Here at Skyeskyns we LOVE Christmas. Whether it’s founder Lydia getting prepared in early autumn by making the Christmas cake or MD Jess and her kids busy with Christmas crafts on a rainy day, Christmas is a special time not just for family but also for the business – perhaps partly because of the fact that sheepskins, and all that they represent, are simply so luxuriously comforting.
As we all start to get ready for some ‘Coorie time’, we thought we’d share with you some recipes and Christmas craft ideas to keep you busy whilst you snuggle indoors over the holidays.
Nigella Lawson’s Christmas Rocky Road @nigellalawson
Makes: 24 bars
- 250 grams dark chocolate
- 150 grams milk chocolate
- 175 grams soft butter
- 4 tablespoons golden syrup
- 200 grams amaretti biscuits
- 150 grams brazil nuts (shelled)
- 150 grams red glace cherries
- 125 grams mini marshmallows
- 1 tablespoon icing sugar
- edible glitter
Chop both sorts of chocolate small, or use chocolate buttons made for melting, and then put into a heavy-based pan to melt with the butter and syrup over a gentle heat.
Put the biscuits into a freezer bag and bash them with a rolling pin to get big- and little-sized crumbs; you want some pieces to crunch and some sandy rubble.
Put the Brazil nuts into another freezer bag and also bash them so you get different-sized nut rubble.
Take the pan off the heat, and add the crushed biscuits and nuts, whole glacé cherries and mini-marshmallows. Turn carefully to coat everything with syrupy chocolate.
Tip into a foil tray (I use one 236mm x 296mm / 9¼ x 12 inches), smoothing the top as best you can, although it will look bumpy.
Refrigerate until firm enough to cut, which will take about 1½–2 hours. Then take the set block of rocky road out of the foil tray ready to cut.
Push the icing sugar through a small sieve to dust the top of the Rocky Road. Then, if you like, add a sprinkling of edible glitter for some festive sparkle.
With the long side in front of you, cut into it 6 slices down and 4 across, so that you have 24 almost-squares.
Warm Woolly Sheep Cocktail Recipe (adults only for this one!)
- 1 shot whisky of your choice
- 1 1/2 shot Drambuie
- Warm milk
Mix the whisky and Drambuie in the glass of your choice and fill the rest of the way with warm milk. A warm and soothing drink, this cocktail is a great alternative to hot chocolate when you want something that’s warm, milky and relaxing, but not chocolate.
Velvet Ribbon Christmas Tree
These were a great idea shared last Christmas by the lovely @no.7_is_home on Instagram.
- 3 x cardboard cones (DIY or available on Amazon), ideally of three difference sizes
- Lengths of velvet ribbon
- Glue gun or glue
Working in layers, from top to bottom, glue the ribbon to the cone and concertina before gluing again. Once you have been around the cone once, cut the ribbon and start the next row. Keep going until you reach the top, gluing each fold as you go. Display with pride.
Gift time…
And of course, don’t forget the gifts for family and friends….
As we’ve said, there is something particularly appealing about sheepskins in winter, making our range of products perfect as Christmas gifts. Their natural warmth and softness make them ideal for cozying up during the winter months, whether as rugs, throws, or seat covers.
Tanned here on the Isle of Skye, our sheepskins are sustainable and long-lasting, supporting our local business and the local staff team that we employ, at the same time offering an eco-conscious choice.
Sheepskin slippers or gloves are also great gift choices, ideal for anyone seeking a touch of everyday indulgence.
Versatile and stylish, everybody on your gift list will find something to love about a gift from Skyeskyns, from design enthusiasts to those who appreciate simple yet luxurious comforts.