Brownies Recipe?

This Valentine’s recipe will make 16 to 20 soft chocolatey heart shaped biscuits.

You will need:

 For the biscuits:

• 190g of plain flour
• 100g of cocoa powder
• 1 heaped teaspoon of baking powder
• 250 g caster sugar
• 200 g butter or margarine softened
• 1 egg

For the icing:

• Ready to roll fondant icing
• 3 tablespoons of apricot jam

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 180C (160C for oven fan) or gas mark 5 and butter two baking trays
• Using a wooden spoon or a food processor, cream the sugar and butter until smooth.  Add the egg and mix well
• In a separate bowl combine the flour, cocoa and baking powder
• Bit by Bit add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture to form a soft dough
• Using your hands, roll a small ball of dough (about one tablespoon) and place on the backing trays.
• Flatten the balls into round biscuit shapes with the back of a spoon (use a wet spoon if the dough is sticky). Make sure your biscuits are not too close as they will expand slightly
• Bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes. When cooked, place the biscuits on a cooling rack

For the icing:

• When the biscuits are cold, roll out some fondant icing and cut into hearts with a small heart shaped cookie cutter
• Brush your biscuits with warm apricot jam and stick the icing hearts on top

That’s it – your heart shaped cookies are ready to eat!

If you’re looking for Valentine’s day gifts, why not check out our Valentine’s balloons, Valentine’s teddy bears and chocolates? For more gift ideas, read our Top 10 Valentine’s Gifts article.

All you need to know about the gas that makes balloons float

Have you ever wondered where helium comes from? Who discovered it? How long do helium balloons float? Is the gas safe? What do we use it for? Is true that there is a shortage?

Whether you’re a curious adult or a kid who’s researching a science project, read our facts about helium to find out more about the mysterious gas.

Where does it come from?

The element is made either by the nuclear fusion process of the Sun, or by the very slow and steady radioactive decay of rock, which is how all of Earth’s helium was made. There is no way of manufacturing it. It is often found underground along with natural gas. The Earth’s  biggest reserves are in North America.

After being extracted, the helium and natural gas mix is cooled. During this process, the natural gas turns into a liquid while the helium stays in gas form and can be separated and stored.

More science facts about helium:

• It doesn’t turn to a liquid until it reaches -270°C! Its boiling and melting points are the lowest of the elements, so it only exists as a gas except under very extreme conditions
• It’s symbol is He and atomic number is 2, so each atom of helium has two protons
• It is colourless, odourless, tasteless, non-toxic, and inert
• It is the second-lightest element – hydrogen is the lightest element
• It is the second-most abundant element in the universe, though it is scarce on Earth

Who discovered it?

It was first discovered by Pierre Janssen, a French astronomer in 1868. While observing a solar eclipse in India, he noticed the yellow spectral emission lines of the element. English astronomer Norman Lockyer later named it helium after the Greek name helios – sun.

It is in only 1895 that Sir William Ramsay discovered the gas on earth.

Safety

People will often inhale the contents of a balloon to make their voice sound squeaky, yet there’s an inherent risk of asphyxiation or suffocation, which may lead to serious injury or death.

While such accidents are very rare, they are a tragic reminder that helium should NEVER be inhaled.

When using disposable helium canisters, make sure you read all the safety instructions carefully.

What we use helium for:

Party balloons

Initially hydrogen was used to make party balloons float. However, it can explode and is highly flammable and was was used mainly for scientific experiments. Hydrogen was eventually replaced by helium and found it’s way out of the science lab to the toy market!

When latex balloons are filled with helium they typically float only for a day or so. The gas escapes through small pores in the latex. You can treat latex balloons with a hi-float gel that makes them less porous and helps lock the gas in.

Foil and plastic balloons are less permeable and can float for anything from 5 days to 5 weeks depending on their size and the material used for manufacture.

The gas can also be used to lift airships and blimps.

MRI scanners

Because of its low boiling point, helium is used to cool the superconducting magnets in medical MRI scanners.

Science / industry

Helium is widely used in science experiments, but also to:

• Maintain the low temperature of the Large Hadron Collider in Cern
• Clean out rocket engines. Large quantities of helium are used to pressurise the interior of liquid fuel rockets, condense hydrogen and oxygen to make rocket fuel, and force fuel into the engines during rocket launches
• Estimate the age of rocks and minerals containing uranium and thorium by measuring their retention of helium
• Prevent the heating of the air in solar telescopes, which reduces the distorting effects of temperature variations in the space between lenses
• Cool infra-red detectors, nuclear reactors and the machinery of wind tunnels

Deep-sea diving

To avoid the problems caused by breathing ordinary air under high pressure, deep sea divers use a mixture of helium, oxygen and nitrogen to breathe underwater.

Shortage

Helium is also a non-renewable resource and scientist are now warning that the world’s reserves of the precious gas are about to run out, a shortage that is likely to have far-reaching repercussions.

The American reserves in Kansas – the largest on the planet, are being depleted at an unprecedented rate. The low cost of the gas is not encouraging recycling of the large quantities used in industry.

Additional resources

Wikipedia article

Why the world is running out of helium
A US law means supplies of the gas – a vital component of MRI scanners – are vanishing fast.

No British Christmas is complete without a traditional Christmas Cake. It can be made weeks in advance and will keep until you are ready to decorate. Our traditional Christmas cake recipe is easy to make and more importantly tasty!

For a quicker alternative to fruit cake, why not try our Christmas Cupcakes Recipe?

Ingredients:

This traditional Christmas cake recipe will serve 16 and takes about 3 ½ hours including cooking time.

• 225g / 8 oz of butter or margarine softened at room temperature
• 225g / 8 oz of dark muscovado sugar
• 225g / 8 oz of plain flour
• 4 eggs beaten
• 50g / 2 oz of ground almonds
• 100ml / 3 ½ fl oz of Sherry, Brandy or orange juice for an alcohol free version
• 85g / 3 oz of candied peel – chopped
• 85g / 3oz of glacé cherries – chopped
• 250g / 9oz of currants
• 250g / 9oz raisins
• 100g / 14oz of chopped pecan nuts (replace with an additional 100g of fruit) for a nut-free version
• Finely grated zest of one lemon
• 1 ½ teaspoons of mixed spice
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

Note: If you have time and like your Christmas cake moist, you can soak the dried fruit the night before in brandy or orange juice and make the recipe the next day.

For the icing you will need:

• One pack of marzipan – we used ready rolled
• 3 tablespoons of apricot jam
• Fondant or royal icing – you can mix your own icing sugar or any ready to roll icing

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 160C / Gas 3 / Fan oven 140C. Fully line a deep 20cm round cake tin
• Cream the butter and sugar, stir in one spoon full of flour and the beaten eggs. Progressively add the rest of the flour and the baking powder until well mixed. Stir in the ground almonds
• Mix in the Sherry, Brandy or orange juice. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well
• Spoon the mixture into the cake tin, smooth to top of the tin and bake in the oven. After 30 minutes, lower the temperature to 150C/ Gas 2/ Fan oven 130C and bake for an extra 2 to 2 ½ hours, until a skewer inserted comes out clean
• Once cold remove the cake from the tin and discard the greaseproof paper. Wrap well in cling film and foil and store in an airtight container

Decorating your cake

• Warm the apricot jam and remove any fruit piece – brush over the top and sides of the cake
• Roll out the marzipan and cover the cake
• Prepare the icing according the the instructions on the package and ice the cake
• Decorate to taste!

Did you know?

Traditionally coins were added to Christmas cakes and puddings. The coin, sometimes wrapped in a small piece of greaseproof paper, was to bring luck to the person who found it while eating the cake.

In Japan Christmas cakes are simple sponge cakes, frosted with white fresh whipped cream and decorated with strawberries and maybe the occasional chocolate. It is traditionally eaten on Christmas eve.

More festive recipes

For more seasonal recipes, why not make our simple marzipan mince pies recipe or tasty chocolate truffles recipe?

Christmas gifts

If you’re looking for a unique Christmas gift for a loved one, why not check out our cheerful Christmas balloons, cuddly Christmas teddy bears and tasty chocolates?

This tasty Christmas cupcakes recipe is packed with fruit and nuts and flavoured with brandy or orange juice. The little fruit cakes are moist and full of flavour. A quick-bake alternative to traditional Christmas cake, they will make tasty gifts. If you have kids, they will enjoy decorating them too!

For more easy to make recipes ideas that will have everyone – including Rudolph the Reindeer asking for more, you could try our simple marzipan mince pies recipe or our best chocolate cupcakes recipe.

The recipe will make approximately 18 muffin tin sized cupcakes. For a more festive look you can use Christmas themed cupcake cases and decorations.

You will need:

For the Christmas cupcakes

• 200g of dark muscovado sugar
• 175g of butter chopped in small pieces
• 700g of ready mixed dried fruits (or mix your own with raisins, currents, mixed peel and other fruit)
• 50g of glacé cherries
• Zest of 1 orange
• 125ml of brandy or orange juice
• 85g/3oz pecan nuts, roughly chopped
• 3 large eggs – beaten
• 85g of ground almonds
• 200g of plain flour
• ½ tsp of backing powder
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 1/2 tsp of ginger
• 1 tsp of cinnamon

For the topping

• 400g of marzipan – you can use the ready rolled variety if you like
• 4 tbsp warm apricot jam – heated
• 500g pack fondant icing sugar

Preparation

For the cupcakes

1. Pre-heat the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2, and line two muffin trays with paper cases
2. Put the sugar, butter, dried fruit, whole cherries, ginger and orange zest into a large saucepan. Pour over the brandy or orange juice, and simmer on the hob for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside for 30 minutes to cool.
3. Stir the nuts, beaten eggs and ground almonds into the fruit. Add the flour, baking powder and spices and sir gently until the batter is thoroughly mixed.
4. Scoop mixture into the deep muffin cases until three quarters full and level the tops with a spoon. Bake in the oven for 35 to 45 minutes until golden and just firm to touch. Remove your Christmas cupcakes from the tin and cool on a wire rack.

For the topping

1. When your cupcakes are cold, roll out the marzipan and stamp one disc for each cake – each round should be about 6cm in diameter. Brush the cake tops with heated apricot jam, top with a marzipan disc and press down gently.
2. Make the fondant icing and spread it on top of each cupcake. Decorate with sugar sprinkles – or whatever takes your fancy and leave to set. Your Christmas cupcakes will keep in a tin or airtight container for 3 weeks.

Please note: If you want to bake in advance, you can freeze your Christmas cupcakes without the icing.

For more simple recipes that will make delicious home-made Christmas gifts ideas, why not try our tasty chocolate truffles recipe or peppermint cream sweets?

Hi-Float is a treatment that allows helium filled latex balloons to float up to 25 times longer. Un-treated balloons usually float for 8 to 12 hours – with Hi-Float, they will last for over a week. It is ideal to:

• Decorate an exhibition or stand
• Create lasting party decorations
• Free more time for last minute preparations – as you can inflate your balloons in advance

How to use Hi-Float

Hi-Float is easy to use so anyone can achieve professional results.

Slide the balloon onto the pump as far as possible to inject Hi-Float deep inside. Push the pump as far as it will go. Remove the balloon and pinch its neck to keep the solution out of the stem.

Gently rub the body of the balloon between your fingers to coat the liquid all over the inside surface. Inflate with helium as usual and tie a knot. It’s that simple!

Pre-treating with Hi-Float

If you have a lot of balloons, you can pre-treat them several days in advance and save time on the day. Here is how to do it:

• Treat balloons with the correct amount of Hi-Float
• Gently rub the latex to spread the solution all over the inner surface
• Gather your balloons in groups of 10 and tie the necks together with ribbon or a rubber band. This will stop the coating from drying out
• Leave at room temperature for up to one week.
• Before inflating, gently rub the balloons to re-spread the Hi-Float inside
• Inflate and tie as normal

Tips to make your helium filled latex balloons last longer

• Add the full recommended amount of Hi-Float for maximum efficiency of the treatment
• Inflate the balloons to their full size. While it is normal for treated latex balloons to not have much upward lift when first inflated, they should float straight up. If they lean to one side or don’t float at all, you might need to add more helium. When the treatment has dried – usually after a couple of hours, they should regain full floating power.
• Once inflated, keep the balloons in mild conditions. 20C to 26C is ideal. Extreme temperatures, high humidity or exposure to direct sunlight will all shorten floating life. In cold weather, make sure you keep the balloons in a heated location for the first few hours so the treatment can dry. Hi-Float does not begin to hold in helium until it is dry.
• Pearlised and metallic balloons float about a third less than standard colours.
• Hand tie the balloons with tight knots. This will lock the helium in much better than if you use discs or clips

Frequently asked questions

What is Hi-Float and how does it work?

Hi-Float is an aqueous solution containing a special water soluble plastic. The glue like material dries inside the latex balloon to form a barrier coating which helps to hold in the helium and increase the floating life.

Is it safe?

Yes. Hi-Float is non-toxic, non-irritating, non-corrosive, non flammable, and biodegradable. In fact, it is very similar to the adhesive found on the back of postage stamps. You can wash it off the skin with water. If accidentally splashed into the eyes, flush with water for several minutes. Although it is non toxic, we recommend to keep it away from small children.

Does it work on foil balloons?

No it is for use on latex balloons only. Foil balloons are not buoyant enough and will not float if treated.

Is it suitable for use with your Disposable helium cylinders?

Yes it is ideal for use with both normal and disposable helium canisters.

Can you use it with illoom balloons?

Yes you can use Hi-Float with illooms. Just pull the tab before treatment and follow the instructions as normal.

You can buy Hi-Float on our website and check out our full range of party balloons, weights, ribbons and accessories.

Mince pies are one of Christmas‘ favourite treats and what better way to impress friends and family than by baking your own?

Make your mince pies extra special with a touch of rich, melt in the mouth marzipan and light lemon flavoured pastry. The recipe’s simple too so you can even get the kids to help!

The catch? If you have a large family I would recommend you bake two batches as these mince pies are very moreish – just look at Rudolph eyeing them up!

This simple mince pie recipe will take about 45 minutes (including baking time) and makes 12.

Ingredients

• 100g 4oz of plain flour
• 100g/ 4 oz of self raising flour
• 100g of butter softened
• 1tbsp of caster sugar
• Finely grated zest of one lemon or orange
• 85g / 3oz of marzipan cut into 12 small square (just enough to cover the bottom of the mince pies)
• 3/4 jar of mincemeat 300g / 11oz
• Icing sugar for dusting (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven at 200C (180C for oven fan) or gas mark 6 and butter a 12 hole bun tin.
2. Using your fingers or a food processor, work in the two types of flour and the butter until you have a crumby mixture. Add the sugar, the zest and 3 to 4 table spoons of water and kneed the dough until it comes together in a ball.
3. Roll out the dough thinly on a lightly floured surface. Stamp out 12 x 9cm (3 1/2 inch) circles with a cookie cutter and place them into the buttered tin.
4. Put your marzipan pieces into the bottom of each pastry case and spoon in the mincemeat. Be careful not to over fill them or your mince pies might turn out rather sticky.
5. Roll out the left over pastry, cut out star shapes and lay them on top. Bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes until golden. Leave the pies to cool for a few minutes, take them out of the tray and transfer them onto a wire rack until completely cold. They will keep in an airtight container for a few days.

You can also prepare your mince pies ahead and freeze them uncooked. They will bake straight from the freezer in about 25 minutes.

For more home made Christmas treats, why not try our Tasty Chocolate Truffles Recipe or our Peppermint Cream Sweets Recipe? Alternatively check out our range of delicious chocolates.